Alex Carson
Women especially are more frequently subjected to this trap of staying young forever. Many are taught that they are no longer beautiful after their face begins to wrinkle and their hair begins to gray. Thankfully, there are still plenty of people out there who argue that women are just as beautiful once they’ve started to age! Especially if they are celebrities over 100.
Still, plenty of beautiful celebrities seem to fall off the map and out of the public eye once they are no longer young. Sometimes it’s because they retire from their career as an actor, singer, or whatever profession they are involved in. Other times, it is because people lose interest and start to follow new up-and-coming celebrities who are still young.
There are countless stars who died at a tragically young age, such as Marylin Monroe, Janis Joplin, and Jean Harlow. Many celebrities become entangled in a life of hard partying and drugs, which often leads to overdoses and accidents with tragic ends. When you no longer hear about a celebrity who was big a few decades ago, it’s easy to assume that they died of similar reasons. However, this isn’t always the case.
In today’s video, we’re going to look at eight celebrities who are still alive and well today. These powerful women haven’t let age get the best of them yet! Make sure you stick around, because we’re going to reveal one of the last living actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood!
Celebrities Over 100 #1 Marge Champion
Marge Champion was born on September 2nd, 1919, making her 101 years old today. Her father, Ernest Belcher, was a prestigious dance instructor who worked with many Hollywood stars, including Shirley Temple, Gwen Verdon, and Cyd Charisse. He instructed Marge at a young age, and she attributes much of her success and physical health to him. She made her debut as a dancer when she was just 11 years old at the Hollywood Bowl in the ballet “Carnival at Venice.” She was so learned in ballet that she became an instructor herself when she was 12, and she worked at her father’s dance studio to help other aspiring ballerinas.
Marge Champion began her career as a model when she was 14. She modeled for animators at Walt Disney Studio, and her movement and modeling was essential to the creation of the classic Disney film Snow White. She also worked as a choreographer and actor. And she continued to dance well past the age of 90, and her excellent physical health no doubt contributed to her long life!
Celebrities Over 100 #2 Anne Buydens
Anne Buydens was born on April 23rd, 1919, and she is now 101 years old. She was born in Germany but moved to Belgium while she was young. Also, she studied in both Belgium and Switzerland, but she then moved to Paris once her education was finished. She moved one last time to America, where she became a citizen in 1954.
Anne Buydens struggled with breast cancer, but after she defeated the illness, she began to work as a philanthropist. She has also acted occasionally. While she never attained the status of an A-list celebrity, she was well known for her marriage to Kirk Douglas. The two remained together until he unfortunately passed away on February 5th, 2020. Kirk Douglas lived to be 103 years old, but it seems that Anne Buyden may even exceed his age!
Celebrities Over 100 #3 Elisabeth Waldo
Elisabeth Waldo was born on June 15th, 1918, and she is an impressive 102 years old today. She is descended from Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous philosopher, essayist, and poet. Her mother, Jane Althea Blodgett, was trained as a singer in the Boston Conservatory of Music. Elisabeth Waldo followed in her mother’s musical footsteps, and she took up singing when she was three. When she was only five years old, she began to play the violin. She was so skilled at the instrument that when famous violinist Jascha Heifetz heard her playing, he helped her to get a scholarship for the Curtis Institute of Music, which was located in Philadelphia.
Elisabeth Waldo joined the All-American Youth Orchestra in 1940, and she toured both South America and North America. Later she toured solo across Latin America and began researching pre-Columbian instruments and Maya music. She recorded eight albums and was the first person to use pre-Columbian instruments in a recording studio. She retired in 2008.
Celebrities Over 100 #4 Marsha Hunt
Marsha Hunt is one of the few remaining celebrities from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She was born on October 17th, 1917, and is now 102 years old. She acted in many popular films during her time, including Pride and Prejudice, Raw Deal, and Johnny Got His Gun. During the Red Scare, when Americans were terrified of the spread of Communist ideals, she was blacklisted from Hollywood films for a time. This is because she was a strong activist for aiding world hunger at the time. Later in life, she also became involved in a lot more activism, and advocated for homeless shelters, same-sex marriage, and working against climate change.
Marsha Hunt officially retired from her acting career in 2008, and today she lives peacefully in Sherman Oaks, California. Marsh Hunt is an inspiration for women all around the world, particularly because she has taken good care of herself and has lived to be the ripe old age of 102. However, the oldest living celebrity in the world has outranked Marsha Hunt by quite a few years! Make sure you stick around until the very end of this video, where we’ll reveal which celebrity is 110 years old today! And, if you’re enjoying this video so far, please take a moment to like this video and subscribe to our channel for more!
Celebrities Over 100 #5 Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary was born on April 2nd, 1916, and is currently 104 years old. She is one of the most successful American authors alive today, and since her first book was published in 1950, she has sold over 91 million copies of her books throughout the world. Despite being a world-renowned author, she actually struggled with reading as a child. Thankfully, she loved books so much that a school librarian helped her to get better at reading. This sparked her interest in becoming a librarian herself, and later, an author. Some of her most famous books include Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona, and The Mouse and the Motorcycle.
Celebrities Over 100 #6 Mary Ward
Mary Ward is an Australian actress who was born on March 6th, 1915, making her 105 years old today. She trained in Australia as an actor before moving to England to further her education. During World War II, however, she moved back to Australia and became a radio announcer. This made her one of the first female radio announcers for ABC. Her most famous roles include Mum in the show Prisoner and the character Dee Morell in Sons and Daughters. She acted for a total of six decades before she eventually decided to retire in 2000. While she has kept out of the public eye since her retirement, we can assume she lives a quiet and peaceful life these days.
Number 7: Renée-Jeanne Simonot
Renée-Jeanne Simonot was born on September 10th, 1911, and she is now 109 years old. She is a retired French actress who was the mother and grandmother of four other actresses. Her debut as a stage actress occurred when she was just seven years old at the Odéon Theatre. She was one of the first actresses to begin dubbing American films in French, making movies more enjoyable for people who didn’t want to use subtitles. She is quite comfortable in her own age, even saying in an interview, “My old age is not sad. I am very lucky to be surrounded. There is not a day where I don’t get a phone call or a visit from my children and grandchildren.”
Number 8: Ruthie Tompson
Ruthie Tompson is a legendary woman who is now an amazing 110 years old. While her name has been largely unsung by the public, she has done incredible work as an animator for The Walt Disney Company. She worked on films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, and an animated version of The Lord of the Rings. While she is officially retired, she still works for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
It’s truly impressive to look at all of the wonderful things these women have accomplished throughout their lives. Were you more surprised to learn that Ruthie Tompson, aged 110, hasn’t stopped working, or that famous author Beverly Cleary used to struggle with reading as a child? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
