How Aging Gracefully Actually Helps Your Acting Career

Do actors get better with age? Is it possible to age gracefully as an actor?

Or do you think we max out of the industry at a certain age? 

I know a lot of actors who are scared silly of anyone seeing the number of candles on their birthday cake (and I used to be one of them myself!). Until I realized that you can not only accept your age, but celebrate it—and have it benefit your career to boot!

Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number

The first thing I want to tell you is that you’re never too old, and it’s not too late to find more success as an actor. There are countless examples of actors who began their craft and/or “made it big” at age 40 and older. 

Here are just a few:

• Melissa McCarthy (starred in Bridesmaids at 41)
• Kathy Bates (starred in Misery at 42 and won the Academy Award for Best Actress!)
• Steve Carell (Starred in the Office at 43 and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in Television Comedy!)
• Samuel L. Jackson (starred in Pulp Fiction at 46)
• Jane Lynch (starred in Glee at 49)
• Christoph Waltz (starred in Inglourious Basterds at 51 and won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor!!)

In a study of the 200 leading English-language film actors and when they landed most of their roles, the data showed the best average age for acting success is 30–39. The second best, by only a 2% difference, is age 40–49. And the third best? Actors in their 50s. 

I didn’t really have success in my career until my early-forties either. And now that I’ve turned 50 (yep, it’s true!), I’m doing my best work as an actor and getting some of the best offers and opportunities I’ve ever received. 

Embrace Where You’re At

Full confession: In my thirties and forties, I did everything possible to hide my age. I play a lot younger, and I still audition and book for mid/late-thirties. I felt like if anyone knew I was older, it would cost me my career.   

It took a lot of soul searching and more than a little deep work, but I finally realized, “Wait a minute! This is part of my journey and what makes me unique. Why am I hiding it?” In fact, I was doing a huge disservice to myself, expending so much freakin’ energy and mental space trying to hide my age anyway!  

Once I accepted who I am, where I am, and the age I am—my career really started to blossom in so many interesting and new ways. I have a deep understanding in my core that I have so much more to offer as an actor now than I ever did when I was a young pup. I took the Oscar Wilde quote to heart…”With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” I strive to live a life that is full and rich and interesting, so I gain not only wisdom—but new experiences, new people, lots of fun, and so much joy. And that shows up in my work too. 

As an actor and creative professional, experience can only help inform your art, having so much more to draw on. And in case you’re hungry for more, here are a few bonus tips to give your bod and mind an assist in aging gracefully. 

Make Sleep A Priority

Sleep is the best makeup you can ever ask for—and it’s all-natural and free! You can’t really beat that with any amount of Botox. 

I might have been able to sacrifice sleep when I was younger, but now, my body tells me loud and clear when it needs rest. If I don’t get enough zzz’s, I feel disconnected, brain foggy and groggy throughout my day. And that’s not a good look on a self-tape or on set! 

Science is still exploring why our brains need downtime, but one thing is for sure, sleep is essential to keeping our bodies functioning at their optimal level. Sleep is where the magic happens! So if you want to bring your A-game to your work, do your future self a favor by going to bed at a consistent time every night. Your body and brain will thank you for it!

Create Self-Care Rituals

Self-care doesn’t mean spa days, though there’s nothing wrong with pampering yourself. Self-care is anything that nourishes your body, mind and/or spirit—and sometimes that’s as simple as taking a walk every morning. 

But when life gets in the way, it can be tough to take consistent care of ourselves. That’s where rituals and routines come in! I recently shared my personal routines that have helped me transform my life, and simple ways you can create your own, with my good friend Jen Morris on her The Well-Rounded Actor podcast. 

Click here to listen to Rituals and Routines for Sustained Creativity & Career Longevity. 

Get A Life! 

Okay, this goes back to what I said earlier about having a full and rich life… I know you have a life, but are you enjoying it? Are you fully, joyfully, in love with your life? Or are you spending most of your time running between meetings, auditions, last-minute self tapes, too many classes, online webinars, and networking events?

There is a difference between being a working actor and just being a busy actor. It may seem like you’ll get ahead in your career faster if you skip out on travel or family visits because you might miss an opportunity, but that’s a recipe for burnout, resentment and a host of chronic health issues. And guess what? There will always be more auditions!

It’s so important to pursue things that you’re passionate about that have nothing to do with the industry. Dive into hobbies, relationships, community, and charities that move you as an artist and help you grow as a human being (not just because you think they’ll be impressive on your resume!) 

When you focus on being happy on the daily and have no need for external validation, you’ll be able to handle the ebbs and flows of #actorlife so much easier—because you’ll have so much more going on and your happiness isn’t solely dependent you booking a job!  

If you need more help nurturing your resilience skills, check out these 6 tips.  

When you appreciate the experiences life has given you, and seek out new ones that uplift your spirit, you’ll see a drastic shift in how you view your career and creativity. 

When your life is more about living in alignment with your core values and following your true passions—you’ll age gracefully into a long and happy career as an actor, an artist and most importantly, as a human! 

What are your worries about aging as an actor? Or have you embraced where you’re at in your life and all the benefits that can bring to your craft? I’d love to know in the comments below!

LOVE + lovin’ yourself at every age!