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Then & Now: 10 Actors Who Skipped Retirement To Continue Working

Quitting was never an option.

(L) English actor Ian McKellen, UK, 11th October 1969. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (R) Sir Ian McKellen walking through Piccadilly Circus during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewing

Hollywood is often touted as a world for the young and the beautiful, but these actors prove that you can be older, wiser, and just as glamorous. The industry does have a reputation of favoring young actors who coast along due to their youth and appearance. But let's not forget that with age comes experience and these veterans are proving that they've still got it, every time they are on screen. Audiences love these performers no matter what age they are. They're just as charismatic as they were in their youth.

Over the years, these actors have gotten better with experience and often deliver incredible performances that they may not have been able to do justice to in their younger years. We're grateful that they decided to skip retirement and continue to play roles that make us laugh, make us cry, and simply wow us every single time. Some of them started out way back in the 60s and 70s and are still working to this very day! Talk about commitment and a passion for the art. Without further ado, here's a list of actors who refused to call it quits and let age define their careers. 

1. Helen Mirren

(L) English actor Helen Mirren, UK, 19th December 1969. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (R) Helen Mirren poses at the "Homage Helen Mirren" photo call during the 70th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 27, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)

2. Jane Fonda

(L) The American actress, Jane Fonda in Paris. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)(R) Jane Fonda wears Chopard at the Sydney Opera House on August 27, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for Chopard)

3. Robert De Niro

(L) The Godfather: Part II- IMDb (R) Robert Deniro attends the American Icon Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 19, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

4. Al Pacino

(L) Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part II - 1974 Paramount Pictures/IMDb (R) Al Pacino attends the Premiere Of Amazon Prime Video's "Hunters" at DGA Theater on February 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

5. Maggie Smith

(L) Maggie Smith reading a script shortly after she was named Stage Actress of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) (R) Maggie Smith arrives at "The Lady In The Van" - Centrepiece Gala, at Odeon Leicester Square on October 13, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)

6. Donald Sutherland

(L) circa 1975: Canadian film star Donald Sutherland. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (R) Donald Sutherland walks the red carpet ahead of the "The Burnt Orange Heresy" during the 76th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 07, 2019, in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

7. Diane Keaton

(L) The Godfather (1972) - IMDb (R) Diane Keaton attends the Premiere of HBO Documentary Film "Very Ralph" at The Paley Center for Media on November 11, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

8. Morgan Freeman

(L) Morgan Freeman in Street Smart (1987) IMDb (R) Morgan Freeman backstage during the American Black Film Festival Honors Awards Ceremony at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 23, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

9. Ian McKellen

(L) English actor Ian McKellen, UK, 11th October 1969. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (R) Sir Ian McKellen walking through Piccadilly Circus during Pride in London 2019 on July 06, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Pride in London)

10. Christopher Walken

(L) Portrait of American stage, film, and television actor Christopher Walken as he holds a paper coffee cup, mid-1970s. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (R) Christopher Walken attends the Special Screening of the Netflix Film "Irreplaceable You" at The Metrograph on February 8, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Netflix)