June Squibb's Career Trajectory Proves It's Never Too Late To Try Something New

It might be safe to dub 2026 as the year older celebrities really got their time to shine. Stars over 60 stunned at the 2026 Met Gala, and May 2026 also saw renowned actor June Squibb bagging her first Tony nomination for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play for her performance in the Broadway production of "Marjorie Prime." At the ripe old age of 96, Squibb broke the record as the oldest person to ever receive a Tony nomination. It's a stunning accomplishment, especially when taking into account that it took the "Thelma" star decades to cement herself in Hollywood. 

Squibb started her career as an Off-Broadway actor in 1958, landing her first Broadway show in the "Gypsy" musical in 1960. She eventually transitioned to television, only landing her first breakout role in the 2013 film "Nebraska," for which Squibb notably received an Oscar nomination. It took another 11 years before she finally found herself the leading lady of the comedy flick, "Thelma," at the age of 94. She might have been in her 90s, but Squibb did her own stunts for the film — including crashing a scooter and doing some impressive body rolls — proudly telling People that she's always preferred to tackle everything herself instead of leaving it to a stunt double. 

"I always think I could do whatever stunt is necessary in a film," she opined. "I was so proud of myself doing this. The scooter was great fun — it was a joy to be on that." At 96, Squibb is just getting started too. When asked how she felt about being nominated for a Tony, the beloved actor enthused to People, "I'm thrilled with what this nomination will do for my career." Clearly, she has no plans to retire anytime soon.

June Squibb is one of those stars who were on "Law and Order" before they became famous, and she's also among the celebs who got their start on "The Young and the Restless." But the Oscar nominee landed most of her big roles in her golden years. It's no secret that Hollywood favors the young; stars going to great lengths to maintain youthful appearances is proof of that. Squibb, however, has embraced aging and managed to make it work in her favor. As she explained to The Cut in 2025, landing her biggest roles in her 90s was as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else. 

"I never thought ahead that far in terms of what I would be doing or what would be there for me. It's amazing. I think people are interested now in aging. Our whole population is aging. I came along at the right time for that, because to find two scripts with 90-year-old roles — people weren't writing that before," Squibb noted. While speaking to the Los Angeles Times, also in 2025, the "Nebraska" star admitted it was kind of crazy that her career had skyrocketed in her 90s. 

When asked what her younger self would think about that, she replied, "I would probably laugh a lot. How insane!" While Squibb loves being nominated for an award as much as the next person, she clarified to The Cut that she's not all that interested in winning them per se. "To me, the nomination is what's important," the actor explained. At the end of the day, Squibb wants people to remember her for her work ethic, telling People. "I just want to be known as a good actor."