Oldest Celebrities in the world

10 Oldest Celebrities in the World (Updated 2024)

It may be hard to believe, but several famous celebrities who were born near the start of the 20th century are still alive today.

While most of the celebrities on this list are retired, a few of them are still working and don’t have plans to stop anytime soon.

Among this list of long lived celebrities are Academy Award winning actors and actresses, a fashion icon, and a world famous violinist.

Although their lives and careers differed, the one thing they all have in common is that they’ve lived for over a century and left lasting impacts in their respective industries.

As of October 2022, the information on this list is as accurate as possible and will be updated as needed.

10. Janis Paige (September 16, 1922 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022): 100 years, 27 days 
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, USA 
Profession: Actress 
Years Active: 1940 – 2001 
Notable Works: It’s Always Jan (1955-1956); Romance on the High Seas (1948); and Silk Stockings (1957)

photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Janis Paige recently became a centenarian and is one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Paige began her career right after high school when she was hired as a singer at the Hollywood Canteen in Los Angeles during World War II. A Warner Bros. agent was impressed by Paige and offered her a contract with the studio. 

After starring in several low budget musicals, Paige hit her break in 1954 with her role as Babe in the Broadway musical The Pajama Game

Afterwards, Paige went back and forth between starring in Hollywood films and Broadway productions. 

Paige retired in 2001 because her voice was cracking with nearly irreparable vocal-cord damage. 

Did You Know?

From 1955 – 1956, Janis Paige starred in her own CBS situation comedy, It’s Always Jan, co-starring Merry Anders. 


9. Norman Lear (July 27, 1922 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022): 100 years, 2 months, 17 days
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, USA 
Profession: TV Producer and screenwriter 
Years Active: 1948 – Present 
Notable Works: All in the Family (1971-1979); Sanford and Son (1972-1977); One Day at a Time (1975-1984); The Jeffersons (1975-1985); and Good Times (1974-1979) 

photo source: Wikimedia Commons 

Norman Lear is one of the most well-known television producers and screenwriters in Hollywood. Lear has had an incredibly successful career and has produced numerous hit TV shows. 

Among the more than 100 shows that Lear has produced, written, created, or developed are the hit sitcoms All in the Family (1971-1979),  Sanford and Son (1972-1977), One Day at a Time (1975-1984), The Jeffersons (1975-1985), and Good Times (1974-1979). 

Despite being a centenarian, Lear continues to work and recently produced the Netflix remake of One Day at a Time in 2017 and the Good Times revival in 2022. 

Over his career, Lear has earned five Emmys, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. 

Outside of work, Lear is known for his political activism and funding progressive causes and politicians. In 1980, Lear founded People for the American Way to counter the influence of the Christian right in politics. 

Did You Know?

During World War II, Norman Lear dropped out of Emerson College to join the U.S. Air Force. 


8. Ray Anthony (January 20, 1922 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022): 100 years, 8 months, 24 days
Birthplace: Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, USA 
Profession: Musician, bandleader, trumpeter, and actor 
Years Active: 1936 – present 
Notable Works: Member of the Glen Miller Orchestra; The Ray Anthony Orchestra; Soundtrack – Sixteen Candles (1984), Uncle Buck (1989), and Ed Wood (1994) 

photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Ray Anthony is a musician, songwriter, actor, and bandleader. During his childhood, Anthony studied the trumpet and turned his love for the instrument into a successful career. 

Anthony began his career as part of the Glen Miller Band in early 1940s, but he left to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. 

After the War, Anthony started his own group, the Ray Anthony Orchestra. The group had several hits throughout the 1950s, including “The Bunny Hop”, “Hokey Pokey”, and the theme from Dragnet. 

As his star continued to rise, Anthony spent a few years as an actor and even starred in a short-lived television variety show, The Ray Anthony ShowHe quit acting in 1961 following his divorce from actress Mamie Van Doren. 

Undeterred, Anthony’s music career continued and he has gone on to write songs for the soundtracks of many films including Sixteen Candles and Uncle Buck

Did You Know?

Ray Anthony was close friends with Hugh Hefner and appeared on several episodes of the reality TV series, The Girls Next Door


7. Walter Mirisch (November 8, 1921 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022): 100 years, 11 months, 5 days
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA 
Profession: Film Producer 
Years Active: 1947 – Present 
Notable Works: Some Like It Hot (1959); The Magnificent Seven (1960); West Side Story (1961); and In the Heat of the Night (1967) 

photo source: IMDB

Walter Mirisch is a famed American film producer and is still active in the industry at the age of 100. 

Mirisch produced his first film, Fall Guy, in 1947 for Monogram Pictures. By the age of 29, Mirisch became the production head of Allied Artists Studios, which was initially a division of Monogram. 

During his time with Monogram, Mirisch produced several films, including Wichita and Invasion of the the Body Snatchers

In 1957, Mirisch founded The Mirisch Company with his brother Marvin and half-brother Harold. 

Mirisch’s production company produced 68 films for United Artists, including such hits as  The Apartment (1960), West Side Story (1961), and In the Heat of the Night (1967) — all three films won an Academy Award. 

In addition to the movies, his company produced, Mirisch personally produced several noteworthy films including The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Toys in the Attic (1963). 

Mirisch’s is most recently credited as an executive producer for the 2022 animated film The Pink Panther

Did You Know?

Walter Mirisch is currently the oldest living Oscar winner


6. Iris Apfel (August 29, 1921 – Present)

Current Age (as of October 2022): 101 years, 1 months, 15 days
Birthplace: Astoria, Queens, New York, USA
Profession: Interior designer, textile designer, and fashion designer
 Years Active:  1950 – Present
Notable Works: Old World Weavers; Restoration projects at the White House

Iris Apfelphoto source: Wikimedia Commons

Iris Apfel is a fashion icon who has worn many hats over her long life, including being an interior designer and businesswoman.

As a young woman, Apfel worked for Women’s Wear Daily and for interior designer Elinor Johnson. Apfel married her husband Carl Apfel in 1948 and the couple ran the textile firm Old World Weavers until they retired in 1992.

While Old World Weavers was in operation, Apfel took part in several design restoration projects, including work at the White House for nine presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton.

Despite “retiring” in 1992, Apfel continued to work, sometimes as a visiting professor, a model, and fashion designer. Apfel’s husband, Carl, was also long-lived and passed away in 2015 at the age of 100.

Did You Know?

In 2018, Mattel created a Barbie doll in Iris Apfel’s image, making her the oldest person to ever have a Barbie made in her image.


5. Frances Wessells (August 18, 1919 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022): 103 years, 1 months, 26 days 
Birthplace: USA 
Profession: Dancer, choreographer, and artist 
Years Active: Unspecified start, but still active 
Notable Works: Founder of VCU Dance Department 

To see images of Frances Wessells, click here

Frances Wessells may not be a household name, but she is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and artist. At the age of 103, Wessells is still actively making art and she only retired from teaching dance a few years ago when she was in her late 90s. 

Wessells earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver and a Master of Arts from New York University and went on to teach at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for several decades. 

Not only was Wessells teaching dance at VCU, but she help start the school’s dance department. 

Besides dancing, Wessells is known for her art, in particular sculptures. She created her first professional art piece in 1950. 

Did You Know?

Frances Wessells was married to artist and dancer John Bailey until his death in 2019. Bailey had been one of Wessells’s students. 


4. June Spencer (June 14, 1919 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022):  103 years, 3 months, 29 days
Birthplace: Nottingham, England 
Profession: Actress 
Years Active: 1943 – 2022
Notable Works: The Archers (1950-1954; 1961-2022) 

To see images of June Spencer, click here

June Spencer is a British actress who played Peggy Woolley on the BBC soap opera The Archers for 65 years. Spencer only retired from acting in August of this year. She is the last original actor from the beginning of the series still alive. 

In 1954, Spencer left The Archers for a few years to take care of her family. Actress Thelma Rogers stepped in to play Peggy. However, when Spencer decided to return to the show in 1961, Rogers stepped down and returned to stage acting. 

As a teenager, Spencer left Nottingham Girls’ High School to join an amateur dramatic society. During this time she earned a London Guildhall School of Music and Drama certificate.

Did You Know?

Over her long career, June Spencer has earned several honors including being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. 


3. Caren Marsh-Doll (April 6, 1919 – Present)

Current Age (as of October 2022):  103 years, 6 months, 7 days
Birthplace: Hollywood, California, USA
Profession: Stage and screen actress and dancer
 Years Active:  1937 – 1948 (actress); 1956 – Present (dancer, entertainer)
Notable Works: The Wizard of Oz (1939; Judy Garland’s dance stand-in); and Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Caren Marsh-Dollphoto source: picsofcelebrities.com

Caren Marsh Doll may not be a household name, but she worked as a dance stand-in for Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. Marsh-Doll served as Garland’s stand-in a second time in the film Ziegfeld Girl.

Outside of her work as Garland’s stand-in, Marsh-Doll did have a few minor acting roles in a few films. Toward the late 1940s, Marsh-Doll decided to focus on her dancing career and quite acting.

However, on July 12, 1949, Marsh-Doll was a passenger on Standard Air Lines Flight 897R, which crashed, killing 35 people. Marsh-Doll was one of only 13 survivors.

Her left foot was badly damaged in the crash and doctors nearly amputated her foot and told her she would never dance again. Following extensive physical therapy, Marsh-Doll fully recovered and eventually became a dance teacher in 1956.

Did You Know?

Although Caren Marsh-Doll was never credited for her work on The Wizard of Oz, she was given her very own pair of ruby slippers.


2. Branka Veselinović (September 16, 1918 – Present) 

Current Age (as of October 2022):  104 years, 27 days 
Birthplace: Stari Bečej, Austria-Hungary (modern-day Bečej, Serbia) 
Profession: Actress 
Years Active: 1938 – Present 
Notable Works: Stage plays: King Betajnova, Mother Courage, and Bereaved Family; The Twelve Chairs (1970)

photo source: Wikimedia Commons 

Branka Veselinović is currently the oldest working actor on this list. She recently celebrated her 104th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down. 

Veselinović who was born in what is now Bečej, Serbia has starred in more than 100 stage plays and 50 film and TV productions. 

While Veselinović primarily appeared in Serbian media, she has also worked in the U.S. She had a role in the English-language play Mother Courage as well as Mel Brooks’s film adaptation of The Twelve Chairs in 1970. 

In addition to being a prolific actor, Veselinović is a lifelong UNICEF ambassador. 

Did You Know?

Branka Veselinović married actor and translator Mlađa Veselinović in 1948 and the couple remained together until Mlađa died in 2012. 


1. Elisabeth Waldo (June 18, 1918 – Present)

Current Age (as of October 2022):  104 years, 3 months, 25 days
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Profession: Violinist, songwriter, composer, conductor, and ethnomusicologist
 Years Active:  1940 – Present
Notable Works: Maracatu (1959); Realm of the Incas (1961); Land of Golden Dreams (2004); and Heartstrings Soul of the Americas (2008)

Elisabeth Waldophoto source: elisabethwaldomusic.com

After several of the other celebrities that were formerly on this list passed away, Elisabeth Waldo is now the oldest living celebrity in the world at the age of 104! 

Waldo is an accomplished violinist, songwriter, composer, conductor, and ethnomusicologist. She has been interested in music her entire life and began to play the violin when she was only five years old.

At the recommendation of world-renown concert Violinist Jascha Heifetz, Waldo received a scholarship to attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

In addition to her own work, Waldo has extensively studied the music of other cultures, especially those found in Central and South America.

Waldo has also composed music inspired by the ancient songs of China.

Did You Know?

n 1987, Elisabeth Waldo founded the New Mission Theatre, a 150-seat venue for use by the Multi-Cultural Music and Art Foundation of Northridge on the north side of Los Angeles


Article Changes 

10/13/2022: 

  • Removed Ruthie Tompson, Renée Simonot, Norman Lloyd, Mary Ward, Marsha Hunt, Nehemiah Persoff, and Betty White
  • Moved Elisabeth Waldo to No. 1 spot
  • Updated Ages 
  • Added Branka Veselinović, June Spencer, Frances Wessells, Walter Mirisch, Ray Anthony, Norman Lear, and Janis Paige. 

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