There’s only a short list of actresses over 50 who still rule and dominate screens today as they did in their early days. These actresses not only inspire the younger ones but have helped revolutionize the idea of actors fading into oblivion in their older years. These actresses over 50 have stayed bankable and attract higher pay for their appearances.
Surprisingly, TV and film audiences of the late 80s and 90s may find that many of their childhood favourites have crossed 50. However, the list focuses on only the actresses over 50 who still command higher pay, wield production influences, and continue to deliver Box Office hits. These are the 20 actresses over 50 who still rule Hollywood.
Jennifer Garner
Date of Birth: April 17, 1972
Believe it or not, Elektra actress has crossed the 50 age mark! Jennifer Garner, one of Hollywood’s finest actresses, continues to command as much influence in the industry as she did a decade ago. Although she’s yet to receive an Academy Award nomination, Garner has been nominated 4 times at the Golden Globes Award (winning 1). She has also received 4 Primetime Emmy Awards and 3 SAG Awards (winning 1).
Garner’s most notable past lead role performances include Daredevil (2003), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elektra (2005), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), Nine Lives (2016), and Miracles from Heaven (2016). Her recent and upcoming projects include The Adam Project (2022), Deadpool 3 (2024), and Family Leave. In television, Garner played Evie Adler in Party Down (2023) and Hannah Hall in The Last Thing He Told Me (2023).
Melissa McCarthy
Date of Birth: August 26, 1970
Melissa McCarthy is an actress, screenwriter, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in movies, McCarthy continues to be a force in Hollywood. She has received 2 Academy Awards nominations, 2 BAFTA nominations, 2 Golden Globes Award nominations, 6 Critics’ Choice Awards nominations, 3 SAG Awards nominations, and 8 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations (winning 2). Since she turned 50 years in 2020, McCarthy has starred in Superintelligence (2020), Thunder Force (2021), The Starling (2021), a cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and The Little Mermaid (2023). Melissa McCarthy’s upcoming movies are Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story and Bernard and the Genie.
Taraji P. Henson
Date of Birth: September 11, 1970
Taraji P. Henson has carved a niche for herself and continues to land lead roles in Hollywood. Like many older actresses, over 50, Henson has also produced films. Henson has received several accolades throughout her acting career. She has been nominated for an Academy Award, won a Golden Globes Award, and had 6 nominations at the SAG Awards, winning 1.
Although known for her work in film, Henson also made notable appearances on television. She starred in Person of Interest (2011–2013, 2015) and Empire (2015–2020). Her movie appearances include Baby Boy (2001), Smokin’ Aces (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Karate Kid (2010), Think Like a Man (2012) and its sequel, Proud Mary (2018), Acrimony (2018), and Coffee & Kareem (2020). Henson’s upcoming movies are The Color Purple (2023) and Time Alone.
Queen Latifah
Date of Birth: March 18, 1970
Queen Latifah has long become a household name, with her career spanning over three decades. She remains one of the top picks of African-American actresses for comedy dramas. These days, she combines acting with producing films. Latifah has received an Academy Award, BAFTA, 3 Golden Globes Awards (winning 1), 5 SAG Awards (winning 3), 4 Critics’ Choice Awards (winning 2), and 3 Primetime Emmy Awards (winning 1).
In television, she appeared on Living Single (1993–1998), Single Ladies (2011–2012), and Star (2016–2019), and currently plays Robyn McCall on the CBS crime drama The Equalizer. In film, Latifah has starred in numerous box office hits. These include Set It Off (1996), The Bone Collector (1999), Brown Sugar (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Taxi (2004), and Mad Money (2008). Her recent projects include Hustle (2022) and End of the Road (2022). Latifah’s upcoming film is Paper Chase, for which she’s also credited as an executive producer.
Jennifer Aniston
Date of Birth: February 11, 1969
Jennifer Aniston became the American sweetheart after playing Rachel Green on the NBC sitcom Friends. Towards the end of the series run, Aniston became one of the highest-paid television actresses. As a television actress, Aniston has received 8 Emmy Award nominations (winning 1), 7 Golden Globe Award nominations (winning 1), and 13 SAG Award nominations (winning 2). In film, she has starred in several box office hits like Picture Perfect (1997), Bruce Almighty (2003), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), The Bounty Hunter (2010), and Horrible Bosses and its sequel. Her most recent appearance was in Murder Mystery 2 (2023), the sequel to 2019 Murder Mystery. Aniston also plays Alexandra “Alex” Levy on Apple TV+ The Morning Show.
Cate Blanchett
Date of Birth: May 14, 1969
Cate Blanchett is an Australian actress and producer. Since she transitioned into Hollywood, Blanchett has done remarkably well for herself. She’s a two-time Academy Award winner (8 nominations), four-time British Academy Film Award winner (8 nominations), four-time Golden Globes Awards winner (12 nominations), three-time SAG Award winner (18 nominations), and has been nominated once for a Tony Award.
Since she turned 50, Blanchett has starred in a few notable movies. She voiced Valka in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), Don’t Look Up (2021), and Tár (2022). Blanchett was the voice of Spazzatura the Monkey in Pinocchio (2022) and The Storian in The School for Good and Evil (2022). Her upcoming projects are Borderlands (2024) and Disclaimer.
Jennifer Lopez
Date of Birth: July 24, 1969
Although known for her successful musical career, Jennifer Lopez is one of the few female musicians who successfully transitioned into acting. She makes the list for her consistency in delivering stellar performance and box office hits. Lopez received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for her performance in Hustlers (2019).
Lopez has received two Golden Globes Award nominations in 1998 and 2020 for her work in Selena (1997) and Hustlers. She has also been nominated 12 times at the People’s Choice Awards, winning 2. Lopez continues to be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses with several recent works. She starred in Marry Me (2022), Shotgun Wedding (2022), and The Mother (2023). She has two upcoming projects, Atlas and Unstoppable.
Nicole Kidman
Date of Birth: June 20, 1967
The ever-beautiful Australian-American actress and producer has graced screens for four decades. Nicole Kidman has won all top major awards with numerous nominations. She has received 5 Academy Awards nominations (winning 1), 5 BAFTA nominations (winning 1), 3 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (winning 2), 17 Golden Globes Awards nominations (winning 6), and 15 SAG Award nominations (winning 1).
Kidman’s most notable projects in television and film include Days of Thunder (1990), Batman Forever (1995), The Peacemaker (1997), The Interpreter (2005), Bewitched (2005), The Golden Compass (2007), The Upside (2017), and Aquaman (2018) and its sequel. Kidman’s future projects include Spellbound (2024), A Family Affair (2024), and Holland, Michigan.
Julia Roberts
Date of Birth: October 28, 1967
There aren’t many names that echo through generations of film and TV audiences like Julia Roberts. Throughout her career, she has won an Academy Award (4 nominations), three Golden Globes Awards (10 nominations), a British Academy Film Award (3 nominations), and one Critics’ Choice Movie Award (5 nominations) and SAG Award (3 nominations) each. Although she doesn’t take on many new roles as she did in the past, she’s still one of the most expensive actresses to cast. Her last movie was Ticket to Paradise (2022), with an upcoming movie, Leave the World Behind, in 2023. In television, she starred in Homecoming (2018) and Gaslit (2022).
Helena Bonham Carter
Date of Birth: May 26, 1966
The English stage and screen actress, Helena Bonham Carter, made her acting debut when she was 17, playing Netty Bellinger in the TV adaptation of A Pattern of Roses (1983). Since then, Bonham Carter has been nominated twice for an Academy Award, 4 British Academy Film Awards (winning 1), 4 British Academy Television Awards, 9 Golden Globes Awards, 5 Primetime Emmy Awards, and 7 SAG Awards (winning 2).
Her notable on-screen appearances include Hamlet (1990), Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Fight Club (1999), Planet of the Apes (2021), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and Harry Potter film series. Others are Terminator Salvation (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The King’s Speech (2010), The Lone Ranger (2013), The Crown (2019–2020), and Enola Holmes films. Bonham Carter will play Babi Winston in One Life.
Salma Hayek
Date of Birth: September 2, 1966
The Mexican-American actress and producer is one of the most recognizable faces in film and television. Salma Hayek has been nominated once for an Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globes Award. However, she has won one of her four Emmy Award nominations. Since she turned 50, Hayek has starred in films like The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017) and its sequel, Drunk Parents (2019), Eternals (2021), House of Gucci (2021), and Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023). She has an upcoming movie titled Without Blood.
Viola Davis
Date of Birth: August 11, 1965
Viola Davis is known for her powerful performances. The American actress is one of few to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT). Her accolades include, 4 Academy Award nominations (1 win), 4 BAFTA nominations (1 win), 7 Golden Globes Award nominations (1 win), a Grammy win, 3 Tony Award nominations (2 wins), 5 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (1 win), and 11 SAG Award nominations (6 wins).
At 50, Davis has starred in several notable films and TV shows. They include How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020), Suicide Squad (2016), Widows (2018), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), The Suicide Squad (2021), The Unforgivable (2021), The First Lady (2022), The Woman King (2022), and Air (2023). She will star in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), Creature Commandos (2024), and Waller.
Sandra Bullock
Date of Birth: July 26, 1964
Sandra Bullock has aged beautifully physically and in her acting performances. Bullock is the go-to actress for romantic comedies and dramas. She has received 2 Academy Awards (winning 1), a BAFTA nomination, 5 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominations (winning 3), 5 Golden Globes Award nominations (winning 1), and 3 SAG Awards nominations (winning 2).
Bullock’s older film appearances include Demolition Man (1993), A Time to Kill (1996), Miss Congeniality (2000), Crash (2004), Premonition (2007), The Blind Side (2009), Gravity (2013), and Bird Box (2018). Her most recent works include The Unforgivable (2021), The Lost City (2022), and Bullet Train (2022). Sandra Bullock has also produced several movies.
Michelle Yeoh
Date of Birth: August 6, 1962
Michelle Yeoh is one most iconic actress above 50 still working today. She is still winning prestigious award nominations. Yeoh received her first Academy Awards nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). She won her nomination at the 95th Academy Awards. Similarly, Yeoh won her first Golden Globes Award nomination for the same category and movie. She has also received 2 BAFTA nominations and 3 SAG Award nominations (winning 2).
Since she turned 50 years old in 2012, Yeoh has starred in several notable movies. These include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), Mechanic: Resurrection (2016), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Last Christmas (2019), Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), The School for Good and Evil (2022). Yeoh has a busy filming schedule with several upcoming movies. These include A Haunting in Venice (2023), The Tiger’s Apprentice (2024), Wicked: Part One (2024), Avatar 3 (2025), Wicked: Part Two (2025), and Avatar 4 (2029).
Angela Bassett
Date of Birth: August 16, 1958
One of the most beloved actress over 50 still working today is Angela Bassett who has blessed screens since her on-screen debut in 1985. Bassett has an Academy Award (3 nominations), two Golden Globes Awards (2 nominations), one SAG Award (4 nominations), and 10 Emmy Awards nominations. She has appeared in several biopic movies portraying real independent women. Bassett’s two upcoming projects are Damsel and Wildwood.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Date of Birth: November 22, 1958
Jamie Lee Curtis is an actress, producer, and author. For her work in the slasher genre, Lee Curtis gained a reputation as a Scream Queen. Through the years, she has bagged an Academy Award, two Golden Globes Awards (8 nominations), a BAFTA (3 nominations), two SAG Awards (3 nominations), and a Grammy nomination. Lee Curtis’ notable film appearances since she clocked 50 are Halloween (2018), Knives Out (2019), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Halloween Ends (2022), and Haunted Mansion (2023). She’ll play Dr. Patricia Tannis in Borderlands (2024).
Frances McDormand
Date of Birth: June 23, 1957
Frances McDormand is known for her in-depth acting style and critically acclaimed performances. McDormand has four Academy Awards (8 nominations), three BAFTAs (6 nominations), two Golden Globes Awards (9 nominations), a Tony Award (2 nominations), two Emmy Awards (3 nominations), and four SAG Awards (9 nominations). Since crossing the 50 mark, McDormand has starred in movies like Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Nomadland (2020), The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), and Women Talking (2022). She currently voices God in the British comedy series Good Omens.
Sigourney Weaver
Date of Birth: October 8, 1949
Another well known actress over 50 is Sigourney Weaver who continues to have a growing influence in Hollywood. Weaver recently reprised her role as Dr. Grace Augustine, and also played Kiri in the 2009 Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). She’s set to reprise Kiri for further sequels in 2025 and 2029. Weaver will also star in Scott Derrickson‘s romantic action film The Gorge. She also plays the lead role on Amazon Prime Video’s seven-part TV miniseries, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (2023). Weaver has received three Academy Award nominations, a BAFTA win (2 nominations), two Golden Globes Awards (5 nominations), four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three SAG Award nominations.
Meryl Streep
Date of Birth: June 22, 1949
No list of beloved actress over 50 would be complete without Meryl Streep. With the quality of her performances and versatility, it’s unsurprisingly she’s dubbed the best actress of her generation. Yet, Streep continues to wield an influence in today’s Hollywood. Streep has a record 21 Academy Award nominations (winning 3), 15 BAFTA nominations (winning 2), 32 Golden Globes Awards (winning 9), 6 Grammy nominations, and a Tony Award nomination. Some of her notable movies after turning 50 include Julie & Julia (2009), The Iron Lady (2011), The Post (2017), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), Little Women (2019), The Prom (2020), and Don’t Look Up (2021). Streep plays Loretta Durkin in Only Murders in the Building season 3.
Diane Keaton
Date of Birth: January 5, 1946
Diane Keaton has enjoyed a six-decade acting career. Till today, she continues to star in several moderate-budget movies. Keaton is an Academy Award winner (4 nominations), British Academy Film Award winner (3 nominations), and two-time Golden Globes Award winner (9 nominations). At and after 50, Keaton appeared in The First Wives Club (1996), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Mad Money (2008), Morning Glory (2010), The Big Wedding (2013), Book Club (2018), Maybe I Do (2022), and Book Club 2 – The Next Chapter (2023). Keaton will play Nora in Summer Camp.
Follow Us
