Celebrities are bringing new meaning to the term Golden Years
By Kelly Neufeld
Did you watch the Oscars last night? I have to admit I didn’t but when I read the coverage I was surprised by how many “senior citizens” were nominated for or won an Oscar. These celebrities are bringing new meaning to the term Golden Years.
Jeff Bridges and wife Susan Photo by Capital M |
Jeff Bridges, 60, won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Crazy Heart . He beat out 72-year old Morgan Freeman who was also nominated for the category for his role in Invictus . |
Morgan Freeman |
Helen Mirren |
While the relatively young Sandra Bullock, 45, won Best Actress for her role in The Blind Side she faced competition from experienced actors like Helen Mirren, 64, and Meryl Streep, 60. Meryl Streep has been nominated a record breaking 16 times and has won twice. |
Meryl Streep |
Christopher Plummer |
80-year old actor, Christopher Plummer, was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in The Last Station . If he had won, he would have tied George Burns as the oldest man to win an award in that category. Sadly, he lost to Christopher Waltz, 53, who appeared in Inglourious Basterds . |
Kathryn Bigelow |
The biggest winner of the night was director Kathryn Bigelow. At 58 she became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director. Her film, The Hurt Locker , also went onto win the Best Picture Award. In both categories, Kathryn’s ex-husband, director James Cameron, 55 was also nominated for his film Avatar .
I’m happy to see that Hollywood is creating roles for older actors and actresses. Too often Hollywood focuses on the young but these Oscar winners and nominees have proven that age really is just a number. |
Did you watch the Oscars? What did you think? Have you seen any of the films?
About the Author Kelly Neufeld is the Marketing Coordinator for Impowerage as well as a regular contributor. When not reading about inspiring seniors and the latest technological advances, you’ll find her writing, tweeting and connecting with people who share the Impowerage Mission. She enjoys working out and playing with her two toddlers.
