14 Actresses Who Redefined Stardom With Lead Roles After 70

14 Actresses Who Redefined Stardom With Lead Roles After 70

Hollywood has long celebrated youth, but some of the most powerful performances come from actresses who refuse to let age define their careers.

These remarkable women prove that talent, passion, and screen presence only grow stronger with time.

From Oscar nominations to groundbreaking television revivals, they’re showing the world that leading roles aren’t reserved for the young—they’re earned by those with stories worth telling.

1. Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep continued to headline major films and series throughout her 70s, maintaining her position as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.

Her top-billed roles in prestige projects and limited series demonstrate that talent transcends age categories.

Streep’s name alone can greenlight productions that might otherwise struggle for funding.

She’s tackled everything from political dramas to musical comedies, refusing to be typecast as “the grandmother character.”

Her continued success challenges industry assumptions about which demographics drive ticket sales.

Streep proves that audiences will follow compelling performers regardless of their birth year, making her an inspiration for actresses of all ages.

2. Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren headlined films and TV dramas throughout her 70s, taking on leading roles in crime thrillers, historical epics, biographical projects.

In 1923 (2022), she plays the formidable matriarch Cara Dutton in the Yellowstone prequel series.

Her versatility allows her to slip seamlessly between genres while maintaining her signature intensity.

Mirren’s screen presence commands attention in ways that feel effortless yet completely captivating.

Her willingness to embrace action sequences and physical demands proves that age doesn’t limit an actor’s range.

Mirren’s career trajectory demonstrates that leading ladies can evolve rather than fade, creating new possibilities for themselves with each passing decade.

3. Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton starred in multiple romantic comedies and dramas as the primary female lead throughout her 70s, proving that love stories don’t expire at 40.

Her unique style and endearing awkwardness translate beautifully into roles that celebrate rather than hide her age.

Keaton’s characters navigate dating, family, and self-discovery with humor and honesty.

She’s made a specialty of playing women rediscovering themselves later in life, a narrative Hollywood long ignored.

Her box office success in these roles has opened doors for similar projects featuring mature women.

Keaton shows that audiences crave stories about all life stages, not just the years between 20 and 40.

4. Susan Sarandon

Continuing to take on substantial and central roles into her mid-70s and beyond, Susan Sarandon starred as one of the leads in the ensemble comedy The Fabulous Four (2024).

She headlined alongside fellow veteran actresses in a story about lifelong friends.

Sarandon consistently chooses complex, substantial characters that resist reductive stereotypes of older women, bringing nuance and emotional truth to each performance.

Her commitment to portraying women with agency, flaws, and rich interior lives reflects decades of craft and lived experience.

Refusing to accept roles that reduce older women to supporting players in younger people’s stories, she helps send a powerful message: that women’s stories matter at every age, and Hollywood is finally starting to listen.

5. Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange played lead or co-lead roles in films and prestige television projects after turning 70, particularly excelling in psychologically complex characters.

Her work in anthology series showcased her ability to completely transform from one season to the next. Lange’s performances carry an emotional rawness that few performers can access.

She gravitates toward roles that explore the darker corners of human experience, refusing to play it safe with comfortable grandmother parts.

Her continued collaboration with top-tier creators demonstrates that the industry recognizes her value.

Lange’s career proves that actresses can maintain artistic relevance and critical acclaim well beyond Hollywood’s traditional age limits.

6. Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn returned to starring roles in her late 70s after a lengthy absence from film, including lead family-centered projects that showcased her comedic timing.

Her comeback proved that audiences never forgot her charm and talent.

Hawn’s ability to connect with multiple generations made her return both profitable and heartwarming.

She chose projects that allowed her to work alongside family members while still commanding the screen.

Her infectious energy and comedic skills remain as sharp as they were decades earlier.

Hawn’s return demonstrates that actresses can step away and return on their own terms, reclaiming leading roles whenever they choose to do so.

7. Kathy Bates

At 77, Kathy Bates made television history by taking on the lead role in CBS’s Matlock revival.

Her performance earned her the distinction of becoming the oldest Emmy-nominated lead actress in a drama series.

This achievement shattered expectations about who can headline network television.

Bates brings decades of experience to every scene, transforming familiar legal drama into something fresh and compelling.

Her commanding presence proves that audiences hunger for stories centered on mature women.

The role showcases her ability to balance authority with vulnerability in ways younger performers simply haven’t lived long enough to master.

8. Glenn Close

Glenn Close headlined films and television projects in her 70s, delivering award-nominated lead performances that reminded everyone why she’s considered one of her generation’s finest actors.

Her intensity and commitment to character work remain undiminished by time.

Close approaches each role with the same dedication she brought to her earliest breakthrough performances.

She’s unafraid to play unsympathetic or challenging characters that require audiences to confront uncomfortable truths.

Her continued recognition from major awards bodies validates that excellence transcends age categories.

Close’s career stands as evidence that the most compelling performances often come from actors with decades of experience informing their choices.

9. Sissy Spacek

Sissy Spacek took on leading and central ensemble roles in films and limited series after age 70, bringing her trademark authenticity to every project.

Her ability to portray both strength and vulnerability makes her characters feel completely real.

Spacek has spent her career avoiding Hollywood glamour in favor of honest, grounded performances.

She excels at playing women shaped by specific regional and cultural backgrounds, bringing depth to stories often overlooked by mainstream entertainment.

Her presence in prestige television introduced her talents to new generations of viewers.

Spacek demonstrates that actresses who build careers on substance rather than image enjoy longer, more satisfying professional lives.

10. Sophia Loren

The icon, Sophia Loren returned to a leading film role in The Life Ahead at age 86, earning critical acclaim and reminding the world of her extraordinary talent.

Her performance as a Holocaust survivor who forms an unlikely bond with a young immigrant carried emotional depth that left audiences breathless.

Loren’s return proved that true stars never lose their magnetism.

The role required both physical presence and emotional vulnerability, which she delivered with stunning authenticity.

Her willingness to portray a character marked by age and trauma demonstrated artistic courage.

Loren’s comeback stands as perhaps the most inspiring example of an actress reclaiming the spotlight on her own terms.

11. June Squibb

June Squibb became the lead of the action-comedy Thelma at age 94, making her one of the oldest first-time film leads in history.

The role required her to perform physical comedy and action sequences that would challenge actors half her age.

Squibb’s fearless performance shattered every assumption about what’s possible for nonagenarian actors.

Her late-career breakthrough proves it’s never too late to achieve new milestones.

The film’s success demonstrated that audiences embrace stories about characters of all ages when told with creativity and heart.

Squibb’s achievement stands as the ultimate example of age being just a number when talent and determination meet opportunity.

12. Judi Dench

When Judi Dench starred as the central character in Philomena at 78, she delivered a performance so powerful it earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

The film tells the true story of an Irish woman searching for her long-lost son.

Dench’s portrayal captured both heartbreak and determination with remarkable subtlety.

Her ability to convey decades of buried pain through small gestures reminded audiences why she’s considered one of Britain’s greatest actors.

The role required emotional depth that only someone with her life experience could authentically portray.

Dench proved that leading roles for older women can drive both critical acclaim and box office success.

13. Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno continued to headline television projects and appear as a leading presence in films and series into her 90s.

As an EGOT winner, she’s achieved every major entertainment award, yet she keeps working because she loves the craft.

Moreno’s energy and charisma make it easy to forget she’s in her tenth decade of life.

She gravitates toward roles that celebrate her Puerto Rican heritage and address social issues she’s passionate about.

Her continued prominence in reimagined classics and new projects alike demonstrates her timeless appeal.

Moreno proves that legendary status doesn’t mean retirement—it means continuing to inspire while doing work you love.

14. Jane Fonda

A force of nature, Jane Fonda has consistently captivated audiences with her profound performances.

In Netflix’s ‘Grace and Frankie’, she shines as a lead character, exploring the nuances of life and friendship in later years.

Her portrayal brings humor and depth, challenging stereotypes about aging.

Even in her 80s, Fonda’s charisma is undeniable.

Her commitment to meaningful roles underscores her dedication to her craft.

Her career, decorated with awards and accolades, continues to inspire, reminding us that age is merely a number when passion is the guiding force.