Although the Golden Age of Hollywood ended over 50 years ago, some of the actors from this time period are still alive today. Not only are these actors still alive, they are also still working in the industry. The Golden Age was killed by the television industry, but these actors stayed afloat by adapting and accepting television roles.
While there are some actors who may be older than the ones on this list, they have been retired for decades or had careers that lasted for a brief period of time.
For this list, we chose to highlight the ten oldest actors who are still active (at the time of this writing) or have been active within the last decade.
As of January 2024, the information on this list is as accurate as possible and will be updated as needed.
10. Barbara Rush (January 4, 1927 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 96 years, 1 month
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, USA
Years Active: 1950 – Present
Notable Works: It Came from Outer Space (1953); Peyton Place (1968-1969); All My Children (1992-1994); 7th Heaven (1997-2007); Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Barbara Rush began her career in 1950 after signing with Paramount Pictures and appearing in The Goldbergs.
After appearing in a few more films, Rush caught her big break when she starred in the cult-classic It Came from Outer Space. Rush won the Golden Globe Award for “Most Promising Newcomer – Female” for her role.
Following her big win, Rush’s career continued to take off and she had roles in several movies, stage productions, and TV shows.
Some of Rush’s most notable TV credits include Peyton Place, All My Children, and 7th Heaven.
Although Rush’s career has slowed significantly since 2007, she still makes appearances for the Theatre Guild in Orange County.
Did You Know?
Barbara Rush is the aunt of actress Carolyn Hennesy, who is known for her roles on Dawson’s Creek and General Hospital.
9. Mel Brooks (June 28, 1926 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 97 years, 8 months, 15 days
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Years Active: 1947 – Present
Notable Works: Wrote for Your Show of Shows (1950–1954) and Get Smart (1965–1970); Directed The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974), Spaceballs (1987), and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
While Mel Brooks has acted a bit throughout his 75-year career, he is better known for directing some major comedic cult classics, including Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Brooks was always interested in pursuing a career in entertainment and he began working when he was 14 and had his first performance as a comedian when he was 16.
During World War II, Brooks served in the U.S. Army. Following the end of the War, Brooks helped organize shows for captured Germans and American troops.
After returning home, Brooks worked as an entertainer at various resorts in the Borscht Belt in the Catskill Mountains. Eventually, Brooks became a comedy writer for TV and landed his first big gig as a writer for Your Show of Shows (1950–1954). Brooks’ other notable work as a writer was the show Get Smart.
Building on his writing career, Brooks began directing in the 1970s and many of his films were hits.
Did You Know?
In 2001, Mel Brooks became one of the few EGOT Winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) when he won some Tony Awards for the stage adaptation of The Producers.
8. Dick Van Dyke (December 13, 1925 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 98 years, 2 months
Birthplace: West Plains, Missouri, USA
Years Active: 1947 – Present
Notable Works: Bye Bye Birdie (1961 stage production and 1963 film), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966), Mary Poppins (1964), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971–74)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Dick Van Dyke is a beloved stage and film actor whose career has spanned over 75 years. Prior to starting his entertainment career in the late 1940s, Van Dyke served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a radio announcer and entertainer.
He had originally tried to enlist as a regular soldier, but was denied enlistment several times for being underweight.
After leaving the military in 1946, Van Dyke worked as a radio DJ and also had a show on local television. In 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut and a year later he landed his breakthrough role as the male lead of Bye Bye Birdie.
After winning a Tony for his role, Van Dyke’s career took off and he landed his own TV show with CBS, The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 – 1966.
Throughout his career, Van Dyke had numerous iconic roles in some of the most famous movies ever, including Mary Poppies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the screen version of Bye Bye Birdie. Van Dyke is still very active and occasionally appears in movies.
Did You Know?
Dick Van Dyke has won five Primetime Emmys, a Tony, and a Grammy Award, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. He also received the SAG Life Achievement Award in 2013, which is the Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor.
7. Lee Grant (October 31, 1925 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 98 years, 3 months, 5 days
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Years Active: 1933 – Present
Notable Works: Peyton Place (1965 – 1966); Valley of the Dolls (1967); In the Heat of the Night (1967); and Shampoo (1975)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Lee Grant, who will be turning 97 in a few weeks, has worked as an actress, director, and documentarian for nearly 90 years!
Grant’s career began when she was just a child when she made her stage debut in L’Oracolo at the Metropolitan Opera in 1931. Throughout her adolescent and teenage years, Grant studied ballet and attended several prestigious ballet schools, including Julliard.
In 1944, Grant appeared in her first professional stage role as an understudy in Oklahoma.
After making her film debut in 1951 in the film version of Detective Story, Grant received her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination.
However, despite making a big splash in Hollywood, Grant’s career was halted when she became a blacklisted actor in 1952. Reportedly, Grant was blacklisted because of her marriage to Arnold Manoff and her friendship with other actors who had been blacklisted.
Although Grant was not able to work for over 12 years, she hit her stride in the 1960s and played the lead role in the Valley of the Dolls and In the Heat of the Night.
Outside of acting, Grant has directed several TV films, documentaries, and TV episodes.
Did You Know?
In 1986, Lee Grant won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for directing Down and Out in America.
6. June Lockhart (June 25, 1925 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 98 years, 8 months, 3 days
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Years Active: 1938 – Present
Notable Works: Lassie (1958 – 1964); Lost in Space (1965 – 1968); and Petticoat Junction (1968 – 1970)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
June Lockhart, the daughter of actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, is still active at the age of 95. Lockhart has a few acting credits in recent years, including a voice acting role in an animated film Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm.
In 2013, Lockhart recorded voice lines for a video game called Tesla Effect.
Lockhart made her film debut opposite her parents in a film version of A Christmas Carol in 1938. She is best known for her work as Ruth Martin, the mother of Timmy, on 1950s CBS series Lassie.
Lockhart also famously portrayed Dr. Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, which ran from 1965 to 1968 on CBS. As an homage to her work as Dr. Maureen Robinson, Lockhart had a cameo in the 1998 film Lost in Space, which was based on the 1960s TV show.
Did You Know?
June Lockhart is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and a Tony Award winner.
5. Eva Marie Saint (July 4, 1924 – Present)
Age (as of October 2022): 99 years, 7 months, 9 days
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Years Active: 1946 – Present
Notable Works: On the Waterfront (1954), North by Northwest (1959), Superman Returns (2006), and Winter’s Tale (2014)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Actress Eva Marie Saint has had a long career and is most famous for playing the lead female role in On the Waterfront (1954), opposite Marlon Brando.
Saint’s work in the movie earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her next big role came when she was chosen by Alfred Hitchcock to star in North by Northwest.
Saint’s career began in television when she worked as an NBC page and she appeared on camera for the first time in 1946 on NBC’s Campus Hoopla.
Although she has had periods of where she only appeared in smaller roles, Saint has never stopped working.
Her most recent acting credits were in 2014 in the movie Winter’s Tale and as a voice actor in the animated series The Legend of Korra.
Did You Know?
Eva Marie Saint has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for television and one for motion pictures.
4. Leslie Phillips (April 20, 1924 – November 7, 2022)
Age (as of October 2022): 98 years, 5 months, 23 days
Birthplace: Tottenham, London, England
Years Active: 1934 – 2012
Notable Works: Carry On (1958 – 1978, 1992); Doctor in the House (1954); three Harry Potter films
photo source: IMDB
Leslie Phillips is the oldest living non-American actor on this list and is best known for his role in the British comedy series Carry On as well as the film Doctor in the House.
More recently, Phillips voiced the Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter film series. Phillips’ other famous work was on the long-running BBC radio comedy series The Navy Lark.
Phillips began his acting career when he was just 10 years old and did several plays in London’s West End. During World War II, Phillips served in the British Army and rose to the rank of Lance-Bombardier in the Royal Artillery.
Phillips caught his big break in the movies when he had a role in Gene Kelly’s musical Les Girls (1957). These days, Phillips is semi-retired, and only takes roles from time to time.
Did You Know?
Leslie Phillips is the only actor still alive who performed at London’s Pinewood Studios in its first week of opening in 1936.
3. Carole Cook (January 14, 1924 – January 11, 2023)
Age (as of October 2022): 99 years
Birthplace: Abilene, Texas, USA
Years Active: 1956 – Present
Notable Works: The Gauntlet (1977); Sixteen Candles (1984); Cagney & Lacey (1986 – 1988); and Dynasty (1986 – 1987)
photo source: IMDB
Carole Cook has been acting since 1956 in TV, movies, and musical theatre.
In recent years, Cook has taken a bit of a break from acting. Her last acting credit is from 2018 in the movie Still Waiting in the Wings.
Reportedly, Cook was a protégé of actress and comedian Lucille Ball and made several appearances on many of Ball’s shows. Cook’s real name is Mildred and Ball supposedly gave her the stage name “Carole” in honor of Ball’s friend Carole Lombard, who died in 1942.
Did You Know?
In her personal life, Carole Cook is an activist, primarily an LGBTQ+ and AIDS activist/supporter.
2. Mike Nussbaum (December 29, 1923 – December 23, 2023)
Age (as of October 2022): 99 years, 11 months, 26 days
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Years Active: 1969 – Present
Notable Works: Fatal Attraction (1987); Field of Dreams (1989); Racing Demon (1997); and Men in Black (1997)
photo source: NPR
Mike Nussbaum’s career might not be quite as long as some of the other actors on this list, but he is still very active today. Nussbaum’s most recent acting credit is from 2020 for a film called Tom of Your Life, which hasn’t been released yet.
In addition to a long list of film and TV credits, Nussbaum is a stage actor. Nussbaum starred in the new production of “Hamlet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2019. Despite being over 98 years old, Nussbaum looks like he isn’t ready to slow down.
Did You Know?
Mike Nussbaum won a Drama Desk Award for his performance in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984.
1. Branka Veselinović (September 16, 1918 – February 8, 2023)
Age (as of October 2022): 104 years, 5 Months, 22 days
Birthplace: Stari Bečej, Austria-Hungary (present day Bečej, Serbia)
Years Active: 1938 – Present
Notable Works: Stage plays: King Betajnova, Mother Courage, and Bereaved Family; The Twelve Chairs (1970)
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
After the recent passing of Marsha Hunt, Branka Veselinović is now the oldest living actor in the world as the age of 104!
Veselinović, who hails from Serbia, is a prolific stage and film actress and has been active since 1938. Despite being a centenarian Veselinović continues to work and makes several appearances at various events!
Between 1936 – 1938, Veselinović studied acting at National Theatre in Belgrade. When she turned 19 Veselinović made her stage debut in the play Charles’ Aunt.
As her career continued, Veselinović became known as a comedic actress. She appeared in numerous plays in Serbia and also had roles in American stage productions and films.
One of her most notable roles outside of Serbia was her appearance in Mel Brooks’s film adaptation of The Twelve Chairs.
So far, Veselinović has appeared in over 100 stage performances and 50 film and TV productions.
Did You Know?
In addition to acting, Branka Veselinović works as a lifelong ambassador of UNICEF.
Article Changes
1/29/2024:
- Removed Marsha Hunt, Larry Storch, and Angela Lansbury
- Added Branka Veselinović to list in No. 1 spot
- Added Lee Grant and Barbara Rush
- Updated ages and rearranged list
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I think Olivia Dehavilland is 102
thx elrenojohn for remembering dear Olivia
She just turned 103.
She actually turned 103 on July 1, 2019 : )
I love finding out who is still doing what ,I think it’s interesting as 85 yrs old I was a great fan of Kirk Douglas Clark Gable Etc etc. Thank you
Olivia DeHaviland