In 2020, the estimated expected career duration for women was 33.2 years while for men it was 38 years. But, for some actors and actresses, 38 years doesn’t seem to be enough, and they decide to keep working for as long as they can stay relevant. And a few of them even kept their careers in bloom for more than 80 years.

We at Bright Side are grateful for these stars’ commitment, because if all of them retired young, who would then play the gorgeous grandmas and grandpas on screen.

1. Eva Marie Saint© Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © A.M.P.A.S./SIPA/EAST NEWS

In a career spanning 74 years, Eva Marie Saint has starred in 84 movies and TV shows and has won an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Her first screen debut was in 1947 in the movie A Christmas Carol but she didn’t become recognizable until her role as Edie Doyle in the movieOn the Waterfrontin 1954.

Eva Marie is also known for starring in the movie North by Northwest, Superman Returns, Nothing in Common, and many others. Saint retired in 2018.

2. Max von Sydow© VF / AFF-USA.com / MEGA/Mega Agency/East NewsThe Star Wars star Max von Sydow has been working as an actor for 70 years and has appeared in more than 160 movies and TV shows in multiple languages. His first screen appearance was in 1949 and he retired in 2018 at the age of 89.

In his long, fruitful career, Max earned 2 Oscar nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

3. Rita Moreno© Courtesy Everett Collection/EAST NEWS, © VALERIE MACON/AFP/East NewsThe actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno, at the age of 90, can proudly look back at her 79-year-long career. She’s one of the few performers to become an EGOT — Rita has won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony.

She appeared in the movieSo Young, So Bad for the first time in 1950, and throughout her career, Moreno landed some pretty successful roles. She’s recognizable for her roles in the movies Popi, West Side Story, and the TV series One Day at a Time and Oz.

There are a lot more movies Rita is recognized for, but it would take forever to mention them all as she’s starred in more than 160 movies and TV shows so far.

4. Jackie Chan© Invision/Invision/East NewsJackie Chan is one of the most popular action film actors of all time with a 60-year-long career. So far, Chan has starred in more than 140 films and TV series. He’s most recognizable for his unique identity, combining screwball comedy with his martial arts.

He started his acting career by appearing as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 actor at age 8, but years later he became a successful stuntman for Bruce Lee. The movie Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow was the one that rose Chan to fame in 1978 and, since then, he’s had many hit movies.

5. Barbara Perry

Barbara’s acting career was one of the longest in history, lasting for 84 years. She first appeared on screen in 1933 at age 12 in the movie Counsellor at Law. Perry retired in 2017 and passed away 2 years later at age 97. Throughout her acting career, Barbara appeared in more than 80 movies and TV shows.

6. George Hamilton© Invision/Invision/East NewsGeorge’s first appearance was in 1958 in the mini TV series The Veil. So far, in his 70-year-long career as an actor, Hamilton won a Golden Globe, earned 2 additional Golden Globe nominations, and 2 more nominations for BAFTA Awards.

Throughout the years, Hamilton starred in more than 100 movies and TV shows and is still working on new projects.

7. Kurt Russell© Courtesy Everett Collection/East News, © Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Abaca/East NewsKurt Russell started as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 actor and his career dates back 60 years. His first on-screen appearance was on the TV show Dennis the Menace in 1962, but his first big role came a year later, where he played the title role in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.

In 1979, Russell had his big break when he played the role of Elvis Presley in the movie Elvis for which he earned an Emmy nomination. To date, Kurt starred in more than 100 movies and TV shows and landed many iconic roles.

Do you have a favorite among these stars? If you were an actor or actress, would you have preferred to retire young or work until your legs could no longer hold you?

Preview photo credit ASSOCIATED PRESS/East News, PacificCoastNews/EAST NEWSComments