12 Celebrities Who Successfully Stood Up Against Ageism

Aging is sometimes stereotyped as a bad thing, but the truth is that 1 in 3 women think that one of the benefits of aging is increased self-confidence. Despite the taboos and the thousands of anti-aging products that surround us, the reality is, reaching maturity is something beautiful. These celebs below have found peace with their bodies and inspire us to embrace ourselves at every stage of our lives.

1. Jennifer Aniston

Being an actress can often create pressure to always look “perfect” by Hollywood standards. But Jennifer Aniston is grateful for her natural features and has stood her ground for decades, staying away from anti-aging procedures on her face. For her, aging is no longer something negative, “What my mom used to say to me was, this is about longevity. It’s a privilege to grow old.”

No matter how much time passes over Jennifer, she’s under no pressure to look ageless. Actually, it wasn’t until she reached the age of fifty that she really thought about that number. To her, she doesn’t feel different. Things are not closing in any way and she feels physically amazing.

2. Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz is here to put an end to the dialogue we’ve had for years about the fear of aging. The actress has shared her thoughts on the subject throughout her career. “For me, I feel like if I — it’s almost as if we have failed if we don’t remain 25 for the rest of our lives. Like we are failures. Like it’s my fault that at 40 years old... I still don’t look like I’m 25.”

Diaz wants to remind us that, as women, we must give ourselves permission to age gracefully and honor the moment instead of fearing it.

3. Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker is the voice of all women seeking equal opportunities with men in the media. When gray hair is often praised in men and criticized in women, the actress wants to remind us that any decision you make is your own. If you choose to embrace your wrinkles and gray hair, choose to age naturally, or do something that makes you feel better, do it for yourself and not based on other people’s comments.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow’s thoughts on the subject are that any choice we make about our appearance should make us feel empowered and free from judgment. She believes that society should start a new conversation about how to approach aging more healthily. As she says, “We, as women, just have to keep cultivating other women, our daughters, and the women that are coming up behind us with this idea that we’re all enough.”

5. Drew Barrymore

For Drew Barrymore, aging is something to be celebrated. Instead of running away from birthday candles, she is not afraid of what life may do to her.

The more pressure she has from the media to stay forever young, the more she has resisted having plastic surgery. As she explains, she is now safe and healthy. And to be honest, this is all that matters.

6. Jane Fonda

Aging is relative and surely something that would never stop actress Jane Fonda from pursuing her career and dreams. If you believe it, you create it, and for Fonda, it’s all about perception.

As she explains, “I think it’s about how if you still have passion and if you haven’t become cynical and you’ve remained open to life, then no matter how old you are, chronologically, you’re still young. Aging is relative. If people say that I look young for my age, it’s because I feel like I’m a newbie. I feel like I’m just beginning, just learning how to do things. It’s not what I expected at all.”

7. Diane Keaton

Famous actress and director Diane Keaton gives an honest message of self-acceptance for all women in the crisis of aging. She shares, “The more you change, the more you see differently. And the more you see differently, the more you’re open to different kinds of beauty. I think the more we embrace what our own feelings about beauty are, the more fun it’s going to be for us as we go along.”

8. Nicole Kidman

In an industry as volatile as Hollywood, Nicole Kidman will always find her way. When she was in her early forties, she noticed that she was receiving fewer scripts. So instead of getting discouraged and giving up, she founded her own production company and started producing her own scripts.

When most women are told that their acting career ends at 40, Nicole Kidman channels her efforts to keep her career alive no matter how old she is, proving that leading incredible projects has no expiration date.

9. Penélope Cruz

Every decade is a new stage to learn from. For Penélope Cruz, this school called life brings her so much happiness, and she is here to explore it all the way. As she has expressed, she wouldn’t change for a second how she feels at her age now compared to how she felt when she was 20 years old. And in her career, she’s not afraid of challenges and playing more mature roles.

10. Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek is one of the actresses who advocates opening up in Hollywood about issues like menopause. Many directors don’t usually explore this topic, but Hayek is here to keep it real, even on-screen. In her last film, Eternals, she had the honor of playing a superhero role in her fifties. This gave her a feeling of gratitude, as she sent a message to all women that opportunities are available at any age.

11. Reese Witherspoon

With age comes wisdom, and for Reese Witherspoon, a clearer mind. Her aging process has helped her prioritize what’s important in life, therefore, allowing her to make more room for it. She values the people with whom she chooses to spend her time. Witherspoon is here to remind us to love the aging process and the confidence that comes with it.

12. Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis is a staunch advocate of natural aging. She sees the changes of time in her features as something natural. Gray hair or wrinkles on her face are not something she needs to “fix.” During interviews, she has made her point clear, explaining, “I am appalled that the term we use to talk about aging is ’anti.’”

What is the thing that you appreciate most about aging? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!