No matter their age, there are some stars that can't help but shine. There are celebrities that continue to shake up the entertainment industry and have careers exceeding over decades.
Though some have retired, choosing a more simple life, others have kept on pursuing their passion, refusing to let age slow them down. Watch out because these celebrities prove that Hollywood isn't just for the youth.
Known mainly for portraying tough roles, Joseph Frank Pesci has worked alongside Robert De Niro and Martin Scorses in the films Raging Bull, The Irishman, Goodfellas, and more.
Though he experienced a slew of success, Pesic announced in 1999 his retirement from acting. However, that would not be the last time we would see from him. Although his appearances have dwindled, he is set to star in Scorsese’s latest Netflix film, in the biographical crime film The Irishman.
Ever wondered where Daisy Dukes came from? Well, wonder no more because all the credit goes to Catherine Bach, who played Daisy Duke in the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard. Originally, the producers of the show wanted a Dolly Patron look-a-like to play Bo and Luke’s very attractive cousin. That all changed, however, when Bach walked in.
Not only did she flip the script and got the job, but she changed the face of pop culture by creating the iconic look of Daisy Duke, who was meant to wear knee high boots and a poodle skirt. When asked to bring her clothes in on the set, Bach wore a pair of cut off shorts, high heels, and a T-shirt, creating the famous figure that the world knows today.
During his career, Kirk Douglas has appeared in over 90 movies and is known for his explosive acting style.
Some of his most memorable performances were in the films Champion and Young Man with a Horn. Now at the age of 102, Douglas is one of the last surviving actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Now the Mayor of Hollywood, Betty White has had an impressive career in television, spanning over 80 years, making her the female with the longest television career.
She has taken over Hollywood and has won the hearts of people everywhere. To this day, though now at the age of 97, White doesn’t allow age to slow her down and still continues to dominate Hollywood.
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. started gaining critical acclaim in 1954 for his one-man stage show, Mark Twain Tonight, which he developed while studying at Dension University.
From then on, Holbrook had a successful career in the entertainment industry, winning a total of five Primetime Emmy Awards. His success doesn’t just stop in Hollywood. In 2003, Holbrook was honored by President George W. Bush when he gave him the National Humanities Medal.
Believe it or not, Harrison Ford struggled for years trying to make it as an actor. In fact, he was on the brink of quitting when he was casted by George Lucas in 1973 for the film American Graffiti. Shortly after, Ford starred in the first three Star Wars film, finally achieving superstardom.
Since then, he is considered one of Hollywood’s top actors, playing in a variety of films like Indiana Jones, Cowboys & Aliens, and more. Today, he continues to enjoy the life of fame, recently attending the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl, otherwise known by his ring name Lex Luger, was a professional wrestler, football player, and television producer.
Though he never won a championship in the WWF, he challenged for every title in the organization. Now 60 years old, Luger has retired from his wrestling days but continues to work with WWE, specifically in their wellness policy.
Diahann Carroll rose to stardom by appearing in some of the earliest Hollywood films featuring black casts. In 1962, Carroll was the first black woman to win a Tony Award for best actress, which she received for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings.
Now a breast cancer survivor and activist, Carroll may have aged in years but certainly not in spirit. After being asked how old she would be this year Carroll laughed because she forgot. “Aging,” she said, “is a full-time job.”
As the first actor to portray the character James Bond, starring in seven of the Bond films, Sean Connery is a Scottish actor and producer whose first job was being a milkman in Edinburgh.
Connery has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. He has since retired, but has certainly left behind an impressive legacy.
Cicely L. Tyson is best known for her portrayal of a strong African-American woman and has a career that has spanned over six decades, winning three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Black Reel Awards, one Screen Actor Guild Award, one Tony Award and an honorary Academy Award.
One of her major achievements was when she received the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in November 2016.
Once a teen idol due to his appearance in the television show Dr. Kildare, George Richard Chamberlain went on to be the first man to play Jason Bourne.
Since 1990, Chamberlain has mainly appeared in television movies, on stage, and as a guest star on series like ABC’s The Drew Carey Show and Will & Grace. Today, Chamberlain has admitted that he is not “really acting anymore”. However, he did confess that if the perfect role were to come up, he wouldn’t turn it down.
Joining the last few survivors from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Ann Blyth is most noted for her appearance in Hollywood musicals.
However, she also had success in dramatic roles, such as her role in Mildred Pierce, which nominated her for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. For her contributions to the film industry, Blyth has a motions pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Anthony Dominick Benedetto, most famously known as Tony Bennett, has gone down in history, especially in the music industry.
During his career, he has won 19 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 2001) and two Emmy Awards. He has been named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. To this day, Bennett has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
With a career spanning over 70 years, Eva Marie Saint is most known for her role in the film On The Waterfront, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has appeared in numerous of roles since then.
Today she continues to capture the hearts of the audience, especially when taking the stage at the Oscars in 2018 to present the Best Costume Design Award. It is clear that this bright star will never fade.
Jackie Mason is a stand-up comedian, ranked #63 on Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. In 1986 he performed a one-man show called The World According to Me.
In total, he has written and performed in six one-man shows on Broadway. At the age of 75, Mason retired from his 47-year career, deciding to perform only once in a while.
Known as the “Queen of Technicolor”, mainly because her fair skin and flaming red hair looked so good in technicolor, Rhonda Fleming was one of the most glamourous actresses of her time.
Starring in over 40 films in the 1940s through 1950s, Fleming is now retired, enjoying her children and grandchildren which she developed through the course of six marriages.
Another actor who is well pass the 100-year mark is Norma Lloyd, who began his career in 1923 and ended it in 2015 with his last film being Trainwreck.
During his long career, he has worked in every major facet in the industry including radio, theater, television, and film. Now at the age of 104, Lloyd is officially the oldest actor in Hollywood.
In the blink of an eye, Jeannie appears in one of the most popular television shows in 1965. Barbara Eden, the actress who plays the lovely Jeannie, rose to stardom after her performance on the fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.
The show only lasted about five years with 139 episodes. Though the show had a short reign, Eden continued on in Hollywood, creating a respectable career that is still on going.
Carl Reiner was the creator, actor, producer, and writer on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Not only did he have a successful career, which spans over seven decades, but he also helped others build their careers. For example, in the 1970s and 1980s Reiner directed and wrote some of Steve Martin’s most successful films, including The Jerk.
Dame Julie Andrews has captivated the hearts of many through her amazing performances on Broadway, appearing in plays such as The Boy Friend and My Fair Lady.
Her performance even managed to capture the attention of Walt Disney, who later offered her the role of Mary Poppins, which, thankfully, she accepted. Now in her later years, Andrews has taken up voice acting and even did some work in Aquaman, playing the voice of Karathen.
Going down in history as being the first Bahamian and the first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field; Sir Sidney Poitier has single-handily changed the film industry.
His accomplishments don’t stop there. In 1999, he was ranked 22nd of the 25 on the list of Greatest Male Stars of classic Hollywood but the American Film Institute. In 2016, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for outstanding lifetime achievement in film. Clearly, Poitier made quite an impact in the industry and continues to do so to this day.
As the elder daughter of the renowned singer Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra developed her own career as a singer, following in her father’s footsteps.
Her most widely known hit was released in 1996, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”.
Dean Stockwell first gained attention as a child actor performing in a number of movies such as The Green Years, Anchors Aweigh, and Gentleman’s Agreement.
His career expanded over 70 years, with Stockwell finally choosing to retire. As of 2019, the last thin he filmed was an episode of NCIS: New Orleans.
Debbie Harry is credited in appearing over 60 films and television programs throughout her career, but she is most notable for being the lead singer in the new wave band Blondie. Her recordings in the band reached number one in both the US and the UK from 1979 to 1981. In addition, her song “Rapture” is also considered the first rap song to chart at number one in the US.
Now at 73-years old, music continues to keep busy in music, especially since she never had kids. When asked about whether or not she regretted never having kids, she said, “Sometimes. I guess it never struck me as being part of survival and for many people it is, it’s a way of surviving.”
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Some of his most famous roles was in the Rocky series, the Rambo films, Expendables films and Escape Plan films.
He wrote and co-wrote most of the 16 films in the first three popular franchises. He also directed many of them, securely placing him into Hollywood’s film history.
Sally Field is an American actress, director, and recipient of many awards, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and has been nominated for a Tony Award and two BAFTA Awards.
Now 71, Field confessed that there are no plans for the retirement. “That’s the good thing about getting older, I can see that I’ve traveled a long way.”
Hosting CBS’s The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, Bob Barker has gone down as the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history.
After 50 years on the small screen, Barker finally retired in 2007. Unfortunately, he was recently hospitalized for back pain. Thankfully, he was able to return home and is on the road to recovery.
Olivia de Havilland is a retired actress whose career spanned from 1935 to 1988. Appearing in 49 feature films, she is one of the last surviving movie stars of the Golden Age of Classic Hollywood.
One of her most notable appearances was on the critically acclaimed film, Gone With the Wind. Due to her contributions to the film industry, Havilland now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now at 102, she is the oldest to have received the title of dame, which Havilland is extremely proud of.
Being the only son of a dance instructor, Robert Fuller grew up acting and dancing. Later on, it was his friends who urged him to get into acting. Fuller listened and joined the Screen Actors Guild.
Since then, he starred mainly in Western programs, while appearing in several movies such as The Brain, Return of the Seven, Incident at Phantom Hill, and The Hard Ride. In 2001, Fuller officially retired from the big screen, choosing instead the simple life of a horse rancher.
Loni Anderson is best known for her role in the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati where she played the role of the receptionist Jennifer Marlowe. The role earned her three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Award nominations.
Unfortunately, Anderson started to see a decline in her career in the mid-to-late 1980s to the point where she has now only guest starred on a couple of popular television shows, including Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
For Christopher Plummer, his debut began in 1958 with the film Stage Struck. Plummer mainly starred as historical figures, with his most well-known role being George von Trapp in The Sound of Music.
Instead of taking a break, Plummer continues to work, not allowing age to slow him down. As a result, at 82-years old, Plummer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, making him the oldest actor to win an acting award.
Ali MacGraw is an American actress that actually began her acting career when she was 31, which is pretty late for Hollywood’s standards. However, that didn't stop her from acheving international stardom for her role in Love Story, for which she won many awards.
Though she became an instant celebrity, MacGraw didn’t care for the Hollywood life and is now living in New Mexico volunteering her time to animal welfare causes. She has no intention of returning to the big screen.
Lee Majors started his acting career at the age of 25 in Strait-Jacket, where he played as Joan Crawford’s cheating husband. His fame from then on only enhanced, especially when he starred in the hit series The Six Million Dollar Man along with his wife Farrah Fawcett.
The two married in 1973 but divorced in 1982. He is proud that now he and his wife, Faith, have been married for more than 23 years. Majors said, “It is a record in Hollywood.”
Priscilla Presley is both an actress and a business magnet.
After the death of her former husband, Elivs Presley, she became the chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises, the same company which turned Graceland into one of the top tourists’ destinations in the United States. She has yet to be seen on the big or little screen since the 1990s, but she has recently just sold her house in Los Angeles, hoping, perhaps, to start anew.
Thomas Mark Harmon initially achieved fame for his role in St. Elsewhere, leading him to be named the “Sexiest Man Alive” by People in 1986.
Since then, he has starred in a number of shows, but his most notable appearance is in the NCIS series as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Since 2003, Harmon has starred in the show and continues to do so to this day.
Born one of five children, Bern Nadette Stanis, was raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. She would go on to attend the Julliard School and compete in beauty pageants, for which she became the first-runner up in the Miss New York state pageant.
Her acting career began when she played the role of Thelma Ann Evans on the CBS sitcom Good Times. Now into her 60s, Stanis appears in and out of television, leaving behind her mark on the entertainment industry.
Richard Keith, or rather Richard Thibodeaux, was a child actor best known for his role in the popular sitcom I Love Lucy.
Often referred to as “little Ricky”, Richard changed his last name to Keith because a producer by the name of Desi Arnaz said that his original Cajun French name would be too difficult for people to pronounce. Though Keith has not stayed active in Hollywood since then, he is the last living cast member of the I Love Lucy show.
Natalie Kay “Tippi” Hedren was discovered by Alfred Hitchcock after appearing in a commercial in 1961. Before that, she was a successful fashion model, having already appear on the front covers of Life and Glamour magazines.
She received world recognition for her role in the thriller The Birds and the psychological drama Marnie. After stepping away from modeling, Hedren is finally making a return to the fashion world by becoming a model for Gucci at the age of 88.
Born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza, Tony Danza is an American actor, singer, television personality, tap dancer, comedian, boxer and teacher.
He is most known for his role in the TV series Taxi and Who’s The Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards. These days, Danza seems to be keeping a low profile. Hopefully, we will see him star in something soon.
Lindsay Wagner began acting in 1971 and has maintained a lengthy acting career by starring in a variety of roles both on television and film productions to the present day.
Wagner is best known for her role in the television series The Bionic Woman, for which she became an icon and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Dramatic Role in 1977. Now, Wagner is taking a brief step away from films for video games. In 2018, it was announced that Wagner would co-star in Death Standing, making this her first ever appearance in the gaming industry.
Rated #22 on Ring Magazine’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, Maximilian Adelbert Baer, otherwise known as Max Baer, was was the World Heavyweight Champion from 1934-1935.
He had an occasional role on film and television, but he will always be remembered for the impact that he had on the boxing industry.
With her film career beginning in 1954, Kim Novak is known for her performance as Madeline Elster/Judy Barton in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Vertigo.
From then on, she starred in a number of box-office hits, playing opposite several prominent leading men such as Frank Sinatra, Fred McMurray, William Holden, Kirk Douglas, and more. With all of this success, Novak still decided to retire from the film industry in her mid-30s. Today she is a visual artist.
Julie Gibson’s career began in the 1940s, mostly relegated to mid-size, smaller supporting roles in films and on television.
Her most notable performance was in The Three Stooges. In 1984, Gibson retired from the industry. Today, she is the oldest living celebrity.
A two-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Victoria Principal is an American author, actress, and entrepreneur.
After her star role as Pamela Barnes Ewing in the soap opera series Dallas, Principal began her own production company, Victoria Principal Foundations, which focuses mainly on television films.
Tina Louise landed her breakthrough roll in 1958 from the film God’s Little Acre which she received a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. Her famous role was playing movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television comedy Gilligan’s Island.
Even though the role made her into one of the biggest pop culture icon of her time, Louise blamed the show for ruining her career. Even today, she refuses to talk about it, choosing only to say, “Gilligan’s Island is what it is and I am who I am.”
Dianna Serra Carry, otherwise known as Baby Peggy, was one of the three major American child stars in the silent film era along with Jackie Coogan and Baby Marie.
Between 1921 and 1923, Carry had made over 150 short films for Century Film Corporation. As she grew older, Carry developed a passion for history, eventually finding a second career as a silent film historian. Today, Carry is the last living film star of the Silent Era of Hollywood.
Billie Jean King has made tennis history by being a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. Throughout her long and successful career, King won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She also won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships.
In addition, she has been a prominent LGBTQ and women’s right activist, actually being the inspiration of the film Battle of the Sexes. In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president Barack Obama for her work as an activist.
Known as the lead singer in the band Blondie, Debbie Harry and the band reached number one in both the US and the UK charts numerous times from 1979 to 1981.
Blondies song “Rapture” is also considered the first rap song to chart at number one in the US. Besides being a singer, Harry also gained success in acting, having a career that is credited in over 60 films and television programs.
She was a major sex symbol in the 60s and 70s. Along with that, she had a pretty impressive career in acting, starring in films such as Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, All’s Faire in Love, and more.
She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, six Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She won five Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award in 2010 for her guest appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Paula Prentiss is an American actress best known for her roles in films such as Where the Boys Are, The Black Marble, Man’s Favorite Sport?, and starred opposite her husband, Richard Benjamin, in the cult television series He & She.
Prentiss had an admirable career in the entertainment industry but has taken a long break from the spotlight, having not appeared in a feature film in over 30 years until 2016 when she appeared in I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Mostly playing in comedic roles, Teri Garr is an actress with a career that has spanned over four decades, all of which includes having 140 credits in film and television.
Her accolades include one Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination, and one National Board of Review Award. Sadly, things took a turn for the worse when Garr was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2002. Today, she focuses on the positive and continues to strive despite her condition.
Loretta Jane Swit is best known for her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on M*A*S*H, which she later won two Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, once the show ended in 1983, Swit’s career dramatically declined.
In 1998, Swit appeared in her last film, Beach Movie. Today, Swit takes the stage in community theaters every now and then, but spends most of her time pursuing her passion in painting and animal activism.
The British actress began rising to fame with her the television show, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which ran for five years. The one role that really transformed her into one of the most desirable women in the 80s was her part in the James Bond movie, Live and Let Die.
Seymour, at one point, was hesitant on returning to acting after being sexually harassed by a famous film producer. Seymour has yet to reveal the name of the producer out of “respect” since he passed away some time ago.
Diana Ross first rose to stardom as the lead singer of the Supremes. In the 1960s, they became one of the most popular Motown acts, and was the best charting girl group in US history.
Though her career changed as she drifted away from the Supremes to pursue a solo career, Ross’ passion for singing never faltered and she continues to perform to this day.
Talia Shire has appeared in many critically acclaimed films such as The Godfather, Adrian Balboa, and the Rocky series.
Her work in both The Godfather Part II and Rocky earned her a nomination for two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress. Today she continues her acting career, appearing in films such as Kiss the Bride, I Heart Huckabees, and Home Erectus.
Diane Keaton first started her career on stage and later made her way to the scree, with her first major film role being in The Godfather.
Since then, the American actress and producer has gone on to receive various accolades, such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. With no plans for retirement in the near future, one thing that, Keaton admitted, has changed as she got older. She says, “I’m more impulsive. I just feel, ‘What’s the difference?’ I’m going to say what I think.”
Lorraine is remembered mostly for her appearance in Jaws, Jaws 2, and Jaws: The Revenge. She started her career in the 1960s by making guest appearances on a number of popular television shows.
Later, Gary would come to run New Hope Productions, which is a company that produces television programs. In addition, she married entertainment executive Sidney Sheinberg. The couple had two sons and currently enjoy life together out of the Hollywood spotlight.
Karen Lynn Gorney’s breakthrough role was in Saturday Night Fever, which she co-starred with John Travolta.
Though she finally reached recognition, Goreny shortly after took a lengthy hiatus from the entertainment industry, choosing instead to manage an art gallery in Manhattan, New York. However, the actress inside her couldn’t stay still for any longer and she eventually returned to the silver screen in the early 1990s, appearing in films such as The Hard Way, Ripe, and Creating Karma.
Faye Dunaway was on of the hottest actress in the 1970s, playing strong women roles that had major sex appeal. Her career began in Broadway but quickly made it to the big screen, appearing in films such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Thomas Crown, The Arrangement, and Little Big Man.
Throughout her career she has won an Academy Award, three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, an Emmy, and was the first recipient of a Leopard Club Award that honors film professionals whose work has left a mark on the collective imagination. She took a break from acting for a while, only deciding to return recently.
Cybill was discovered on a magazine cover. Director Peter Bogdanovich was with his wife in a supermarket when his wife spotted the Glamour magazine which had Shephered on the front.
Bogdanovich’s wife pointed at the cover and said, “That’s Jacy”, referring to the role which Bogdanovich was casting in his upcoming film, The Last Picture Show. Bogdanovich ended up giving Shepherd the role, launching her career in the film industry. Today she still continues to perform, with her latest role being in 2015 in the film God’s Not Dead.
You might have seen Ellen Burstyn in the films The Exorcist, The Last Picture Show, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, for which she won an Academy Award. She got her beginning in theater but eventually moved over to films and television series.
With her talent, it is no surprise that Burstyn is one of the few people to have won the Triple Crown of Acting. She was even inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2013. Since then, Burstyn has entered in the world of directing, with her first feature film, Bathing Flo, announced in 2014.
One thing that Shelley Duvall is best known for is for her eccentric roles, for which she has garnered critical acclaim. During the beginning of her career, she starred in a variety of films in the 1970s before starring in the roles in Popeye and The Shining.
After a long break from television, Duvall appeared on Dr. Phil where her mental illness was revealed as she went through periods of disillusion. The Actors Fund of America, a charitable organization, is currently working to provide Duvall with the financial aid that she needs during this time.
Cloris Leachman has had a successful career in the entertainment industry, expanding over seven decades.
Through the years she has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy-Award, and an Academy Award for her role in The Last Picture Show. Now 93, the actress and comedian continue to work, with her last appearance being in 2017, playing the role of Zorya Vechernyaya on the Starz drama American Gods.
You may know the Swedish singer Agnetha Faltskog from her spot in the pop group ABBA, which has sold over 360 million albums and singles worldwide, making the group one of the best-selling artists in history.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. ABBA broke up, causing Faltskog to take an almost 17-year hiatus from singing. In 2004, her break ended and she began a solo career, with her highest UK charting solo album being A, which was released in 2013.
Known as a singer-songwriter, musician, and children’s author; Carly Simon first rose to fame in the 1970s after a string of successful hits. Some of her 13 songs that hit the Top 40 chart in the US include, “Coming Around Again”, “Jesse”, and “Nobody Does It Better”.
AllMusic has called her “one of the quintessential singer-songwriters of the ‘70s” and she was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “You’re So Vain” in 2004. Since the divorce from James Taylor in 1983, Simon lives on what she now calls Hidden Star Hill where she happily exists among nature.
Dubbed “the Sci-Fi Queen”, Susan Alexandra “Sigourney” Weaver is considered one of the most significant female protagonists in all of cinema, primarily known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.
In 1996, this role earned her an Academy Award nomination. Weaver continues to dominate Hollywood, especially which her upcoming role in the much-anticipated role in Avatar 2 and Avatar 3.
Pam Dawber had the intention of transferring to a four-year college to continue her education, but she decided instead to pursue a modeling career full-time, and eventually switched to acting.
Her breakthrough role was on the television show Mork & Mindy and My Sister Sam. Now married to the previously mentioned Mark Harmon, Dawber is still active in acting but also, on the side, is the national spokeswoman for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Before he was the host of the game show Wheel of Fortune, Patrick Sajak was a former weatherman. That all changed in 1981 when he was asked by Merv Griffen to take over the duties as host on Wheel of Fortune from Chuck Woolery.
After almost being rejected for the job by the CEO of NBC, Sajak was eventually given a chance and the rest, they say, is history. For his work on the show, Sajak was recently honored by the Guinness World Records with the episode taped March 22, 2019 and aired May 8. 2019 (two days before the primetime version’s 7,000th episode).
Kelly McGillis’s breakout out role was in the 1985 film Witness with Harrison Ford. For her role of an Amish mother, McGillis received a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination. Afterwards she starred in Top Gun where she truly became recognized as a Hollywood sex symbol.
Now, McGillis acknowledges that Top Gun continues to follow, especially since the former sex symbol is now an aging actress. Through it all, she refuses to go under the knife to regain her youth. “Youth,” she said, “is also an unattainable goal as you age unless I spend a lot of money on plastic surgery. That’s just not a realistic way to live . . .”