Area Agency on Aging

There’s a difference between celebrities that try to hang on to their fading youth and those that manage to evolve through the years, aging with a mature and enthralling charisma. The celebrity of these actors and actresses is almost beside the pointwe respect them for their personality and passion, and hope to emulate them in our own lives. Isn’t that how role models are supposed to work?Helen Mirren, born 1945, is one of our favorite actresses. She’s elegant and fashionable, but also has a good deal of “zest,” as seen in the recent action film Red, where she plays a retired CIA agent. Red is actually a dream come true for fans of actors of a certain age, as the marvelous ensemble cast also features Bruce Willis (born 1955), Morgan Freeman (born 1937), John Malkovich (born 1953), Richard Dreyfuss (born 1947), and even Ernest Borgnine (born 1917). These men show that aging gracefully can mean different things for different people. While Bruce Willis has developed a distinctive sex appeal that capitalizes on his youthful good looks, Morgan Freeman acts with a calm demeanor that manages to shock you with its power. John Malkovich channels his surreal energy into a style all his own, and Ernest Borgnine, at 92, still manages to make people laugh, whether it’s in Red or in his recurring role as Mermaid Man on the animated show Spongebob Squarepants.Anthony Hopkins (born 1937) is a skilled actor who manages to command attention in both heroic and villainous roles. While he will always be known as Hannibal Lecter, he continues to challenge himself with new roles. In 2010, he played a major role in Joe Johnston’s remake of The Wolfman and Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. Hopkins plays Odin, father of Thor, in the upcoming Marvel Comics film adaptation, and will also star in the 2011 exorcism film The Rite: The Making of a Modern Day Exorcist.Sigourney Weaver (born 1949) became known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien series, but three decades later, she was still wowing audiences in James Cameron’s smash-hit Avatar. She’ll be appearing in the third Ghostbusters film, which is due in 2012, in addition to several other roles. The beautiful Weaver illustrates that actresses can maintain their beauty without hiding who they really are.