Eva Marie Saint turned 102 in July 2026. The Oscar-winning actor made her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront and later starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Her career connected the final years of classical Hollywood with the television era.
Dick Van Dyke turned 100 in December 2025. His work in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Dick Van Dyke Show made him one of America’s most beloved comic performers. The list includes 10 exceptionally long-lived film actors rather than claiming to identify every older performer worldwide.
Lee Grant Remains an Oscar-Winning Hollywood Survivor
Lee Grant turned 100 in October 2025. Her early success included an Oscar nomination for Detective Story, but the Hollywood blacklist interrupted her career for more than a decade. She later returned to win the supporting-actress Oscar for Shampoo and became an Emmy-winning performer and acclaimed documentary director. Grant’s life represents both remarkable longevity and survival through one of the American film industry’s most damaging political eras.
Mel Brooks Celebrates a Century of Comedy
Mel Brooks turned 100 in June 2026. His career includes The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Spaceballs, along with earlier television writing for Sid Caesar. Brooks is among the small group of entertainers to earn an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. His influence reaches far beyond acting because he also worked as a writer, director, producer and composer across more than seven decades.
William Daniels Remains Connected With Generations of Fans
William Daniels turned 99 in March 2026 and celebrated 75 years of marriage to actor Bonnie Bartlett that June. His film credits include The Graduate and 1776, while television viewers know him from St. Elsewhere, Knight Rider and Boy Meets World. Daniels continues interacting with fans and attending selected conventions, giving younger audiences a personal connection with a career that began when he was a child performer.
Rosemary Harris Built a Career Across Stage and Film
Rosemary Harris, born in September 1927, became an acclaimed stage actor before reaching another generation as Aunt May in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. Her screen work also includes Tom & Viv and Being Julia. Harris earned an Oscar nomination, an Emmy and a Tony Award, demonstrating a rare ability to move between classical theater, television drama and major commercial films throughout an exceptionally long career.
Estelle Parsons Remains an Oscar-Winning Character Actor
Estelle Parsons, born in November 1927, won the supporting-actress Oscar for playing Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde. She later became widely known as Beverly Harris on Roseanne and The Conners. Parsons also built an extensive theater career as an actor and director, refusing to be defined by one celebrated film performance. Her continued work into advanced age made her one of American acting’s most enduring personalities.
James Hong’s Career Spans Hundreds of Performances
James Hong, born in February 1929, has accumulated hundreds of screen and voice credits. His work includes Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, the Kung Fu Panda films and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Hong also helped establish East West Players to create opportunities for Asian American performers. His longevity is especially significant because he built a vast career while repeatedly confronting Hollywood’s history of stereotyping Asian actors.
Tippi Hedren’s Hollywood Legacy Continues Through Her Family
Tippi Hedren turned 96 in January 2026. Alfred Hitchcock cast the former model in The Birds and Marnie, creating two of the 1960s’ most recognizable screen performances. Hedren later became known for animal-welfare advocacy and founded the Shambala Preserve. Her Hollywood family also includes daughter Melanie Griffith and granddaughter Dakota Johnson, connecting three generations of prominent actors.
Clint Eastwood Continues Defining Hollywood Longevity
Clint Eastwood turned 96 in May 2026. He progressed from television’s Rawhide to international Western fame before becoming an Oscar-winning director of films including Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby. His most recent directing credit was Juror #2 in 2024. Reports about his retirement have remained uncertain, and Eastwood has not made a definitive public announcement ending the filmmaking career he sustained for more than six decades.
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