Here are some amazing actors over 70 who are still active and working. In alphabetical order.

Christine Baranski (1952)

The statuesque Baranski just sneaks into this list as she’s only recently turned 70 years old. She was born in Buffalo, New York and made her Broadway debut in Hide & Seek in 1980.

Best known for her parts in The Good Wife, The Good Fight and the two Mama Mia movies, Barnaski’s career is moving from strength to strength. She’s still involved in The Good Fight and will star again in Bad Mom’s Mom alongside Susan Sarandon (another actress over 70).

Brian Cox (1946)

Born in Dundee, Scotland, Brian Cox seems to working more than ever.

Previous well known roles have been in The Ring, The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy, but recently his portrayal of Logan Roy in Succession has catapulted him to wider fame. 

Cox has written three books as well as his autobiography Putting the Rabbit in the Hat. 

His most recent movie is The Jesuit and he’s currently filming The Parenting. Six other projects are in post-production.

Judi Dench(1934)

Judi Dench started her career as a classical actress working at The Old Vic in the late 1950s. She then progressed to films such as A Room with a View in 1985 and Philomena in 2013. Since 1995 she’s become internationally famous after taking over the part of M in James Bond, where she starred in eight films until her final appearance in 2015.

Dench has also been listed as one of the fifty best-dressed over 50s by The Guardian.

She’s recently starred in Belfast, a movie produced by Kenneth Brannagh. Her latest project,Allelujah, is currently in post-production.

Sally Field (1946)

Born in Pasadena, California, Sally Field has won fans around with her warm and open smile. Her career started in 1965, primarily on television and she was cast in various series, including The Flying Nun, from 1967–70.

Movies include Smokey and The Bandit, Forrest Gump, Steel Magnolias and Lincoln.

The Series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty has just come out and she’s currently filming Eighty for Brady.

Sheila Hancock (1933)

Born on the Isle of Wight, Sheila Hancock first trained at RADA and worked in repertory until her first appearance in the West End in 1958. She was awarded a CBE in 2011 and made a Dame in 2021.

Most of Hancock’s work has been on the stage and television but she is known for the movies: The Moon-Spinners (1966), Buster, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

She’s currently filming the Sixth Commandment and has one other project in post-production.

Jeremy Irons (1948)

Born on the Isle of Wight, Jeremy Irons trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In the early days he mainly ‘trod the boards’ in a variety of productions from Godspell to Shakespeare, mostly in London’s West End.

Irons rose to prominence when he starred in the TV production of Brideshead Revisited for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

His work has been varied, starring in such films as The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Mission, Dead Ringers and Die Hard, to name a few.

He continues to have a busy work schedule and has just completed a horror film Cello which is in post-production. A film Frankel, is also on the cards.

Diane Keaton (1946)

Born in Los Angeles and known for her quirky character and stylish dress sense, Keaton’s career has spanned six decades. She first appeared on Broadway in 1968 in Hair and is known for her parts in Annie Hall, Looking for Mr Dunbar and The First Wives Club, amongst others.

Keaton is currently filming Book Club 2 and have four other projects in post-production. So, she’s not letting up.

Tommy Lee Jones (1946)

Borne in Texas, Tommy Lee Jones went to Harvard where he received a BA in English Literature. He then moved to New York and began his theatrical career on Broadway in 1969 in A Patriot for Me. The next year he made his film debut in Love Story although he’s probably best known for his parts in the Men in Black series, The Fugitive and No Country for Old Men.

Recent films are The Comeback Trail and The Burial. He’s currently filming Finest Kind.

Joanna Lumley (1946)

Joanna Lumley was born in India but mainly grew up in England. She initially worked as a model and then progressed to acting; one of her first notable parts being in The Avengers. From 1992-2012 she rose to fame when she played Patsy Stone in the series Absolutely Fabulous, for which she won two BAFTA TV awards.

Lumley’s comic timing is impeccable and she’s as famous for her sophisticated charm, as she is for her acting skills.

Although Joanna Lumley now spends much of her time campaigning for animal rights and charitable causes she continues acting and presenting documentaries. She was made a Dame (DBE) in the New Year of 2022 and her latest film role is as Lady Narborough in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Ian McKellen (1939)

Born in Burnley, Lancashire, Ian McKellen first started ‘walking the boards’ in 1961 when he joined the repertory company, the Belgrade Theatre. He then went on to play the lead in Richard II in 1969 and from then became a powerful member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre.

Primarily, a stage actor, McKellen became a household name when he moved into film. He played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit and then Magneto in the X-Men films.

At the time of writing this he is performing in Hamlet at the Edinburgh Festival.

Helen Mirren  (1945)

Born in London 76 years ago, Helen Mirren is renowned for her style and panache and continues to work on some wonderful projects.

She’s won several academy awards as well and is well known for having played the Queen in Queen Elizabeth II (2006) and for portraying the feisty DCI Jane Tennison in the series Prime Suspect. She was appointed a Dame (DBE) in 2003.

Recently she’s starred in Catherine the Great, The Good Liar and Fast & Furious 9. She has six productions coming out in 2022, some of which are currently in post-production.

Bill Nighy (1949)

Born in Surrey, England, Nighy trained at the Guildford School of Acting and went on to gain experience at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool in the 1970s. His early work was primarily in theatre and radio, but his career stepped up a notch when he starred in a TV production The Men’s Room in 1991.

Nighy’s role as Billy Mack in the hugely successful Love Actually shot Nighy to fame and since then he has worked prodigiously in films, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Constant Gardener, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, to name a few.

Having won several awards, his work schedule doesn’t seem to let up. Recent work is the TV series The Man Who Fell to Earth, and is currently working on the animation Dragonkeeper, with a couple of other projects in post-production.

Susan Sarandon (1946)

Born in New York Susan Sarandon’s first notable acting appearance was in the drama film, Joe in 1970. She’s won numerous awards for a wide range of roles and her workload doesn’t seem to let up.

In 2022 Sarandon will star in the upcoming TV drama Monarch. She’s currently filming a film Blue Beetle and has five projects in post-production. She’s recently been in a TV movie Red Bird Lane.

Maggie Smith (1934)

Born in London more than 80 years ago, Maggie Smith has performed in over 60 movies and 70 plays. She’s won numerous acting nominations and awards, and was made a Dame (DBE) in 1990.

Despite being in many productions, one of her best known performances on screen were The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969, followed by Travels with My Aunt, and A Room with a View.

Many more followed and her portrayal of the Dowager Duchess in the series Downton Abbey expanded her broad fan base exponentially.

The film Downton Abbey: A New Era has recently come out. She’s currently filming The Miracle Club and has one other project in post-production

Meryl Streep  (1949)

Born in New Jersey, Meryl Streep is loved and respected throughout the industry and currently holds the record for the most academy award nominations of any actor. She’s won three Oscars and many other accolades.

The movies that most spring to mind are Kramer vs Kramer, The Deerhunter, Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada and Mama Mia. All very different but equally successful. In fact she’s starred in at least 75 films.

Meryl Streep still looks wonderful, and her acting skills go from strength to strength. Constantly in demand she’s now appearing in Ryan Murphy’s The Prom, streaming on Netflix. Also, the film Let Them All Talk and another one – Don’t Look Up where she plays President Orlean.