18 Actors Who Are Way Older Than You Think

Brad Pitt spent his life pushing limits and looks great despite his past partying. “Living life on the edge… I can’t remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn’t boozing or had a spliff or something. Something. And you realize that a lot of it is, um — cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I’m running from feelings. I’m really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean, I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know — things I wasn’t dealing with. I was boozing too much. It’s just become a problem. And I’m really happy it’s been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips again. I think that’s part of the human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve.”

Jennifer Lopez thinks aging is actually a good thing: “I think in the past, the thought was your 20s are when you are at your best, and after that it’s downhill. Now women are realizing that we are at our best as we get older. We are attractive, and we are more interesting, and we are more self-assured than we were 10 years before, and there’s something sexy and attractive about that to all men. So what’s the big deal?”

Kim Basinger is one of the most beautiful women in the world, but she does see the double standard in Hollywood. “I do think we’re coming into a moment in time where it’s changing. But if you really look at it, men are kept as the sacred ones and touted the older they get. It’s always been the old adage that women are put out to pasture the older they get.”

Still sexy as hell in his 50s, Lenny Kravitz may be able to attribute his youthful look to his diet. He posted this statement on Instagram and Twitter: “100% raw for two months now. Amazing for one’s health and the environment. #rawfood.”

Now back in the limelight after passing Wonder Woman’s golden lasso to actress Gal Gadot, Lynda Carter truly looks amazing. Though she admits she’s had a little help from her dermatologist, she doesn’t go crazy with fillers. “I don’t do a lot of [Botox and Restylane]. I don’t have a frozen face like an old-timey nutcracker where the jaw goes up and down and nothing else moves… I’ve been sober for 18 years. Now I’m focused on health, not perfection. I don’t want to be a weak, sick 90-year-old.”

The lovely Goldie Hawn uses humor to deal with aging. “Getting older is a fact of life. By living mindfully, you understand that there are many transitions in life. You just go through them. It’s wonderful to know you’re aging, because that means you’re still on the planet, right? It’s all about how you make it. It’s all in your mind.”

Still acting in her 80s, Julie Andrews admits she’s had a very charmed life. She thinks her good fortune transfers into her health and well-being. “Not everyone believes that I’m a fairy princess, but the sparkle I feel inside tells me that it’s true.” 

Carey Mulligan, now a wife and mother, still looks like a teenager. But these days, she’s ditching the ingenue roles for meatier ones. “My agent has started saying, ‘You’ve been offered this part, she’s 19, you’re too old,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m too old? Brilliant! I’ve never been too old.’ All the great parts come now, I think, so I’m excited.”

Though she looks amazing, Jessica Lange has no illusions about what it’s like to get older in Hollywood. “Women are viewed as a commodity, more so than male actors… At a certain age, women are no longer considered a viable or a valuable part of the community — even if that’s when they may feel like they’re at the top of their game. And that’s not just in Hollywood.”

Susan Sarandon attributes her gorgeous skin to shaking the sheets. “Sex, that’s good for skin, right?” Uh, yes, especially if it’s with a much younger man, which tends to be Sarandon’s modus operandi. 

Still a heartthrob in his 60s, Denzel Washington attributes his long-lasting looks to clean living. “Long ago, I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me, spiritually and financially.”

Patrick Stewart knows he looks good for his age, but he jokingly says it creates a whole new problem: “That is my curse… Like Cassandra, who could foresee the future, but her curse was nobody believed her. I always look well, so I never get sympathy.” If only we could all have that problem in our 70s.

For Jennifer Aniston, it’s all in the genes, but she drinks lots of water just in case. “My dad is 100 percent Greek; he turned 81 and he barely has a wrinkle. And neither does my grandmother, who was 95 when she died. But it’s also just water, drinking a lot of water, using really nice, good products for your face. Don’t overproduct, that’s the other thing. Getting proper sleep is always important.” Oh, and her husband, Justin Theroux, looks smashing at 45.

For Sandra Bullock, wrinkles equal joy. “I was putting [my son Louis] to bed and told him that even when I’m old and gray and more wrinkly than I am now, I’ll still love him and want to tuck him in… he asked why I have wrinkles, and I said, ‘Well, I hope some of them are from laughing so much.’ And he touched my face and said, ‘You’re not old, you’re just happy.'”

Tom Cruise has to stay physically fit — his career as one of Hollywood’s hottest action stars depends on it. But we all know how boring sticking to one routine can be, so he mixes things up by doing “sea-kayaking, caving… fencing, treadmill, weights… rock-climbing, hiking… I jog… I do so many different activities.” We’re tired just reading that list of strenuous workouts.

Even wearing these creepy contact lenses for his role in the upcoming Blade Runner 2046, Jared Leto is still gorgeous. That good skin could be from his vegan diet, which he admits he doesn’t take too seriously. “I’m actually a cheagan, a cheating vegan. I don’t eat meat ever. But if someone’s mom made a cookie and handed it to me, I’d probably take a bite, or if I’m in Alaska and there’s wild salmon out of the river, I’d probably eat it.” Maybe he and Lenny Kravitz should grab dinner.

Jane Fonda, famous for her workout videos, has a new strategy for keeping fit as she ages. For her, it’s all about having a positive point of view. “Spiritually and energetically, I feel younger than when I was 20 and 30. Really, I’m not just saying that. It all has to do with attitude and how you see life… I wasn’t happy back then, when I was 20 and 30; I was depressed. Now I see my past, and I see a future — and I feel like it’s going to be a good one. I feel light and grounded. I’m a very different person than when I was younger, and I feel better about myself and my life.”

It’s pretty hard to believe that Lucy Liu is almost 50. Her skin is luminous, and she takes care of it by not doing too much. “I’ve really minimized my skin-care routine over the years. I used to do a lot of different things, but now I put coconut oil and Avène cream on my face and call it a night. And if you drink a lot of water, that helps, too.”