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22 Celebrities Who Are Speaking Up About Embracing Their Age

More and more famous people are speaking out about why aging isn’t a bad thing.

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preview for 8 Inspiring Celebrity Quotes About Aging

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When you’re in the spotlight, everything about you—especially your appearance—is constantly being scrutinized. And the sad truth is that social media is far from forgiving or kind. Yet more and more celebrities are embracing the adage that beauty really is only skin deep. Even better, they’re not keeping quiet: Many celebrities have spoken out in recent years about embracing their age and healthy aging.

Stars like Jane Seymour and Andie MacDowell (who said she was an exotic badass at 64) are open about why it matters, and what it means to them. From supermodels to actresses, many celebrities are talking about why getting older actually is an amazing gift.

Most celebrities who are embracing healthy aging aren’t judgmental about others within the industry who have chosen to have surgery or fillers to deal with the effects of aging. Instead, they focus on themselves and what they’ve gained as they have grown older. From posing without makeup for photo shoots to accepting the inevitable changes in their bodies, celebrities are speaking out about how we all have an opportunity to grow and learn from what’s on the inside, not the outside.

Many have said they’ve earned their gray hair and laugh lines. Others have said they feel more confident now than they ever did in their earlier years. The most common refrain is that healthy aging is about attitude, not appearance. It’s a positive message from people within an industry that has too often encouraged impossible beauty standards.

Ahead, find words of wisdom from celebrities who are embracing their age and speaking up about healthy aging.

1

Eva Longoria

latino victory project and eva longoria rally latinas to vote like a madre to combat the climate crisis
Alexander Tamargo//Getty Images

Longoria spoke about leaning into aging with Prevention. “I associate aging with wisdom and experience and maturity. For me, I lean into it.”

2

Jane Seymour

jane seymour mad max fury road premiere the 68th annual cannes film festival
Ben A. Pruchnie//Getty Images

“I’m not pretending that I’m not my age, I just like to look the healthiest version that I can,” Seymour told Prevention.

3

Drew Barrymore

new york, new york   september 06 drew barrymore poses at lea micheles first performance in funny girl on broadway at the august wilson theatre on september 6, 2022 in new york city photo by bruce glikaswireimage
Bruce Glikas//Getty Images

Actress Drew Barrymore has spoken out about letting nature take its course. She told New Beauty that she was determined to show her daughters that aging is a luxury: “If we’re lucky, we’re all going to age. I just want them to be at peace with who they are and not what they look like.”

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4

Naomi Campbell

cap dantibes, france   may 26 naomi campbell attends the amfar gala cannes 2022 at the hotel du cap eden roc on may 26, 2022 in cap dantibes, côte dazur photo by dave benettamfardave benettgetty images
Dave Benett/amfAR//Getty Images

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been in the spotlight for more than three decades, gracing the cover of more than 500 magazines. She once told Harper’s Bazaar, “I don’t worry about a number. I’m fine with aging.”

5

Reese Witherspoon

new york, new york   july 25  reese witherspoon attends apple tvs surface new york premiere at the morgan library on july 25, 2022 in new york city photo by jamie mccarthygetty images
Jamie McCarthy//Getty Images

Reese Witherspoon told Allure that she’s proud of aging and prefers her 40s to her 20s. She told Allure “I just feel like I earned that gray hair and my fine lines. I like ‘em.”

6

Iman

new york, new york   april 02 iman attends the fifteen percent pledge benefit gala at new york public library on april 02, 2022 in new york city photo by taylor hillwireimage
Taylor Hill//Getty Images

The legendary beauty of Iman has endured for more than four decades. Her secret to aging gracefully? “Philosophically? Not giving a damn,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

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7

Jamie Lee Curtis

hollywood, california   march 27 jamie lee curtis attends the 94th annual academy awards at hollywood and highland on march 27, 2022 in hollywood, california photo by momodu mansaraygetty images
Momodu Mansaray//Getty Images

“This word ‘anti-aging’ has to be struck. I am pro-aging. I want to age with intelligence and grace and dignity and verve and energy,” Curtis said in an interview with Maria Shriver for the Radically Reframing Aging Summit.

8

Andie McDowell

new york, new york   june 13 andie macdowell attends the 2022 tribeca film festival chanel arts dinner at balthazar on june 13, 2022 in new york city photo by taylor hillgetty images
Taylor Hill//Getty Images

Andie McDowell told W Magazine that the beauty myth she’d most like to debunk is that you have to be young to be beautiful: “Age isn’t a detriment and we don’t need to chase youth. We should all embrace every moment of our life.”

9

Penélope Cruz

venice, italy   september 06 penelope cruz attends the eternal daughter red carpet at the 79th venice international film festival on september 06, 2022 in venice, italy photo by pascal le segretaingetty images
Pascal Le Segretain//Getty Images

Penelope Cruz has been outspoken about aging for many years. She told her friend, Gwyneth Paltrow, who interviewed her for Interview Magazine, that she tells journalists who ask about aging as an actress, “I’m not going to give you even two minutes to honor your question. It doesn’t deserve that.”

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10

Christy Turlington

new york, new york   june 18 christy turlington attends epixs bridge and tunnel season two tribeca film festival premiere at spring studios on june 18, 2022 in new york city photo by craig barrittgetty images for epix
Craig Barritt//Getty Images

Supermodel Christy Turlington told Elle, “Everybody is so anti-aging, but I don’t want to look younger than I am. Our face is a map of our life; the more that‘s there, the better.”

11

Viola Davis

toronto, ontario   september 09 viola davis attends the woman king world premiere party hosted by diageo world class canada and audi canada at arcane during the toronto international film festival on september 09, 2022 in toronto, ontario photo by sonia recchiagetty images for diageo world class canada and audi canada
Sonia Recchia//Getty Images

Viola Davis told Bustle that she isn’t above using creams and beauty products to enhance her skin, but that she embraces her age because it's who she is: “I can’t think that the external is more important.”

12

Halle Berry

los angeles, california   march 13 halle berry poses at the 27th annual critics choice awards at fairmont century plaza on march 13, 2022 in los angeles, california photo by steve granitzgetty images
Steve Granitz//Getty Images

Halle Berry shared some common sense advice about aging during an interview with Bobbi Brown on Yahoo: “I just want to always look like myself, even if that’s an older version of myself.”

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13

Jennifer Anniston

los angeles, california   december 08 jennifer aniston poses with the sherry lansing leadership award at the hollywood reporter 2021 power 100 women in entertainment, presented by lifetime at fairmont century plaza on december 08, 2021 in los angeles, california photo by amy sussmangetty images for the hollywood reporter
Amy Sussman//Getty Images

Jennifer Aniston has often spoken out about women in Hollywood trying to stay ageless by having surgeries. She told Bobbi Brown, who interviewed her for Yahoo: “I think, ‘Oh god, if you only know how much older you look.’ They are trying to stop the clock, and all you can see is an insecure person who won’t let themselves just age.”

14

Julianne Moore

venice, italy   september 10 julianne moore attends the closing ceremony red carpet at the 79th venice international film festival on september 10, 2022 in venice, italy photo by elisabetta a villagetty images
Elisabetta A. Villa//Getty Images

Julianne Moore told Harper’s Bazaar that she’d love to get rid of the term “women of a certain age.” “When you say that, it sounds like the age is so horrible you don’t want to mention it. Whereas I just don’t think that’s true,” she said.

15

Kate Winslet

london, england   july 10  kate winslet attends the evian vip suite at wimbledon 2022, certified as carbon neutral by the carbon trust at the championships at wimbledon on july 10, 2022 in london, england photo by david m benettdave benettgetty images for evian
David M. Benett//Getty Images

Kate Winslet told The Hollywood Reporter that aging wasn’t worrisome to her because life is even better as you get older: “Aging is so far really fun and so much changes. You do feel more confident.”

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16

Sharon Stone

los angeles, california   june 10 sharon stone attends the 2022 core gala hosted by sean penn and ann lee at hollywood palladium on june 10, 2022 in los angeles, california photo by axellebauer griffinfilmmagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images

Sharon Stone says she decided early in her career that she wasn’t going to be afraid to age. She told Allure, “I started to understand that I was going to go for being more like a European woman who got more beautiful with age and who could understand that women are more beautiful than girls because they know something.”

17

Thandie Newton

deauville, france   september 06 thandiwe newton receives a deauville film festival 2022 talent award during the 48th deauville american film festival on september 06, 2022 in deauville, france photo by sylvain lefevrewireimage
Sylvain Lefevre//Getty Images

Thandie Newton says she embraces her gray hairs. In an interview with People, she said, “This is my wisdom, my badge of honor. And I want to see these grays so it reminds me every day that time is running out and that is something to celebrate; not to be afraid of.”

18

Diane Keaton

hollywood, california   august 11 diane keaton is honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at tcl chinese theatre on august 11, 2022 in hollywood, california photo by axellebauer griffinfilmmagic
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images

In an essay for The Daily Beast, Diane Keaton explained how she feels about getting older: “I don’t see anything wrong with face-lifts or Botox or fillers. They just erase the hidden battle scars. I intend to wear mine, sort of. At least that’s what I say to myself.”

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19

Winona Ryder

us actress winona ryder attends stranger things season 4 premiere at netflix brooklyn in new york city on may 14, 2022 photo by angela weiss  afp photo by angela weissafp via getty images
ANGELA WEISS//Getty Images

Winona Ryder says she’s gotten better roles as she’s gotten older: “I know actresses have a tough time because of their age—they’re just not getting hired. I know it exists. You’re the girlfriend, then you’re the mother. But I don’t see it as a bad thing—it can be just as interesting, if not more so, than the leading-lady, ingénue phase.”

20

Gabrielle Union

los angeles, california   september 11 gabrielle union attends 2022 daytime beauty awards at taglyan complex on september 11, 2022 in los angeles, california photo by david livingstongetty images
David Livingston//Getty Images

Gabrielle Union shared her best advice to happiness and aging with Elle: “I think spending a little bit more time being yourself and a little bit more time around things that make you happy—if that’s a cupcake, it’s a cupcake; if that’s your friends, it’s your friends; if it’s your man, it’s your man—that’s another beauty tip. Spending time around people who stress you out will age you faster than anything.”

Headshot of Arricca Elin SanSone
Arricca Elin SanSone

Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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