Yahoo Finance The famous older stars who refuse to retire
Meet the stars working into their twilight years
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
While most of us look forward to giving up work in our later years, some people love their jobs so much that retirement is simply out of the question.
From actors to models to music moguls, read on to discover the famous faces working well into their golden years.
All dollar values in US dollars.
Sir Elton John, 77
taniavolobueva/Shutterstock
One of the best-selling musicians of all time, Sir Elton John wrapped his final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, in 2023. But that doesn't mean he's leaving music behind for good.
Earlier this year, insiders close to John revealed he was locked in the studio, working on a brand new album. According to reports, the record is set to drop at the end of the year.
Cher, 77
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Spanning six epic decades, Cher's entertainment career has truly stood the test of time.
The 77-year-old star most recently lent her voice to the TV series Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
You might also be surprised to learn that the glamorous pop diva is currently producing a horror movie called Little Bites.
Brian Cox, 77
lev radin/Shutterstock
Scottish actor Brian Cox made his theatre debut in 1961 and has since gone on to appear in a number of major Hollywood movies, including Braveheart, Chain Reaction, and The Bourne Identity.
Cox recently starred in HBO's award-winning drama Succession and, as if that wasn't enough, he's also got a flurry of upcoming projects that range from vocal acting roles to executive producing gigs.
Sylvester Stallone, 77
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Sylvester Stallone became a household name with his starring role in 1977's Rocky, a film for which he also wrote the script.
Despite amassing a fortune of hundreds of millions through his successful acting and producing career, the 77-year-old star shows no signs of stepping away from the spotlight.
Recent credits include the gritty Paramount+ crime series Tulsa King and the action-packed Expend4bles. He was also the subject of a 2023 Netflix documentary titled Sly.
Dolly Parton, 78
Carl Beust/Shutterstock
Dolly Parton has been performing since childhood. Since releasing her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967, she's gone on to write more than 3,000 songs and release almost 50 albums.
Her latest album, Rockstar, dropped in late 2023 and features nine original tracks plus 21 covers of rock and roll classics.
"I would never retire. I’ll just hopefully drop dead in the middle of a song on stage someday, hopefully one I've written," Parton recently said in an interview with Greatest Hits Radio.
Debbie Harry, 78
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
The Blondie frontwoman has been rocking the stage since the 1970s and has no plans to hang up her mic.
In 2011, Harry said of retirement, "I want to keep doing things. I don't want to retire. I know that I can't front a pop or rock band forever, but I would certainly like to keep writing or maybe start a clothing business."
In 2023, the star performed at the Glastonbury Festival, where she looked decades younger than her real age in a black sequin mini dress and knee-high leather boots.
Priscilla Presley, 78
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach
Priscilla was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old following her 1967 marriage to Elvis Presley.
Since then, she's become famous in her own right, thanks to her decades-spanning acting career and status as a fashion icon.
Most recently, the 78-year-old star had a vocal role in the Netflix animated series Agent Elvis, and she executive produced the recent biopic Priscilla, based on her best-selling book Elvis and Me.
Dame Helen Mirren, 78
taniavolobueva/Shutterstock
Hollywood royalty Dame Helen Mirren began her acting career in the late 1960s and continues to star in movies to this day.
In the last few years alone, Dame Helen has played a god in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, appeared in a Kendrick Lamar music video, and performed a vocal role in the star-studded Barbie movie.
Sir Rod Stewart, 79
Debby Wong/Shutterstock
British musician Sir Rod Stewart had already played in several bands before releasing his breakthrough album Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971. Since then, he's sold more than 250 million records worldwide, and he hasn't stopped adding to his archive.
Stewart toured extensively throughout 2023, including a 12-day Las Vegas residency, and has just released a collaborative album, Swing Fever, with Jools Holland.
"I shall never retire! I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me," the 79-year-old shared on X in 2023.
Pete Townshend, 78, and Roger Daltrey, 80
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The last surviving members of the English rock band The Who, 80-year-old Roger Daltrey (pictured left) and 78-year-old Pete Townshend (pictured right), continue to record and tour.
However, it was reported in April 2023 that the pair are considering retirement in the near future, with Townshend telling The Sun: "It's difficult to make a decision going forward, to say we're going to do this or that, because we don't know how well we're going to be or how fit we're going to be. We're both old."
Diana Ross, 80
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Diana Ross was crowned the Female Entertainer of the Century by Billboard in 1976, although it's not just the 20th century that's brought her success.
Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of The Supremes in the 1960s and released her first solo album in 1970. The recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the singer released her 25th studio album, Thank You, in November 2021.
Diana even wowed the crowds at Glastonbury in 2022, where she played the festival's legendary Sunday afternoon slot. She has tour dates lined up throughout 2024.
Joni Mitchell, 80
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Singer/songwriter extraordinaire Joni Mitchell, 80, clinched a Grammy award for Best Folk Album earlier this year. The veteran star also graced the stage to perform her hit song Both Sides Now.
Despite securing her tenth Grammy on the night, surprisingly, it marked Joni's first-ever performance at the prestigious award ceremony. Following her recent return to the live arena, Mitchell is set to perform in a number of venues later this year.
The Rolling Stones, 76-80
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Sir Mick Jagger, 80, and his Rolling Stones bandmates – Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, who are 80 and 76 years old respectively – toured together in summer 2022.
Sadly, the shows had to take place without their drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021.
The Stones don't like to sit still, though, and released their latest album, Hackney Diamonds, in October 2023. Meanwhile, the band's 2024 tour is sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons, with the advocacy group hoping to showcase that old people still rock!
Robert De Niro, 80
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Hollywood icon Robert De Niro, famed for flicks including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, has been acting since the 1960s.
The 80-year-old star shows no sign of slowing down, professionally or personally. He recently starred in the Western movie Killers of the Flower Moon and also welcomed his seventh child last year.
Christopher Walken, 81
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images
Christopher Walken once told The Irish Times, "I’ve never had hobbies, just a strong work ethic like my father. Tennis? Swimming? Golf? They never did it for me. Acting is really what I love. I don’t really like to go out of the house unless I’m working."
The screen icon's work ethic is admirable; he made his acting debut in the 1953 TV series The Wonderful John Acton at age 10 and hasn't stopped since.
Most recently, the 81-year-old Walken starred in the blockbuster Dune: Part Two.
Eric Idle, 81
Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Despite his surname, 81-year-old Monty Python star Eric Idle is anything but work-shy. The screen veteran recently revealed he's still working for "financial reasons."
Idle formed the Monty Python comedy troupe in the 1960s, but despite its success, he revealed in a series of posts on the social media platform X that the group no longer makes money. "I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster," he said, adding, "I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
Idle, who survived pancreatic cancer in 2022, continues to write comedy content and most recently appeared on the TV competition series The Masked Singer.
Creed Bratton, 81
Scott Dudelson/Contributor/Getty Images
Creed Bratton has worn many hats over the years. As an actor, singer, and former member of the rock band the Grass Roots, Bratton has been working since the 1960s.
Perhaps best known to some for his role in The Office, which saw him play a fictionalised version of himself, Bratton released his latest album, Slightly Altered, in 2020. He recently appeared in the comedy series PBC.
Martin Scorsese, 81
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
For decades, director Martin Scorsese has delivered cinematic gems such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Now 81, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker continues to hone his craft.
His latest movie, the Western drama Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, hit the silver screen in October. Rumours suggest the director will soon be behind the camera again to film his long-mooted Frank Sinatra biopic.
Sir Paul McCartney, 81
Ian West/PA
At 81, Sir Paul McCartney is as active as ever. The former Beatles and Wings frontman is still producing plenty of music and performing on sell-out tours for the pure pleasure of it – after all, he certainly doesn't need the money.
McCartney surprised fans on his recent tour by playing a poignant virtual duet with John Lennon. The moving performance was courtesy of technology created by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, who also helmed the 2021 Disney+ docu-series The Beatles: Get Back.
Harrison Ford, 81
DFree/Shutterstock
Harrison Ford is arguably one of Hollywood's all-time greats thanks to his iconic roles in film series Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
The 81-year-old action hero shows no signs of quitting, most recently starring in the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
During an appearance on NBC's Today show in 2019, Ford made it clear that he wasn't giving up his role as the adventure-prone archaeology professor: "Nobody is going to be Indiana Jones, don't you get it? I'm Indiana Jones," he declared. "When I'm gone, he's gone."
It sounds like no new actors will be trying to fill Indy's boots any time soon.
Paul Simon, 82
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images
As one half of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel and a solo star in his own right, Paul Simon has been making chart-topping music for over six decades.
Though the 82-year-old singer-songwriter is doubtful he'll tour again due to hearing loss, he isn't done making music just yet. Seven Psalms, his 15th solo studio album, was released in May 2023, and earlier this year he performed a selection of songs at the White House during a state dinner for Japan's PM.
Martha Stewart, 82
Noam Galai/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
American businesswoman, author, and TV personality Martha Stewart has been building her lifestyle empire since the launch of her first cookbook, Entertaining, in 1982.
The acclaimed entrepreneur hosts the TV series Martha Cooks and, in 2023, made history as the oldest model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's famous annual swimsuit issue.
Bob Dylan, 82
Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for ABA
Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has enjoyed a career in music spanning almost six decades. In November 2022, he published The Philosophy of Modern Song, which comprised over 60 essays about songs by other musicians.
His latest record, Shadow Kingdom, was released in June 2023.
The star also has a side hustle in the form of his Heaven's Door whisky brand.
Dionne Warwick, 83
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Soul icon Dionne Warwick is still belting out hits in her 80s, with a documentary about her life, Don't Make Me Over, released in 2021.
Warwick also shocked and delighted her fans in equal measure back in 2020 when she was unveiled as Mouse on hit TV show The Masked Singer. The star also has tour dates lined up throughout 2024 and 2025.
Ringo Starr, 83
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Some might say that Ringo Starr looks decades younger than his 83 years.
The former Beatles legend, who's thought to be the richest drummer in the world, could easily retire in a heartbeat. However, he's still working hard and released a new EP titled Crooked Boy for Record Store Day in April of this year.
Sir Tom Jones, 83
Andrea Raffin/Shutterstock
Famous for hits including It's Not Unusual and Delilah, Sir Tom Jones currently serves as a judge on the UK version of talent show The Voice.
Hopeful contestants are eager to snap him up as a mentor thanks to his decades of experience in the music industry.
He also continues to play regular live shows.
Al Pacino, 83
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Al Pacino may well be 83, but that didn't stop him from starring in two Oscar-nominated films in 2019: The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
More recently, Pacino appeared in the Amazon Prime Video series Hunters and has recently signed up to play a priest in horror movie The Ritual.
Candi Staton, 84
Harry Herd/Redferns/Getty Images
Chart-topper Candi Staton has been making music since the 1960s and continues to belt out hits at the age of 84.
Arguably best known for her catchy dance track Young Hearts Run Free, Staton performed at the Glastonbury Festival last summer.
Sir Ian McKellen, 84
Mike Marsland/WireImage
Sir Ian McKellen, arguably best known for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie franchise, has enjoyed a career that spans more than six decades.
The British actor, 84, recently returned to tread the boards as Shakespeare's Falstaff in Player King and gave his vocal talents to 2024 comedy series Ted.
Margaret Atwood, 84
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tory Burch Foundation
Margaret Atwood, 84, wrote her first book in 1961 and has penned various bestselling novels over the years.
Arguably her most successful is The Handmaid's Tale, with its sequel, The Testaments, published in 2019 following the success of the TV series that's based on the original 1985 book.
Her most recent collection of short stories, Old Babes in the Wood, was published in 2023.
Lily Tomlin, 84
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Lily Tomlin started out as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s before landing her big break on the variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1969.
Living proof that age is just a number, the 84-year-old actress produced and starred in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie until 2022.
Last year alone, Tomlin also appeared in the comedy flicks 80 for Brady and Moving On.
Francis Ford Coppola, 85
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Film at Lincoln Center
Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola has brought the world numerous iconic films over the years, including Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, and he still isn't done with his craft.
The 85-year-old has recently finished his passion project Megalopolis, which he first started writing back in the 1980s.
Production on the highly anticipated movie finally began in 2022, with reports suggesting that Coppola is financing the film with $100 million (£85m) of his own cash.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, 86
Greg Doherty/Getty Images
This legendary star of stage and screen might be in his mid-80s, but that didn't stop him from scooping up his second Best Actor award at the 2021 Oscars for his role in The Father.
Proving that he's not one to shy away from technology, the critically acclaimed star has also made headlines in recent times by buying and selling NFTs. In 2022, he unveiled his first NFT series, The Eternal Collection, which featured digital images of Hopkins as characters he played during his career.
On screen, he recently starred in the drama One Life, lent his voice to a robot in Zack Snyder's space epic Rebel Moon, and has at least four other projects in development.
Jane Fonda, 86
Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for Chopard
Jane Fonda is 86, yet she positively radiates youth. The actress and activist recently starred in the comedy flicks Book Club: The Next Chapter and 80 for Brady.
Fonda, who shows no signs of retiring anytime soon, also has a vocal role in the recently released family flick Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.
David Hockney, 86
Arne Dedert/PA
Britain's greatest living artist, David Hockney, 86, says he carries on working because it makes him feel young.
"When I'm working, I feel like Picasso, I feel I'm 30," he admitted in a 2014 interview with The Observer. "When I stop, I know I'm not, but when I paint, I stand up for six hours a day and yeah, I feel I'm 30."
Last year, a painting of Harry Styles by Hockney went on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of a new exhibition dedicated to the legendary artist.
Morgan Freeman, 86
Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Even though he never seems to age, Morgan Freeman is actually 86 years old. But much like the other famous names on our list, he's not giving up the day job anytime soon.
Freeman starred in the movies The Ritual Killer and A Good Person in 2023 and the TV series Lioness. He's set to reprise his role as Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me 3.
Dame Julie Andrews, 88
Denis Makarenko/Shutterstock
After finding fame on the stage as a child, Dame Julie Andrews made her film debut in Disney's 1964 musical movie Mary Poppins.
Her illustrious career includes a number of iconic leading roles, including Maria von Trapp in 1965's The Sound of Music and Queen Clarisse in 2001's The Princess Diaries.
Andrews has also lent her distinctive voice to characters in Shrek, Aquaman, and, more recently, the Netflix period drama Bridgerton.
Donald Sutherland, 88
Arnold Jerocki/Contributor/Getty Images
With a career that spans six decades, Canadian star Donald Sutherland is a true veteran of the acting profession. But the 88-year-old isn't planning to step away from the limelight yet.
His latest projects include the 2023 crime thriller Miranda's Victim, the sci-fi blockbuster Moonfall, and the creepy horror movie Mr. Harrigan's Phone, which is based on the novella by Stephen King.
Dame Maggie Smith, 89
Ian West/PA
Like many of her fellow dames, Dame Maggie Smith has no time for retirement, admitting in a 2013 interview that working helps her to overcome feelings of loneliness.
After a long and distinguished career, Dame Maggie won a new audience with her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise. She recently appeared in the movie The Miracle Club alongside Kathy Bates and Laura Linney.
Dame Judi Dench, 89
Victoria Jones/PA
Illustrious British actress Dame Judi Dench, who is 89, told The Telegraph in 2015 that she considered "retirement" to be a rude word and is keen to continue working as long as she can to keep her mind sharp.
Most recently, Dench starred in the 2022 Christmas flick Spirited alongside Will Ferell and Ryan Reynolds.
Sophia Loren, 89
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
In 1999, actress Sophia Loren was recognised by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, and she's officially one of the last surviving big-name stars from that particular period.
On the subject of quitting her work, Loren once revealed to The Associated Press: "That's terrible, the word retire. Never. Start always like it was the beginning of a long career."
The Italian star recently underwent surgery after breaking her hip and thigh bones during a fall in her Switzerland home, though the operation is said to have gone "very well".
Giorgio Armani, 89
Ian West/PA
Giorgio Armani has vowed to carry on working until he drops.
The Italian fashion designer still controls the fashion empire he founded in 1975, and evidently has the energy of a man decades younger than his 89 years.
Rita Moreno, 92
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Puerto Rican star Rita Moreno has been acting since her screen debut in the 1950 drama So Young, So Bad, and is one of the few stars to have won the prestigious EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony – quartet of awards throughout her career.
At 92 years old, Moreno is as booked and busy as ever. Last year alone, she starred in the comedy flick 80 for Brady and the action-packed blockbuster Fast X, as well as TV shows Lopez vs. Lopez and Princess Power.
Carmen Dell’Orefice, 92
Richard Gray/PA
Widely considered to be the world's oldest working supermodel, Carmen Dell’Orefice still struts down catwalks and appears in magazine editorials.
Now 92, the American beauty first appeared on the cover of American Vogue at the age of 15, meaning that she's been modelling for an astonishing 76 years. She most recently starred on the front cover of the Czech edition of Vogue in April 2023.
William Shatner, 93
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
In 2021, actor William Shatner officially became the oldest person to ever travel to space, blasting off in a Blue Origin craft. So it's safe to say he's in no rush to slow down.
Shatner recently had a vocal role in the 2022 family-friendly flick Fireheart. He also made an appearance at the 2023 edition of the Texas-held arts festival SXSW, where he delighted Star Trek fans by recalling how he first landed his iconic role as Captain Kirk. Earlier this year, he released an album for children titled Where Will The Animals Sleep?
He's pictured here at the Los Angeles Premiere of new documentary "You Can Call Me Bill" in March 2024.
Clint Eastwood, 93
HT/PA
Clint Eastwood clearly has no desire to stop working. The actor and filmmaker starred in the 2021 Western flick Cry Macho, and is also set to direct and star in the upcoming crime movie Juror #2.
In an interview, the five-time Oscar winner said that retirement wasn't an option for him after he saw what happened to his father, once revealing: "All he ever dreamed about was retiring. And so he did, at around 60. He didn't last very long."
Daphne Selfe, 95
John Stillwell/PA
British model Daphne Selfe, who at 95 is even older than Carmen Dell'Orefice, returned to work in the fashion industry at the age of 70 after her husband died.
In 2014, she was acknowledged by Guinness Book of World Records as the Oldest Professional Fashion Model. Selfe is still landing plenty of jobs and has modelled for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and TK Maxx over the years.
Sir David Attenborough, 97
David Parry/PA
Legendary nonagenarian naturalist Sir David Attenborough admitted to the Independent in 2016 that "putting your feet up is all very well, but it's very boring".
As such, Attenborough is busy continuing to present nature documentaries for the BBC. He most recently helmed the miniseries Mammals this year.
Dick Van Dyke, 98
Birdie Thompson/PA
Famous for his hilarious attempt at a London accent in the original 1964 Mary Poppins movie, Van Dyke made a cameo in the sequel, which hit cinemas at the end of 2018.
In the past year alone, he's voiced himself in an episode of The Simpsons and appeared in the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.
At the remarkable age of 98, Van Dyke shows no signs of slowing down. He's next set to star in the upcoming comedy film Capture the Flag, which revolves around elderly war veterans.
Now discover which musicians are making the most money from selling their music catalogues
