Earning anAcademy Awardis one of the greatest achievements an actor can attain in Hollywood, and several performers have managed this feat at incredibly advanced ages. While many may feel Hollywood is a young person’s game, certain actors have consistently done astounding work for decades and have earned awards into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. The oldest Academy Award winners include some ofthe greatest actors who ever lived.
While there are plenty ofincredible actors who have shockingly never received an Academy Award, these performers show that it’s never too late to achieve that esteemed honor. From the unmatched achievement ofKatharine Hepburn’s four Oscar winsat age 74 to recipients who were inching close to 100 years old, while many have criticized the Academy’s biases, these honors prove actors don’t let ageism stand in the way of Oscar greatness. These were theoldest actors to ever win Academy Awards.
10Katharine Hepburn
Second Oldest Best Actress at 74 for On Golden Pond (1981)
Cinema icon Katharine Hepburn was no stranger to making Academy Award history. Not only didHepburn become the oldest Best Actress winner ever at the time forOn Golden Pond, but this also marked her unprecedented fourth Oscar winner. Having been a major voice in Hollywood since the 1930s, Hepburn’s career traversed the entire history of the latter part of the 20th century as she excelled in screwball comedies, period dramas, and incredible theatrical adaptations.
Hepburn earned her first Academy Award in 1933 for her leading performance inMorning Glory, a film that appropriately told the story of an actress’s journey to stardom. With an incredible 12 nominations in total, Hepburn would again win awards forGuess Who’s Coming to Dinnerin 1968,The Lion in Winterin 1969, and last forOn Golden Pondin 1981. While it remains to be seen if anyone will ever beat her astounding four-time win record, Hepburn has reigned supreme for over four decades.
On Golden Pond
Cast
On Golden Pond revolves around an aging couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer, spending their summer at their lake house. As their daughter Chelsea visits, the family navigates conflicts and revisits relationships, confronting long-standing generational tensions to restore bonds of love.
9Henry Fonda
Second Oldest Best Actor at 74 for On Golden Pond (1981)
In the same year that hisOn Golden Pondco-star Katharine Hepburn made Oscar history with her Best Actress win, Henry Fonda also became the oldest recipient ever Best Actor recipient at the time. Having made his movie debut in 1935, Fonda earned his status as an elite Hollywood icon and was finally rewarded with Best Actor for his final film role. Sadly, Fonda suffered from heart disease and was too ill to attend the ceremony, dying just five months after his historic win.
However, Fonda’s legacy lay not just in the Academy Awards; he was a notable name throughout his entire career. Fonda was first nominated for an Oscar in 1940 for his role as Tom Joad inThe Grapes of Wrath. As a producer,Fonda was also nominated for Best Picture for his work on the legal classic12 Angry Men. From romance to Westerns, Fonda was a proud example of the early days of Hollywood and the legendary figures that came out of it.
8Peggy Ashcroft
Best Supporting Actress at 77 A Passage to India (1984)
English performerPeggy Ashcroft became the oldest Best Supporting Actress everfor her esteemed role in the E. M. Forster adaptationA Passage to India. As an epic historical drama by directing extraordinaire David Lean,A Passage to Indiaechoed the power of some of the filmmaker’s greatest works, such asLawrence of Arabia, and was further elevated by astounding performances from Ashcroft. With themes of friendship amid British colonialism, this was a rich story that captured the spirit of its source material.
Ashcroft achieved her historic win with her 1984 performance and has hung on to that title ever since. However, there have been plenty of older nominees who have almost taken this honor from Ashcroft, such as Gloria Stuart’s performance at 87 years old inTitanicor, more recently, the 87-year-old Judi Dench in 2021’sBelfast. With plenty of incredibly talented octogenarians working in Hollywood today, it’s only a matter of time before Ashcroft’s record gets superseded.
A Passage To India
Set during the British Raj, a young British woman and her elderly traveling companion journey to explore India. Their trip takes a dramatic turn after an incident at the Marabar Caves, which leads to cultural misunderstandings and a highly publicized trial, exploring themes of colonial tension and racial prejudice.
7John Gielgud
Four Oldest Best Supporting Actor at 77 for Arthur (1981)
Although many will remember the romantic comedyArthurfor Dudley Moore’s laugh-out-loud performance in the title role, it was its hilarious script by Steve Gordon and supporting performance by John Gielgud that earned it the Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor Oscars, respectively. While Moore played a drunken millionaire who falls for a common lady, Gielgud played his valet Hobson, who must witness all his employer’s alcohol-fueled antics. With a strong performance, Gielgud managed to gain a rare Oscar for a comedic role.
With plenty of boozy charm and lighthearted humor, it’s no surprise that bothGielgud’s performance andArthur’sscript were awarded by the Academy. Sadly, it would be writer and director Steve Gordon’s lone feature film as he died of a heart attack aged 44, just one year afterArthur’srelease. As an acclaimed performer for both the screen and the stage, Gielgud was also a rareEGOT winnerwho has earned an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.
6Melvyn Douglas
Third Oldest Best Supporting Actor at 79 for Being There (1979)
After a long career in Hollywood that went as far back as the 1920s, Melvyn Douglas became the oldest-ever Best Supporting Actor at the time forBeing There. This incredible Hal Ashby comedy was one of the best movies of the 1970s and stood as its leading star Peter Seller’s astounding swansong performance, as he died the following year. Douglas played the wealthy socialite who took a liking to Sellers as Chance, the clueless but lovable gardener, and soon provided him an opportunity to become a powerful tycoon and major player in Washington politics.
Douglas previously won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance inHud, a Western starring Paul Newman. As an acclaimed performer throughout his varied and impressive career,Being Therewas one of Douglas’s final film roles, as he passed away in 1981 at the age of 80. While Douglas’s early career saw him portray suave leading men, he managed to keep himself relevant by seamlessly transferring to more mature, fatherly roles in his later years.
5Jessica Tandy
Best Actress at 80 for Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
British actress Jessica Tandy saw astounding success across her varied career on stage and screen, earning her an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. As the original Blanche DuBois inA Streetcar Named Desireon Broadway right up to her final Oscar-nominated performance,Fried Green Tomatoes,Tandy proved herself a major figure in showbusiness. One of Tandy’s greatest achievements was becoming the oldest Best Actress at 80 forDriving Miss Daisy.
Although the Best Picture winner,Driving Miss Daisy,has been controversial in the years since for failing to stand up against other nominees likeMy Left Foot,nobody can deny Tandy gave a great performance. As the titular Daisy Werthan, it was a testament to Tandy’s skill that she could still deliver such a fantastic and subtle performance at her advanced age. As a true historical win, Tandy’s record has stood since 1989, and there’s only ever been one older nominee, 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva, forAmourin 2012.
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy is a film directed by Bruce Beresford that explores the evolving friendship between an elderly Jewish widow, Daisy Werthan, and her African American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, set against the backdrop of social change in the American South over 25 years.
4George Burns
Second Oldest Best Supporting Actor at 80 for The Sunshine Boys (1975)
The comedian George Burns was one of the few performers whose career spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television as he moved with the times and found success throughout the ever-changing circumstances of the 20th century. Born in 1896 and passing away in 1996, Burns’s career spanned the entire century as he got his start as a child singer and soon moved into comic short films in the 1920s and 1930s. Along with his wife, Gracie Allen, the two became stars, and the famed duo even had a TV series calledThe George Burns and Gracie Allen Showthroughout the 1950s.
However, it was in 1975 that Burns’s career was surprisingly reinvigorated after his Best Supporting Actor Oscar win forThe Sunshine Boys. The role of an elderly vaudevillian actor was perfect for Burns, who imbued his role with a lifetime’s worth of experience in the entertainment industry.Burns’s historic win forThe Sunshine Boyswould remain unmatched for 36 yearsuntil it was finally beaten by a 2011 performance.
The Sunshine Boys
The Sunshine Boys is a comedy film centered on the reunion of a famous vaudeville duo, Lewis and Clark, who have not spoken in over twenty years. Willy Clark’s nephew, a TV show producer, attempts to bring the contentious pair back together for a special variety show appearance.
3Christopher Plummer
Best Supporting Actor at 82 for Beginners (2011)
The acclaimed Canadian actor Christopher Plummer became the oldest Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for his role inBeginners. This insightful romantic comedy-drama from Mike Mills starred Ewan McGregor as a man reflecting on life in the wake of his father’s death. Plummer played the elderly father, Hal Fields, who, through flashbacks, audiences see came out as an openly gay man after his wife passed away when he was 75 and was later diagnosed with lung cancer.Beginnerswas a deeply layered and thoughtful filmthat highlighted Plummer’s skill for capturing the complex humanity of his characters.
Not only was Plummer the oldest Best Supporting Actor ever, a record that has gone undefeated ever since, but he was also the oldest competitive acting nominee of all time. Plummer’s performance at age 88 for Ridley Scott’sAll the Money in the Worldmade Academy Award history. Plummer gained this impactful role after replacing Kevin Spacey for the part in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite being a last-minute replacement, Scott stated that Plummer was always his first choice for the role (viaTHR), but the studio wanted a bigger name.
Beginners
Beginners, directed by Mike Mills, follows Oliver as he navigates a new relationship with Anna, shortly after his father, Hal Fields, passes away. The film explores Oliver’s reflections on his father’s late-in-life coming out and the vibrant life Hal led with a younger partner, following his wife’s passing.
2Anthony Hopkins
Best Actor at 83 for The Father (2020)
Anthony Hopkins is one of the all-time great actorswho has consistently given incredible performances in works likeThe Elephant Man, The Remains of the Day, andShadowlands.However, it was Hopkins’s transformative role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter inThe Silence of the Lambsthat truly made him a household name as the movie not only won him a Best Actor Oscar but also took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, a feat only achieved by two other films, 1934’sIt Happened One Nightand 1975’sOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
While Hopkins had already solidified his iconic reputation in Hollywood by 2020, his performance inThe Fathermade Academy Award history when he became the oldest Best Actor recipient at age 83. In this spellbinding performance, Hopkins played a man suffering from dementia as viewers were taken on a journey into his fractured consciousness. This deeply moving performance captured the confusion at the heart of this degenerative disease and the immense difficulties for patients and their families.
The Father
The Father is a 2020 drama that follows the deteriorating mental state of an aging man as seen through the eyes of his daughter. Anthony Hopkins stars in the lead role with Olivia Colman as Anne, as well as Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots, Olivia Williams, Mark Gatiss, and Ayesha Dharker in supporting roles.
1Mel Brooks
Academy Honorary Award at 97
The Academy Honorary Award is a prize presented outside the main competitive categories to honor achievements not covered by the existing Oscars. This award often gives credit for lifetime achievements and performers who left an undeniable mark on Hollywood history. With this in mind, it makes sense that the oldest Academy Award-winning actor is Mel Brooks, who received the Academy Honorary Award at 97 in 2023. However, art director and production designer Robert F. Boyle is the oldest recipient ever at 98, earning that title in 2008.
While Mel Brooks was, of course, an acclaimed actor, many of his greatest achievements were as a director and writer. From undisputed comedy classics likeThe Producers,Blazing Saddles, andSpace Balls,Brooks has left his mark on Hollywood and is one of just 21 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. As one of the most impactful comedians of all time, it’s a testament to Brooks’s appeal that he’s still working today, even as he inches ever close to 100 years old.
