13 Legendary Actors and Actresses Who Are Still Very Much Sought After

Some of the most famous actors and actresses never get to retire, not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to. Even at an older age, they still have so much energy to invest in their work and, as long as movie scripts are being sent to them, they know they can be working. However, they are not as active as they used to be, since they might choose to play in only 1 or maybe 2 projects per year. We are just glad that they are still on our screens.

1. Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith is one of the most famous and distinguished English actresses. Born in 1934, she began her career in the 1950s in theater, moving to film in 1956. Since then, she has acted in more than 85 films and TV series alongside the world’s most renowned actors.

Her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey have kept her in the public eye. Currently, at the age of 88, she is filming another movie, and it has been announced that she will be part of another one that will start filming soon.

2. Judi Dench

Judi Dench started her theater career in 1957, and in 1998, she got an Oscar for her role of Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. Today, the actress continues to appear in many movies and series, the latest ones being Blithe Spirit and Six Minutes to Midnight.

3. Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins was born in 1937 in Wales in the United Kingdom. He studied drama at a very young age and graduated in 1957. He joined the English National Theatre Company after being invited by the legendary actor, Laurence Olivier, who saw a lot of potential in Hopkins.

In 1967, he began acting on TV, starting his long acting career that went on to include more than 140 films. In 2020, at the age of 83, he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in the dramatic production, The Father. He is still actively working and is currently filming the sequel to that film, The Son.

4. Clint Eastwood

With his first movie having been released in 1955 and his first acting contract getting signed the year before, Clint Eastwood started his movie career in his twenties, and still, more than 60 years later, he still takes part in incredibly successful projects, like Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino. By the way, Eastwood directed these films himself and received 2 Oscars for the former.

5. Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren is an English actress born in 1945. She began acting at a very young age in plays at school, which motivated her to dedicate herself fully to acting when she finished high school. Her vast career spans over 135 acting roles and 6 projects that are about to be released throughout this year and in 2023.

6. Glenn Close

Glenn Close started her career in 1974 and we can still see her in many different films. She played an amazing villain in 101 Dalmatians and Dangerous Liaisons and earned her third Golden Globe in 2019 for her role in The Wife in 2019.

7. Ian McKellen

Sir Ian McKellen is considered one of the greatest English actors who has had the greatest international impact. He was born in 1939 and, from a very young age, showed acting talent that led him to play several Shakespearean roles in the English theater. In 1964, he began acting on British TV, and in 1966 he obtained a recurring role in the series, David Copperfield.

He gained international recognition when he acted in X-Men and The Lord of the Rings. Currently, at 83, he continues to act in independent films and in the theater in his native England.

8. Michael Gambon

The fan-favorite Professor Dumbledore from the Harry Potter universe started his acting career at the age of 22 and has done more than 100 different projects since then. One of his latest works was 2019’s Judy.

9. Al Pacino

Al Pacino is one of the most recognized actors in cinema for his participation in great classics, such as The Godfather, Scarface, and many more. Now, at 82 years old, he continues to act with the most recognized directors in the world of cinema, such as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Ridley Scott. He also has 2 films that are about to be released, proving this great actor is far from retirement.

10. Alan Arkin

Alan Arkin’s career started back in the 1950s, and his film debut was in 1966 in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. He got an Oscar nomination for this film but didn’t finally win an Academy Award until 2006 for his role as the grandpa in Little Miss Sunshine. He’s 86 years old now but he’s not planning to retire anytime soon. He’s recently appeared in Dumbo, The Kominsky Method with Michael Douglas, and Spenser Confidential.

11. Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman was born in 1937 and, as a young man, he enlisted and worked in the army for several years. After that, he landed minor roles in independent films in the 1970s. He continued acting in film and theater until 1978 when he received an award for his performance in the play, The Mighty Gents.

His TV debut was in 1971 on the program, The Electric Company. Since then, he has not stopped working. He currently has 7 films announced that are either in post-production or soon to be released.

12. Robert Redford

Robert Redford made his big-screen debut in 1960, and 20 years later, he was a true star, making one good film after the other. He’s also tried himself as a director and was quite good. And in 1980, Redford won an Oscar for “Best Director” for his film, Ordinary People. His latest work was in the last Avengers film, where he played the role of Alexander Pierce.

13. Alan Alda

At 86 years old, Alan Alda is still acting in dramatic roles, like on the show, Ray Donovan. He began his career very young, in 1958, at the age of 22, in television series. His greatest success was MASH, a production that is considered a TV classic.

If you were a filmmaker, which legendary actor or actress would you like to work with for a project?