When Annette Bening, 65, and Jodie Foster, 61, each received Oscar nominations this year not only did their glory showcase talent that refuses to diminish with age – but it also underlined how much older audiences respond to seeing characters who reflect their own age group on screen…

…not to mention Robert De Niro, 80, who earns his ninth Oscar nomination this year for his chilling performance in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Scorsese on De Niro

A harrowing true story of the reign of terror in 1920s Oklahoma, De Niro plays William Hale, a seemingly kind man who orchestrates the murders of several Indigenous Osage people to steal their oil-rich land.

Ultimately convicted of murder, Hale is a mass of contradictions – an extortionist and intimidator but also someone who truly believes himself to be a friend to the Osage.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, 81, De Niro’s long time collaborator and friend, the film marks their tenth feature together, a testament to their timeless partnership.

“It’s very complicated,” Scorsese says of De Niro’s nuanced performance. “He’s like a prophet. He believes their time has come: ‘I’ll help them. I’ll ease them into their graves. I’ll make it easier for them. Civilizations come and go.’ But the point is that he did like them. Also, from what I understand, at Bill Hale’s funeral back in the ‘60s, there were some Osage who attended. So, it’s not as simple as villain and hero.”

Curious? View the trailer here:

Bening and Foster talk Nyad

Both Annette Bening and Jodie Foster were delighted that each of them gained Oscar nods for their performance in NYAD, having become firm friends while making this drama about real life marathon swimmer Diana Nyad and her best friend/coach Bonnie Stoll.

“I’m thrilled and over the moon with excitement to be nominated for an Academy Award alongside my partner in the film, NYAD, Jodie Foster. Onward!!!” says Bening.

Foster more than echoes those sentiments. “Wowza! I couldn’t be more proud and thrilled for our foursome. Hooting alongside Annette (my partner in crime) and Diana and Bonnie who inspired it all. This definitely beats swimming in shark infested water!” chuckles the actress (whose six decade career is currently on the rise again with her extraordinary performance in HBO’s fourth season of True Detective.)

“It has been a really long, fantastic adventure. I’ve worked for 58 years in the film business. And there are things I don’t want to repeat that I already did. There’s some stories that I’ve already told. And I’m really surprised that at 60 I think I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” reflects Foster.

“Also there’s something about recognizing that it isn’t my time, that it’s someone else’s time and being there to support them and brimming whatever knowledge, wisdom that I’ve accrue over the years and being able to apply that and help a team. And it’s just so much more fun being a part of a team than being all by yourself getting pelted,” she says discussing her role in True Detective which, despite her modesty, is sure to garner multiple award nods.

Last but not least, is composer John Williams, 92 – who is nominated for Oscar for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The five-time Oscar winner has 53 nominations and holds the record for the most Oscar nominations of a living person. He is the oldest Oscar nominee in any category.

Waiting in the wings…

And although this year’s Oscar race isn’t exactly awash with senior actors – as has often been in previous years – there are plenty of Gen X-ers nipping at their heels: Best Actor nominees Paul Giamatti, 56, and Jeffrey Wright, 58 plus Robert Downey Jr, 58, and Mark Ruffalo, 56 in the Best Supporting Actor category.

“We celebrate this year’s nominees who remind us that they are not just contributors but architects of timeless narratives, shaping the very essence of cinematic legacy,” says Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Richard Gere and Christoph Waltz

Experienced filmmakers certainly still count on veterans like Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Michelle Yeoh, Helen Mirren or De Niro to guarantee a big audience.

Case in point is Richard Gere, 74, who this year re-teams with his celebrated American Gigolo director Paul Schrader for the first time in 40 years to make the drama, Oh Canada, about the 60,000 draft evaders who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam.

Then there’s two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, 67, who stars in the aptly named action comedy, Old Guy, later this year. “Working with such an incredibly talented actor as Christoph Waltz in Old Guy is a dream come true. He is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors and brilliantly portrays the veteran contract killer who gets pushed out of the game, but still believes he’s the best in the business,” says Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser, whose production company brought the film together.

“Our international partners jumped at the chance to distribute Old Guy, which shows that Christoph’s fame and experience is a very powerful driver among global audiences,” adds Highland Film Group COO Delphine Perrier.

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Your Turn:

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Gill Pringle began her career as a rock columnist for popular British newspapers, traveling the world with Madonna, U2 and Michael Jackson. Moving to Los Angeles 27 years ago, she interviews film and TV personalities for prestigious UK outlets, The Independent, The i-paper and The Sunday Times – and, of course, Senior Planet. A member of Critics Choice Association, BAFTA and AWFJ, she wrote the screenplay for 2016 Netflix family film, The 3 Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure. An award-winning writer, in 2021 she was honored by the Los Angeles Press Club with 1st prize at the NAEJ Awards.

Photo (top): courtesy of Apple TV Plus