Seniors at the Oscars

Oscar nominees, the Academy and the industry all agree: this is an extraordinary year for older actors. 

Seniors have three of the five Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominations – Sean Penn, 65, Stellan Skarsgård, 74, and Delroy Lindo, 73…and Amy Madigan, 75, earns a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress nod for her truly terrifying performance in the horror movie Weapons.  (And on Oscar night, she won. Read about it here.)

“Words cannot express my gratitude to the Academy for this recognition,” says Madigan, who has been married 43 years to four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris, 75.  “It’s hard to believe that it’s been forty years since I received my first Academy Award nomination for Twice In a Lifetime. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to experience this moment for the second time in my career.”

“Playing Aunt Gladys and seeing the world fall in love with this character over the last few months has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” she says of playing this marvelously unhinged character.

Bold and Nuanced Performances Rule

A beloved staple of American stage and screen for more than half a century, Delroy Lindo’s resume is as long as it is diverse, regularly appearing in Spike Lee’s movies.

“This is an extraordinary moment. To be a part of this history, with Sinners receiving the most nominations ever makes me both humbled and grateful,” he says.

“I knew when initially reading Ryan’s [Coogler] script that this was a special project and a character that I hoped to make equally special. I’ve been honored to play the role of Delta Slim. Working with the entire Sinners team and collaborating with the amazingly gifted cast has been a highlight of my career. My sincere thanks to the Academy for recognizing my work alongside my fellow nominees, and I stand proud with Ryan, Michael and Wunmi and all of the Sinners artists on this historic day,” says the Get Shorty, Gone in 60 Seconds and The Cider House Rules star.

Meanwhile, Fellow nominee Sean Penn’s performance as Colonel Lockjaw in action comedy One Battle After Another is deliciously twisted and bizarre, while veteran Swedish actor Skarsgård is nuanced as a director who has given his career more attention than his own family in Nordic drama Sentimental Value.

More Seniors take Center Stage

Senior Planet is not alone in saluting Hollywood’s talent who collectively boast centuries of stunning performances. “The Academy is proud to recognize artists whose decades of experience continue to shape powerful stories, proving that great storytelling grows richer with time,” agrees Lynette Howell Taylor, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As Baby Boomers edge into retirement, the studios and streamers are taking note of an audience hungry to see themselves reflected on screen – with more and more movies and shows featuring older actors.

Paving the way is Apple TV whose 2026 slate includes Margo’s Got Money Troubles with Michelle Pfeiffer, 67; The Dink starring Mary Steenburgen, 73; The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2 featuring Rita Wilson, 69; Mayday starring Kenneth Branagh, 65; Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Season 2 with Kurt Russell, 74; Outcome starring Keanu Reeves, 61, and Shrinking Season 3 with Harrison Ford, 83, and Ted McGinley, 67.

If Steve Martin and Martin Short are irresistible in Hulu’s crime caper Only Murders in the Building – now renewed for a sixth season – then get excited for Kevin Kline, 78, and Laura Linney, 61, in hilarious new series American Classic about a family of small-town thespians.

Meanwhile Mobland’s Helen Mirren, 80, and Pierce Brosnan, 72, are hands down the deadliest husband-and-wife duo on the small screen.

And as for the perennial Samuel L Jackson?

The title of his next film Just Play Dead certainly doesn’t describe the 77-year-old icon who has appeared in more than 150 films.

“Working with the immensely talented and always versatile Samuel L. Jackson in our upcoming thriller Just Play Dead is a dream come true. He’s enjoyed a multi-faceted career and continues to dazzle, yet age does not define him,” says Highland Film Group CEO Arianne Fraser.

So hip hip hooray to every talented Oscar nominee – and we cannot wait to check out all the senior talent for the rest of the year!

YOUR TURN

Who are your favorite older actors and in what performance?  Who did you think would take home the gold on Oscar night?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

Photos: Top: Amy Madigan (left) with Gill Pringle (right) by Le Studio Photography, taken before Madigan’s Oscar win.

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.