The Biggest Celebrities Who Are in Their 80s, Then and Now

FROM JULIE ANDREWS TO AL PACINO, CHECK OUT THESE EXTREMELY STYLISH THROWBACKS.

There are stars, and then there are legends. And typically, one becomes the other because of their staying power. The celebrities on this list are all in their 80s and have been in show business for decades, meaning that they know more about it than most of us ever will. But they didn't always have the long, impressive resumes they have now. Even legends have to start somewhere, so read on to see the biggest stars in this age group back when they were young, hungry, and ready for stardom.

RELATED: How Old 100 Iconic Stars Would Be If They Were Alive Today.

Julie Andrews: Then
Bettman/Contributor/Getty Images

Julie Andrews was 21 years old and still eight years away from making her feature film debut in Disney's Mary Poppins when this photo was taken in 1956.

Julie Andrews: Now
lev radin/Shutterstock

Now 85, Andrews is a stage and screen legend. Her most recent credit was narrating the gossip of Lady Whistledown in the Netflix romance, Bridgerton.

Anthony Hopkins: Then
Don Smith/Radio Times via Getty Images

Seen above in 1970 at the age of 33, Anthony Hopkins had just recently made the leap from stage to screen in The Lion in Winter.

Anthony Hopkins: Now
Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

This year, at age 83, Hopkins became the oldest Best Actor in history after winning the Oscar for The Father.

Ian McKellen: Then
Don Smith/Radio Times via Getty Images

Here's Ian McKellen in 1965 at the age of 26. This was the year that he became a member of the National Theatre Company and made his West End debut.

Ian McKellen: Now
lev radin/Shutterstock

At 82, McKellen has plenty of major movie roles under his belt between Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Magneto in the X-Men movies. But he's never given up the stage. He's playing Hamlet in a new, age-blind production this year.

Patrick Stewart: Then
Malcolm McNeill/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

McKellen's close friend Patrick Stewart was 30 and starring in a production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona when this photo was taken in 1970.

Patrick Stewart: Now
Cubankite/Shutterstock

Now 81, Stewart is back to playing his iconic Star Trek character in the series Picard.

RELATED: The Biggest Star Who's the Same Age as You.

Sophia Loren: Then
Carlo Bavagnoli/Mondadori via Getty Images

Italian actress Sophia Loren was 22 when she signed autographs for these adoring fans in 1956. This was around the time that the woman who was born Sofia Scicolone and was also credited as Sofia Lazzaro took on the stage name that would stick and bring her international fame.

Sophia Loren: Now
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Now 86, Loren starred in the 2020 movie The Life Ahead and appeared in the 2021 documentary What Would Sophia Loren Do?, about a woman whose idolized her for most of her life.

George Takei: Then
Bettman/Contributor/Getty Images

George Takei was 29 when this portrait of him on set as his Star Trek character Hikaru Sulu was taken in 1966.

George Takei: Now
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

At 84, Takei continues to be an actor and an activist, primarily taking on voice work roles.

For more celebrity trivia sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Jane Fonda: Then
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Jane Fonda turned 33 in 1970, which was the year before she won the Oscar for her movie Klute.

Jane Fonda: Now
Ovidiu Hrubaru/Shutterstock

Fonda is now 83 and has been starring in the Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie since 2015. She's also as vocal about the issues she cares about as ever, hosting "Fire Drill Fridays" to raise awareness about climate change and push lawmakers to act.

Morgan Freeman: Then
Bobby Bank/WireImage

Morgan Freeman came to film stardom a little later in life than many of his contemporaries. In 1978, when this photo was taken, the 41-year-old was primarily known as a theater actor.

Morgan Freeman: Now
Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

Now 84, Freeman has five nominations and won Oscar win under his belt.

Jack Nicholson: Then
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

At 23 in 1960, Jack Nicholson was working in the business but still almost a decade away from his breakout role in Easy Rider.

Jack Nicholson: Now
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Like Freeman, Nicholson is also 84. Unlike Freeman, he's pretty much retired from acting. Aside from some TV guest spots, his most recent role was in 2010's How Do You Know.

Maggie Smith: Then
Bettman/Contributor/Getty Images

In 1960, when she was 26, Maggie Smith had seen most of her success on stage, but she'd also recently received a BAFTA nomination for her first film role, in Nowhere to Go.

Maggie Smith: Now
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

At 86, Smith has a staggering amount of roles under her belt. But to many, she'll be remembered most for either playing Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies or the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey.

Al Pacino: Then
Steve Wood/Express/Getty Images

This photo was snapped in 1974, when Al Pacino was 34 and already one of Hollywood's hottest actors thanks to roles in the first two Godfather movies and Serpico.

Al Pacino: Now
Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Now 81, Pacino will soon be seen in the second season of the Amazon series Hunters and the fashion biopic House of Gucci.

Rita Moreno: Then
John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Here's 19-year-old Rita Moreno in 1950, the year she appeared in her first three movies.

Rita Moreno: Now
SD Mack / Shutterstock.com

Moreno may be 89 years old now, but she hasn't slowed down one bit. Already in 2021, the documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It premiered, and later this year, she'll be seen in the remake of the movie that made her a star: West Side Story.

RELATED: The Biggest Female Icon Every Year Since You Were Born.