These Flawlessly Aged Celebrities Prove Us That Age Is Just A Number When It Comes To Beauty
Ioan Gruffudd: 47, Pobol y Cwm
Who doesn’t love the long stretchy guy Ioan Gruffudd, famous for playing Reed Richards in Fantastic Four? You probably don’t know that the soap opera Pobol y Cwm had already brought the Welsh actor to prominence, starring in it for seven years from 1987 to 1994. Gruffudd’s artistic talents have continued to land him various roles, with his most recent one in the spy film Ava.
The comic-book hero is married to Alice Evans and is currently living in Los Angeles with two daughters. Ioan uses his fame to support humanitarian causes! We guess the rising star’s sympathetic characters are a part of his personality after all.
Michelle Keegan: 36, Coronation Street
At 33 years old, Michelle Keegan has already accomplished much as an actress. Her portrayal of Coronation Street’s Tina McIntyre made her one of Britain’s most celebrated young actresses, with multiple accolades from prestigious award-giving bodies like the TV Choice Awards and the British Soap Awards!
Following her triumphant run with the famed drama, Keegan got more lead roles over the years, with the most recent one as Erin Croft in the comedy-drama series Brassic. At this rate, we’re confident this vivacious lass will be around for a very long time still to come.
Thelma Barlow: 91, Coronation Street
Though portraying Mavis Wilton was far from being Thelma Barlow’s first project, it is the one that characterizes her stunning career the most. She started on the show in 1971, and before she knew it, she had played in over 1,200 episodes. She’s in her 90s right now, so naturally, we’ve not seen her in a while.
The last time she acted was in 2016, on Florence Foster Jenkins. However, that wasn’t the last we heard of her as she took part in Coronation Street in the 2019 Christmas special. Thelma’s only been married once to Graham Barlow, with whom she had two children before they divorced in 1983.
Barbara Knox: 90, Coronation Street
Barbara Knox has been a part of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street her entire professional life, a record she continues to be a cause of celebration for to date. Knox’s character, Rita Tanner, appeared in the show in 1964 for just one episode, but in 1972, she became a permanent part of the ensemble cast.
The star then went on to play the role for forty-nine years and counting, allowing the soap to take up all her time! Such an incredible feat has now made Barbara the longest-serving current television soap opera actress in the world!
Pam St Clement: 81, EastEnders
Whether you love or hate her in EastEnders, it’s undeniable Pam St Clement is an institution in primetime TV. For over 25 years, she won the hearts of viewers as Pat Butcher. Naturally, tears were shed when she left but not without a special token to remember forever – a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Soap Awards!
St Clement hasn’t fully retired from being an actress, although she has appeared in a talk show called Loose Women. Now that she’s not as busy with filming, St Clement enjoys supporting wildlife charities and attending fundraising events.
Joanna Lumley: 77, Absolutely Fabulous
While Joanna Lumley once starred in Coronation Street, it wasn’t until Absolutely Fabulous that she played her career-defining role and became a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The stately blonde actress not only displays her beauty on TV shows but is also involved in charity work and presenting spectacular travelogues for ITV.
Lumley is indeed one of a kind, starting from the days she played Ken Barlow’s girlfriend on Coronation Street to her breathtaking performances starring in Hollywood mega-blockbusters like The Wolf of Wall Street. We’re confident Joanna is ready for more, and we’ll be here for it.
Anita Dobson: 74, EastEnders
Anita Dobson is an actress, a performer, and a singer, among many other things, but remains best known for her appearance in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Though, she was not the first person who got an offer to play the role of Angie.
Jean Fennell was her forerunner, but the casting directors thought of recasting, as the latter didn’t fit the character’s disposition, and voila! Anita got a ticket to one of the best soaps of her time! One of the veteran performer’s more recent appearances was playing Mirabelle Hubble in ‘The Worst Witch,’ and Dobson’s also found success in other projects, like The Bill and Casualty.
Bruce Jones: 71, Coronation Street
Bruce Jones may not have the most significant role in the soap opera Coronation Street, but he left the show with an impactful performance, one that would lay the foundations for his career.
The actor played the role of Les Battersby, a taxi driver. After departing from the series in 2007, Jones briefly performed stand-up acts before appearing in various TV programs, such as The Dark Side of Fame and Rich and Homeless. In the latter, the role pushed him to live out on London’s cold streets, which turned out to be a life-altering experience for the artist, one that remained with Bruce forever.
Beverly Callard: 66, Coronation Street
Beverly Callard made her television debut through Beverly Sowden’s role in the soap opera Emmerdale. This portrayal certainly did a number on Callard’s popularity, as was she quickly approached by various casting directors. The rising starlet then appeared in a handful of films before finally being approached by Coronation Street’s production team.
Entranced by the actress’s appeal, she got selected for June Dewhurst’s role right off the bat. Though, Beverly left the series briefly before returning with a more prominent part of Liz McDonalds. She continued with this character till 2019 before calling it quits and departing from the show.
Letitia Dean: 56, EastEnders
Letitia Dean is the ever-stunning actress that portrayed Sharon Watts’s character in the popular soap opera EastEnders. With a hiatus here and there, the beautiful actress made a recent comeback to the show sometime in 2012.
Anyway, Letitia has shown prowess in more than just soap operas, appearing in many TV shows and playing theatre roles too. She starred in the stage-based High School Musical live performance in 2008 at Apollo Hammersmith, released a fitness tutorial video a year after, and continues to be actively involved in charity activities all over the world.
Jessie Wallace: 52, EastEnders
If you’ve never heard of Jessie Wallace from Coronation Street, then you must have heard of her impressive performance in the soap opera EastEnders. Jessie has become one of the show’s longtime cast members, consequently becoming famous for playing Kat Slater’s iconic role.
Although her career kicked off as a make-up artist for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Wallace made her debut in 1999 after graduating college. Later on, the actress landed the soap opera role and has since remained outstanding, trying out her hands at other careers like singing and even competing in TV dance contests like Strictly Come Dancing.
Anna Friel: 47, Brookside
Anna Friel rose to worldwide fame through her portrayal of Beth Jordache in the soap opera Brookside. In fact, she is still remembered for this character by adoring fans, despite having worked on various other outstanding projects.
A slightly younger generation would recognize her from Pushing Daisies, a fantasy show on ABC, in which the actress played the role of Charlotte Charles. Friel’s tenure there was as short as two years, but a highly influential one at that! The actress left the show with various award nominations to her name, including the Saturn Awards and even a Golden Globe; fans currently eagerly await her upcoming project The Perfect Girlfriend.
Barry Sloane: 43, Hollyoaks
Barry Sloane is known for many roles that he has played over the course of his career, but fans have a hard time forgetting him as Niall Rafferty, the unsettlingly unhinged character that appeared in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks.
This role alone won Sloane three award nominations and much love from the world. Not to mention, it was through this portrayal that casting directors took notice of his talent, made some calls, and signed some contracts! Before we know it, the star got cast in the ABC show Revenge as Aiden Mathis and Barry also appeared in a Modern Warfare game; how cool is that now?
Ben Hardy: 33, EastEnders
Ben Hardy took the baton of the EastEnders character, Peter Beale, from Thomas Law in 2013. The actor confessed that his family was a big fan of the show, and Hardy was pretty psyched to be part of the cast, whom he adored growing up.
Ben indeed did justice to his love for the show, as he was a huge success. However, the partnership didn’t go for long. The artist moved on in 2015 to better opportunities and is currently all set to appear in the HBO MAX and BBC One show The Girl Before.
Ben Kingsley: 80, Coronation Street
The younger generation would know Ben Kingsley from films like Hugo and The Dictator, where he played the role of a treacherous uncle to Aladeen. But if you’re a 50s kid, you’d know this veteran actor from the soap opera Coronation Street, where he portrayed Ron Jenkins’s role from 1966 to 1967.
Though Kingsley was not with the soap for long, hardly a year, he didn’t fail to leave his mark on the show. But the actor quickly moved on to more glamorous opportunities, and today Ben’s award cabinet would stand witness to that!
Catherine Tyldesley: 40, Coronation Street
Catherine Tyldesley made it big with her stunning looks and personality, which captivated every heart that crossed the starlet. Her popularity especially saw new heights through the long-running soap opera Coronation Street, which became a massive success for the actor, more than what she had anticipated.
Though first, Tyldesley appeared for just one episode, the star became a regular cast member in 2011, like Eva. She was with the show for seven odd years, till in 2018, she departed, leaving a considerable legacy behind. Catherine hasn’t appeared on anything prominent since, but we hope she makes a comeback soon!
Charles Lawson: 64, Coronation Street
Another star from the brilliant cast of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street is Charles Lawson. But the performer is known for countless other roles as well, unlike some of his co-stars who spent much of their career with the show. The actor was a part of the television miniseries Harry’s Game, which also scored him immense fame and fortune.
Moreover, Lawson is also known for a handful of films, which were all very well-received among fans and critics. But now, the artist has finally returned to Coronation Street, perhaps with a renewed vigor!
Charley Webb: 36, Emmerdale
If you were a fan of soap operas, you probably remember Emmerdale and Charley Webb’s intriguing performance to bring an unreal feeling and engagement with the characters’ problems on-screen. The English actress even got a nomination for the Best Actress category at the British Soap Awards in 2009, which shows just how much her fellow countrymen loved Webb’s soulful portrayal of Debbie Dingle.
There hasn’t been much going on for the artist when it comes to her career nowadays, but Charley seems to be living a pretty happy life with her three children in Yorkshire alongside her husband.
Cindy Marshall-Day: 56, Crossroads
Before Crossroads, Cindy Marshall-Day had worked in a few movies; however, with Tracey Booth’s Character, she gained a lot of recognition. But as time passed, Marshall’s career didn’t grow that much due to many personal problems although the soap opera star’s colleagues have defined her to be charming and fun to be around.
The English actress hasn’t starred in anything lately, and she’s enjoying a moderately social life away from the spotlight. Having accumulated a net worth of $15 million, it would seem that Cindy is enjoying her retirement phase in stylish luxury.
Eden Taylor-Draper: 26, Emmerdale
At the age of 8, a young and promising prodigy by the name of Eden Taylor-Draper took over the reins for Belle Dingle in Emmerdale. Draper’s performance combined with Charley Webb’s Debbie Dingle put the spark in the entire soap opera. The English actress’s portrayal of the iconic character helped her win several new shows afterward and awards for being a marvelous young talent.
Eden hasn’t worked on much after her previous shows concluded. She seems to be enjoying living an ordinary and everyday life away from acting alongside her boyfriend and various friends.
Jennifer Metcalfe: 40, Hollyoaks
After appearing in several series before, Jennifer Metcalfe found the role of a lifetime with Hollyoaks in 2006 as Mercedes McQueen. The English actress was the team’s first choice and a good one, considering she has continued to appear in the role even after 14 years of its release. Besides acting, she’s a pretty good dancer too, as Jennifer was the 7th runner-up in Dancing on Ice.
Metcalfe may not be that active in the show business, but she does run her clothing rental boutique while raising a wonderful son. We wish the actress turned entrepreneur only the best for all her future endeavors.
Gemma Atkinson: 36, Hollyoaks
Like many of her co-stars, Gemma Atkinson had a career breakthrough when she got cast as Lisa Hunter in the iconic series Hollyoaks. Atkinson continued in appearing the series’ spin-off as well. The actress was also cast for various other films from that point on and created a thriving career.
Aside from the showbusiness, Gemma is an active humanitarian and participates in various movements to raise money for worthwhile causes. The golden girl even got engaged recently on the 14th of February 2021 and is currently living with her daughter and soulmate in Manchester.
Gemma Merna: 37, Hollyoaks
Gemma Merna was cast as Carmel McQueen in Hollyoaks and would continue to be on the show for a total duration of 8 years! Until, of course, she decided to quit, and the writers removed her character from the series. After the English actress gained recognition in showbusiness from her previous success, she would continue to be offered roles in various TV series and reality shows.
Nowadays, you can find the star as an advocate for fitness and as a personal trainer. If you feel like getting in shape, you can even train with Gemma at her Liverpool Studio.
Georgia May Foote: 30, Coronation Street
Georgia May Foote’s first appearance on television dates back to 2004. It was later that she finally landed the role of Katy Armstrong in Coronation Street.
Since the soap opera has a cult-following status in England, Foote’s an instantly recognizable face on the UK streets today. The English actress decided to quit the show in 2015 to seek other opportunities and continue building her modeling career. We’re guessing that endeavor was successful, considering Foote almost won the most attractive female award twice at The British Soap Awards. We’ll be watching this rising talent in the future, for we expect great things from Georgia.
Gillian Taylforth: 65, EastEnders
Gillian Taylforth had a pretty good career on television well before finally playing Kathy Beale on EastEnders. However, she quickly gained popularity among the show’s fans thanks to her character, raising awareness for several sensitive topics in society during that time. After staying on the show for a good 15 years, Taylforth decided to move on and landed many new British TV roles.
The English actress’s last appearance was on Hollyoaks in 2015, after which she seems to be enjoying a life of retirement away alongside her two lovely children; perhaps it’s time for a triumphant return to the screen?
Helen Flanagan: 30, Coronation Street
Helen Flanagan made her debut with Rosie Webster in Coronation Street and instantly won over people’s hearts. She became a member of the permanent cast and started appearing as a regular on the show. The young actress soon won an award for the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress. Aside from acting, Flanagan was even part of a reality TV series by the name of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!; you might remember her finishing in seventh place.
Today Helen continues to make waves with her career and recently got engaged to Scott Sinclair in 2018. She currently has two beautiful children.
Ioan Gruffudd: 47, Pobol y Cwm
Who doesn’t love the long stretchy guy Ioan Gruffudd, famous for playing Reed Richards in Fantastic Four? You probably don’t know that the soap opera Pobol y Cwm had already brought the Welsh actor to prominence, starring in it for seven years from 1987 to 1994. Gruffudd’s artistic talents have continued to land him various roles, with his most recent one in the spy film Ava.
The comic-book hero is married to Alice Evans and is currently living in Los Angeles with two daughters. Ioan uses his fame to support humanitarian causes! We guess the rising star’s sympathetic characters are a part of his personality after all.
Jack P. Shepherd: 33, Coronation Street
Watching Jack P. Shepherd play David Platt in the soap opera Coronation Street definitely gave us goosebumps, and we dare say we’ve seen nothing like it. Jack so perfectly portrays characters, bringing each to life that he should be a case study. Even more considering the performer’s bagged so many awards for his several outstanding performances.
Shepherd has appeared in lots of TV shows and films, doing what he does best. This keeps him constantly rewarded, and of course, the actor’s bank account can testify to that. More recently, the superstar has employed his unique talents yet again, contributing to the Grouchy Young Men comedy show.
Jack Ryder: 39, EastEnders
Asides from bearing the same name as a famous Australian cricketer, Jack Ryder is best known for playing Jamie Mitchell, one of the protagonists from the British soap opera EastEnders. He was cast on the show for four years until the character got written off in 2002.
While there is no shortage of credits associated with Jack’s impressive performances, he has shifted gears a little to focus on directing movies and theatres. So far, Ryder has stayed behind the cameras to direct exciting scenes, including an episode in the series Causality.
Jacqueline Jossa: 28, EastEnders
English actress and TV presenter Jacqueline Jossa certainly wowed every audience with her impeccable performance in the soap opera EastEnders. From her very first appearance on the show in 2010, the supertalented actress has been a powerhouse tour de force of acting chops, delivering non-stop jaw-dropping performances.
Jacqueline, winning the 19th edition of the reality TV show, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! further marked her name in the hall of fame, but while she hasn’t signed on so many projects like other performers, Jossa is still young and indeed an act we’ll be keeping our eyes on in the days to come.
Shobna Gulati: 54, Coronation Street
Who could ever forget about Shobna Gulati? She portrayed Sunita Alaham on Coronation Street for over a decade, finally departing in 2013. She was in her 30s when she first got the role, and she couldn’t have imagined the impact it’d make on her life!
Before that, she appeared in some episodes of the EastEnders and Dinnerladies, but nothing matched the success she found as Sunita. Her days on Coronation Street may be behind her, but her career is still going strong. In 2021 she took part in the Celebrity Best Home Cook competition and in the film called Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Eileen Derbyshire: 89, Coronation Street
For the longest time, Eileen Derbyshire’s name was almost a synonym to the Coronation Street series. After all, the first time she portrayed Emily Bishop was back in 1961. She went on to play in over 2,500 episodes before retiring but even found the time to go back on set again in 2019, albeit for just one episode.
A few years after starting the show, Eileen married her life partner, Thomas W. Holt. According to the Daily Mail, he passed away in February 2021, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. They’ve only ever had one son together named Oliver Holt, who’s a sports journalist.
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