Iconic Stars From The '60s Who Are Still Working Today

It's been said that age is just a number, yet for an increasing number of celebrities, that old axiom is proving to be right on the money. For these long-in-the tooth stars, the idea of packing it in and settling into retirement is unthinkable — why stop doing what they love to do when they're still so good at doing it? Remember when people said 50 is the new 30? These days, when peering throughout the entertainment landscape, that seems to have tilted even further.

Now, it seems like 80 is the new 30. There has been an increasing number of octogenarian performers who keep proving that they are in no rush to hang up their hat and retire from an industry that, historically, isn't known for being kind about aging. From actors whose careers have spanned seven decades (and counting) to musicians who continue to perform for huge crowds and release new albums (including a couple of Beatles), read on for a roundup of iconic stars from the '60s who are still working today.

It's been more than 60 years since the Beatles' conquered America back in 1964. Yet Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still rocking with the best of 'em, despite their advanced ages (McCartney celebrated his 83rd birthday in June 2025, while Starr turned 85 that July). 

In 2026, both Starr and McCartney released new albums — McCartney's "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," and Starr's Nashville-themed country record "Long Long Road." Starr also went on tour with his All-Starr Band, while McCartney performed a pair of Los Angeles dates in L.A.'s Fonda Theatre, sparking rumors that he'll be announcing a global stadium tour (which would be his fourth consecutive tour since 2022). And, as icing on the cake, McCartney also served as musical guest on the 2026 season finale of "Saturday Night Live."

McCartney made his views on retirement crystal clear during a 2018 BBC interview. "And I was talking to — name-dropping, clunk — Willie Nelson, and I was talking about this whole retiring thing, because he's older than I am, even," McCartney said. "And he says, 'Retire from what?' And I think that just says it. Retire from what?" Starr, on the other hand, has been contemplating retirement for some time — but hasn't managed to get around to it. "Sometimes when I finish a tour, I'm like, 'That's the end for me,'" he told People in 2025. "And all my children say, 'Oh, Dad, you've told us that for the last 10 years.' And they get fed up with me."

Sally Field first captivated viewers on TV's "Gidget" in 1965, then on "The Flying Nun" in 1967. And then, of course, there was Sally Field's stunning transformation to Oscar-winning movie star. Having turned 79 in 2025, the past few years have seen her headline several movies and TV series, most recently the 2026 Netflix film "Remarkably Bright Creatures."

Despite that healthy roster of roles in recent years, Field has admitted that it hadn't come easily, due to parts for women of a certain age becoming fewer and further between in youth-obsessed Hollywood. "As you get older ... boy, [roles are] hard to find. People don't think older women are interesting, I guess. But I got news for you, it's all those older women who raised you," Field told Willie Geist during a 2026 appearance on "Today." "As I get older, and I'm months away from being 80, [finding] the roles about 80-year-old women is my dream. That's it."

At this stage in her career, Field admitted she's taking things as they come, one project at a time. "[Acting] is what I do," she explained in a 2026 interview with People. "I'm supposed to go into rehearsals for a play at the end of summer. I still have my head down, and I'm always hoping to get better."

Ever since making her Broadway debut in "Once Upon a Mattress" in the late 1950s, Carol Burnett has been a national treasure. Burnett's stunning transformation continued throughout the ensuing decades, particularly true with the epic 1967-1978 run of the classic TV hit "The Carol Burnett Show." Along the way, she's been nominated for a staggering 25 Emmy Awards, winning eight (one of which was honorary); those wins spanned from her first in 1962, to her most recent, in 2023 for her retrospective special "Carol Burnett: 90 Years Of Laughter + Love."

Burnett, who celebrated her 93rd birthday in April 2026, has had a late-in-life run of success during the 2020s. That has included a dramatic role on "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul," and a return to comedy as devious Norma Dellacorte in Apple TV comedy "Palm Royale," earning a 2024 Emmy nomination for the latter.

By no means is the comedy legend looking to retire, although she revealed that she plans to spend less time in front of the camera. "I'm really not a fan anymore of getting up at the crack of dawn and putting on makeup and all of that," she told People in 2026. "But I'm working on stuff behind the scenes now. So I can't reveal it yet, but we've got some interesting projects coming up where I would be like a co-writer and co-producer. So that way, I've still got my hands in it, but I'm not in front of the camera."

Few actors lit up the screen during the 1960s like Julie Andrews, who charmed audiences with such hits as "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music." She continued to have the same effect on future generations, thanks to "The Princess Diaries" movies and her current off-camera role as the unseen narrator on Netflix's steaming-hot regency era romance drama "Bridgerton." Having entered her 90s in 2025, Andrews will retain her "Bridgerton" role for as long as she can, and she's rumored to be considering a return to the screen for "The Princess Diaries 3" — although she's also claimed that she won't.

Meanwhile, the nonagenarian has been pursuing another sideline, writing children's books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. In 2025, they reissued their 2010 book, "The Great American Mousical," one of more than 30 that the mother-daughter team have written together. "I mean, we literally write out loud — tag team back and forth, you know, what the next line should be, and I'm typing as we go," Walton told People in 2025, with Andrews adding, "Yeah, bless her heart, she does [the typing] for me. Otherwise, we'd be here on the first book still." 

For sci-fi fans, William Shatner will always be Capt. James T. Kirk, leading the crew of the starship Enterprise on 1960s TV classic "Star Trek" and its big-screen spinoffs. He's also been a cop on "T.J. Hooker," host of "Rescue 911" for several seasons, author of umpteen books (including numerous memoirs, "Star Trek"-based fiction, and his "TekWars" series), recording artist (his 2004 album "Has Been" was produced by Ben Folds and received critical acclaim), two-time Grammy nominee, and champion equestrian who has continued competitive riding well into his 90s. And let's not forget his ongoing acting roles — or the time in 2021 when he went to outer space — for real this time — as a passenger on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket, with Shatner later sharing his profound thoughts on his trip to space.

In 2026, Shatner celebrated his 95th birthday by appearing in a new video for PETA. That same year, he's scheduled to appear at more than a dozen fan conventions, in locations including New Orleans, Chicago, Dublin, and Edinburgh. 

Interviewed by LifeMinute in 2024, Shatner divulged his own personal secret to remaining vital in his 90s. "I realize you've got to cherish each day," he said. "And you seem to — at least I seem to gain momentum. In every passing day I know I'm one day shorter. I've got to extract as much as possible out of each day."

When examining the untold truth of Jane Fonda, it's clear that since launching her Hollywood career in 1960, she starred in several movies during that decade. That included the musical western "Cat Ballou," romantic comedy "Barefoot in the Park," sci-fi spectacle "Barbarella," and dancehall drama "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" She went on to win two Oscars while also carving out a parallel career during the 1980s as a fitness guru. Over the decades, she's continued to maintain that fitness regimen. "I essentially do everything I used to do, just slower," she told People in 2025.

Fonda, who turned 88 in late 2025, still maintains an active schedule. From 2015 until 2022 she starred in the Netflix comedy series "Grace & Frankie" alongside her former "9 to 5" co-star Lily Tomlin, acted in 2023's "80 for Brady" and "The Book Club: The Next Chapter." and, as of May 2026, has two movies projects lined up. 

In a 2025 interview with The New York Times, Fonda insisted that she wasn't feeling her age. "I don't feel like an old person," she said. "I'm much younger than I was when I was in my 20s, in all the ways that matter." 

What you may not know about Anthony Hopkins is that his Hollywood career began in the 1960s, highlighted by such films as "The Lion in Winter," and "Hamlet." In the decades that followed, he earned two Oscars: one in 1992 for his chilling portrayal of serial killer Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs," and another nearly two decades later, for 2020's "The Father." 

Hopkins is still an in-demand actor. In 2025, he starred in the big-screen thriller "Locked," and as of May 2026 had numerous movies awaiting release — several of which had already been filmed and in post-production. Meanwhile, 2026 also saw the publication of his memoir, "We Did Ok, Kid."

Interviewed by People in 2024, Hopkins explained that staying active was what was keeping him active. "I'm aware of my mortality," he said. "To be realistic, I know that if I have a few more years of work in me, I can do it. So work keeps me alive. I love working. I love being an actor. I love activity." He was also aware that remaining on Hollywood's radar at his age was something that should not be taken for granted. "I'm so lucky to be working at my age," he added. "They still seem to send me scripts, and I think, 'Well, good.'"

The Rolling Stones formed in 1962, and 60-plus years later, the Stones are still rolling — or at least two of them. In 2024, front man Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards embarked on a tour in conjunction with their "Hackney Diamonds" album, a return to form that critics agreed was their best album in decades — despite the years of tension and drama between Jagger and Richards.

In 2026, Jagger and Richards (who both turned 82 in 2025) announced they were releasing another new album, "Foreign Tongues." "The thing about this record is — the Stones are a rock band that also has the capacity to do ballads, country music or dance music. So we don't get stuck in one kind of style," Jagger said at a launch event for the album, as reported by The Guardian. "When it's not working, that's when we bring in the referee," added Richards, referring to producer Andrew Watt, who'd also helmed "Hackney Diamonds." Conan O'Brien, who'd hosted the event and had been given an advance copy, praised the new album. The former late night host said it reminded him of the band's 1972 classic "Exile on Main Street," adding, "There's a vibrancy, an urgency to it."

While Richards confirmed the Stones wouldn't be hitting the road in 2026, he didn't rule out a potential tour in 2027. "We can talk next year," he told the Associated Press. "I mean, possibly. At the moment, we're just sort of saying, we've finished the record ... [and we are] considering what to do after. Pretty soon ... but not this year."

Shirley MacLaine made her movie debut in the mid-1950s, and her films during the 1960s included such hits as "The Apartment," "Ocean's Eleven," "Irma La Douce," and "Sweet Charity." It wouldn't be until 1984, however, that she'd win her first (and so far only) Oscar, for "Terms of Endearment." 

While her cinematic output in the 2020s doesn't come close to matching the dozen-plus films she churned out during the 1960s, she's remained a working actor. She starred alongside "Game of Thrones" album Peter Dinklage in the 2022 comedy "American Dreamer," and also appeared in some episodes of the Steve Martin and Martin Short hit "Only Murders in the Building." Coming up, she's got a few movies in the pipeline  and celebrated her 92nd birthday in April 2026.

That's reflected in a 2019 interview she gave to People, insisting that retirement isn't something she'd ever considered. "I don't want to quit acting — I really don't," she told the magazine. "Even at my age, I have four pictures to do next year. I think [some] co-stars are surprised I'm still walking upright." She was also hopeful that appearing onscreen, at her age, would prove inspirational for other seniors. "I look back at the wonderful parts I've had the honor to play, and I'm thinking about the future, and I want to be a spokesperson for older women — probably because I'm one," she quipped.

Dustin Hoffman turned 88 years old in August 2025. Since his big break in 1967 classic "The Graduate," and then his devastating performance in 1969's "Midnight Cowboy," Hoffman has been nominated for seven Oscars, and won two. Nearly 60 years after "The Graduate," Hoffman is still a fixture on television and movie screens. Not only did his movie, crime thriller "The Tuner," debut in spring 2026, but he also has three more projects scheduled for subsequent release. 

Meanwhile, Hoffman also announced that he'd soon be publishing his memoir, "Look at Me," slated for release in November 2026. "After 88 remarkable years, and decades of wanting to write this memoir, I've finally done it," Hoffman said in a statement to People. 

As far back as 1998, Hoffman ruminated on how getting older limited the roles that were available to actors. "You get older and the window of opportunity narrows, as I knew it would," he told The New York Times. He revisited that sentiment in a 2012 interview with Parade, while promoting his directorial debut, "Quartet." "It's about a retirement home for people who refuse to retire," he said in describing the film. "I under­stand what it's like to be someone who is no longer at their peak but still loves what they do," he added. "As a culture, we tend to let people disappear at a certain age, no matter how well they still can do their craft."

Tom Jones burned up the pop charts during the 1960s with a string of hits, including 1965's "It's Not Unusual" and "What's New Pussycat," and 1968's "Delilah." Over the years, the Welsh singer has displayed a gift for reinvention, such as when he created an unexpected hit by teaming up with the Art of Noise for a cover of Prince's "Kiss." 

Jones remained a popular act on the oldies circuit until he joined "The Voice UK" as a judge in 2012, which jolted his popularity and brought him back to the A-list. In fact, Jones is back on the road during the spring and summer of 2026, embarking on a tour of Europe at the ripe old age of 85.

Speaking with the Mirror in 2024, Sir Tom insisted that as long as he could still carry a tune, he'd continue to perform. "Well, thank God my voice is still working," he said. "I am 83 years old. I mean I can't believe it, but it is true. When I am singing I am like, 'How the hell is this coming out of me?' Honestly. If the voice was not there I am sure I would be going 'Urgh, I don't want to do so many shows' but I love it as the voice is still working!"

Screen and stage icon Rita Moreno made history when she won an Oscar for her performance in the 1961 musical "West Side Story," as she was the first Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award in any category. She went on to earn a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy to claim the coveted EGOT. She turned 94 in December 2025, and has no intention of letting off the gas, not even a little. From 2017 to 2020 she starred in the "One Day at a Time" sitcom reboot, in 2021 appeared in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" remake, in 2022 starred in comedy-horror movie "The Prank," in 2023 appeared in both "80 for Brady" and "Fast X," and will be shooting a new film, "Theirs," in 2026.

As a nonagenarian, Moreno is proof that the old saying about not getting older, but getting better actually holds water. "I will confess that I wake up smiling," she told AARP in 2023. "Yes, sometimes I sit in front of the mirror and go, 'Yikes, who's that old lady?' But then I'll put on some makeup and I'm absolutely amazing."