Notable Nonagenarians: ‘Good times and bum times, I’ve seen them all, and, my dear, I’m still here.’

Time to honour some very distinguished film people in Notable Nonagenarians in random order. Some are national treasures, others have just been around an extremely long time.

It seems a good moment to quote Stephen Sondheim and his song ‘I’m Still Here’:

‘Good times and bum times, I’ve seen them all, and, my dear, I’m still here. Plush velvet sometimes, sometimes just pretzels and beer, but I’m here. I’ve stuffed the dailies in my shoes, strummed ukuleles, sung the blues. Seen all my dreams disappear, but I’m here.’

Notable nonagenarians (1). Dame Joan Plowright, The Lady Olivier (born 28 October 1929), winner of two Golden Globes and a Tony Award and nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy and two BAFTA Awards. Her best films include The Entertainer (1960), Tea with Mussolini (1999), Enchanted April (1991) and Three Sisters (1970).

Notable nonagenarians (2). Dame Angela Lansbury (16 October 1925 – 11 October 2022), winner of five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, and an Olivier Award. Her first film roles, in Gaslight (1944) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), earned her two Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe Award. Her appearance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is acclaimed.

William Shatner in 1958.

Notable nonagenarians (3). William Shatner (born 22 March 1931) appeared as Captain Kirk in the first seven Star Trek movies up to Star Trek Generations (1994). In 2021, he became the oldest person to fly to space flew to space at 90.

Gene Hackman in 1972.

Notable nonagenarians (4). Gene Hackman (born 30 January 1930) is the winner of two Academy Awards for The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992}, four Golden Globes and two BAFTAs.

Gena Rowlands in 1967.

Notable nonagenarians (5). Gena Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is a four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, best known for her work with her husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980).

Notable nonagenarians (6). Robert Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is the winner of an Academy Award, four Golden Globes, a BAFTA, two Primetime Emmys, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He plays Tom Hagen, the Corleone consigliere, in The Godfather (1972).

Notable nonagenarians (6). Clinton Eastwood Jr (born May 31, 1930) is the winner of four Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, three César Awards. In a career stretching back to 1954, Dirty Harry is arguably Eastwood’s most memorable character.

Notable nonagenarians (7). Leslie Phillips (born 20 April 1924) is a national treasure fondly remembered for appearing in the Carry On and Doctor in the House film series. Carry On Nurse (1959).

Notable nonagenarians (8). Robert Wagner (born February 10, 1930) is fondly remembered for A Kiss Before Dying (1956), The Pink Panther (1963), Harper (1966), The Towering Inferno (1974).

Notable nonagenarians (9). Joanne Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is the winner of an Academy Award for Best Actress for The Three Faces of Eve, three Primetime Emmys, and three Golden Globes.

Notable nonagenarians (10). Betty White (January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021) had the longest TV career of any entertainer and her filmography spans more than 80 years. She plays Senator Bessie Adams in Advise & Consent (1962).

Notable nonagenarians (11). Bernard Cribbins (29 December 1928 – 27 July 2022) notably appeared as Albert Perks in The Railway Children (1970) and as barman Felix Forsythe in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972).

Notable nonagenarians (12). Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky, June 28, 1926) is celebrated for The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), among the best film comedies ever.

Notable nonagenarians (13). Gina Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is renowned as one of the top European actresses of the 1950s and 1960s, and is one of the last survivors from the Golden Age of cinema. She starred with Humphrey Bogart in Beat the Devil (1953).

Notable nonagenarians (14). Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) has won an Academy Award for On the Waterfront (1954) and a Primetime Emmy Award in a career spanning more than 75 years. Her most notable role is femme fatale Eve Kendall opposite Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959).

Notable nonagenarians (15). Glynis Johns (born 5 October 1923) was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 1960 film The Sundowners.

Notable nonagenarians (16). Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber; September 4, 1931) is renowned for There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), The Birds and the Bees (1956), and especially South Pacific (1958).

Notable nonagenarians (17). Leslie Caron (born July 1, 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the winner of a Golden Globe, two BAFTAs and a Primetime Emmy, and has two Oscar nominations, for Lili (1953) and The L-Shaped Room (1962). She won the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for Lili (1953) and for Best British Actress for The L-Shaped Room (1962). She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Drama for The L-Shaped Room (1962).

Notable nonagenarians (18). Estelle Parsons (born November 20, 1927) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Blanche Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for Rachel, Rachel (1968).

Notable nonagenarians (19). Vera Miles (born August 23, 1929) worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock, most notably in The Wrong Man and as Lila Crane in the 1960 Psycho.

Notable nonagenarians (20). Tippi Hedren (born January 19, 1930) achieved worldwide recognition for her work in two of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics: The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964).

Notable nonagenarians (21). Rita Moreno (born December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rico-born American actress, dancer, and singer. Her career has spanned over 70 years. She is notable for Singin’ in the Rain (1952), The King and I (1956) and West Side Story (1961) – and West Side Story (2021). Moreno is one of the few performers to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony and a Grammy.

James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931).

Notable nonagenarians (22). James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) has a career spanning six decades and is among the few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). He made his film debut in Dr Strangelove and will always be remembered as the voice of Darth Vader, beginning with the original 1977 Star Wars. His Oscar is an Honorary Award in 2012, after his only nomination: as Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Great White Hope (1970).

Piper Laurie in 1951.

Notable nonagenarians (23). Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) has a career spanning 70 years. She is known for The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986), all of which brought her Oscar nominations, and the TV series Twin Peaks, for which she won a Golden Globe in 1991. Laurie exhibits her work as a sculptor in marble and clay.

Notable not quite nonagenarians (24). Kim Novak (born February 13, 1933) celebrated for Picnic (1955), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Pal Joey (1957), Vertigo (1958), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), Strangers When We Meet (1960) and Kiss Me, Stupid (1964).