We know them now as some of the most revered and experienced stars in the world, but once upon a time, these famous faces were just embarking on their careers, with no idea how long they would last. Fortunately, some of our most beloved celebrities are still thriving in their 90s. Some are retired, others are still working, but they all have one thing in common: Back in the day, they still had to make a name for themselves. So read on to see these nonagenarians, then and now.
RELATED: The Biggest Celebrities Who Are in Their 80s, Then and Now.
1 | Clint Eastwood: Then
Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesSeen here in 1955 at 25, Clint Eastwood was still a few years away from his breakthrough role on the Western series Rawhide.
1 | Clint Eastwood: Now
Featureflash Photo Agency/ShutterstockAt 91, Eastwood is still an active actor and filmmaker. His next film, Cry Macho, in which he also stars, is set to be released on Sept. 17.
2 | Betty White: Then
De Carvalho Collection/Getty ImagesIn 1954, when this portrait of 32-year-old Betty White was taken, she was starring in the sitcom Life with Elizabeth, which was created by a production company she co-founded. White made history as the first woman to produce a sitcom, and she received her first Emmy nomination for her work on the show.
Betty White: Now
David Livingston/Getty ImagesNow 99, White is a beloved comedy icon with five Emmys to her name. Her most recent roles were in two 2019 animated films: Trouble and Toy Story 4.
3 | James Earl Jones: Then
Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty ImagesJames Earl Jones, seen here in 1960 at age 29, was one of the most celebrated stage actors in the U.S. before making the jump to the screen. His first movie role was in 1964's Dr. Strangelove.
James Earl Jones: Now
Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty ImagesJones is now 90 and still working. In 2019, he reprised the role of Mufasa in the live-action Lion King remake, and in 2020, he returned to the role of King Jaffe Joffer in Coming 2 America.
4 | Mel Brooks: Then
Bettman/Contributor/Getty ImagesBack in 1965, 39-year-old Mel Brooks was an in-demand writer. This was the year that his hit spy comedy series Get Smart premiered.
Mel Brooks: Now
Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFIToday, 95-year-old Brooks is also famous as a director, actor, and a writer of musicals, including the stage adaptations of his own films The Producers and Young Frankenstein.
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5 | Angela Lansbury: Then
Mondadori via Getty ImagesAngela Lansbury started working as an entertainer when she was still in her teens. This perfume ad was shot in 1940, when she was just 15 years old.
Angela Lansbury: Now
DFree/ShutterstockLansbury is 95 today and has seen success on the big and small screens, as well as on stage. Her most recent film roles, including a cameo in Mary Poppins Returns, were in 2018.
6 | Dick Van Dyke: Then
Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesDick Van Dyke was 35 years old in 1960 and one year away from the debut of his own sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show, which would run for five years.
Dick Van Dyke: Now
DFree/ShutterstockAt 95, Van Dyke is one of this year's Kennedy Center honorees. His recent projects include a singing and dancing role in Mary Poppins Returns and voicing a character in the series Kidding.
RELATED: Dick Van Dyke Shares Exactly What He Does to Stay Healthy at 95.
7 | Sidney Poitier: Then
Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1950, when he was 23, Sidney Poitier played his first credited film role in No Way Out, kicking off a legendary career. Eight years later, he'd become the first Black nominee for a Best Actor Oscar for his work in The Defiant Ones.
Sidney Poitier: Now
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagicPoitier is now 94, and hasn't acted in a film or TV show since 2008. He has six children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
8 | Gena Rowlands: Then
Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesIn 1955, 25-year-old Gena Rowlands had acted on stage and made appearances in several television shows, including Top Secret and Robert Montgomery Presents. The previous year, she married John Cassavetes, who would go on to direct her in 10 films.
Gena Rowlands: Now
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty ImagesAt 91, Rowlands is basically retired from acting. Her most recent role was in the 2014 comedy Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. The next year, she was given an Honorary Academy Award for her achievements.
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9 | Eva Marie Saint: Then
Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesIn 1955, at the age of 31, Eva Marie Saint was just coming off of her film debut role opposite Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront.
RELATED: See Marlon Brando's Grandson, Who Is a Major Model.
Eva Marie Saint: Now
Kathy Hutchins/ShutterstockToday, Saint is 97 and retired from acting. Her final role was in the 2014 film adaptation of Winter's Tale. And one of her most recent public appearances was presenting an Oscar at the 2018 ceremony.
10 | Tony Bennett: Then
Bettmann/Contributor/Getty ImagesSeen here in 1950 at 24 years old, Tony Bennett was just getting started as a crooner appealing mostly to teen audiences.
Tony Bennett: Now
lev radin / ShutterstockBennett just turned 95 and despite the recent announcement of his Alzheimer's diagnosis, he is continuing to perform and record. He has a new album of duets with Lady Gaga on the way, and the two performed two nights at Radio City Music Hall in August.
RELATED: Tony Bennett's Wife Reveals the First Sign He Had Alzheimer's.
11 | Barbara Walters: Then
Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesIn 1964, Barbara Walters was 35 and had been working at The Today Show as a reporter-at-large. Ten years later, she was named co-host.
Barbara Walters: Now
Cindy Ord/Getty ImagesNow 91, Walters spent the last phase of her career before retirement co-hosting the daytime talk show she also created, The View, and doing special reports for ABC News. Her last on-air interview was with then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015.
RELATED: Barbara Walters Felt "Betrayed" By This Co-Host of The View.
