Dozens of actors have lived to be 100 or older — George Burns, Bob Hope, Kirk Douglas (103), Olivia de Havilland (104), and Norman Lloyd (106) among the most famous. As of June 2026, three remain alive past the century mark: Dick Van Dyke (100), Eva Marie Saint (101), and broadcaster David Attenborough (100). Comedy legend Mel Brooks will join them on June 28, 2026, when he turns 100.
Reaching 100 is rare for anyone. Doing it after a lifetime in front of cameras, under studio contracts, and inside one of the most demanding industries on earth is rarer still. Yet actors, comedians, directors, and entertainment-adjacent legends have pulled it off more often than you’d expect. Below is the fullest accounting of centenarian entertainers available — along with their marriages, their money, and the daily habits that may have helped them get there.
The Wikipedia list of centenarian actors, filmmakers, and entertainers — the most exhaustive public record on the subject — was used to cross-check the lesser-known names below.
Full List: Every Actor Who Lived to Be 100 Years Old
| Name | Lived | Age | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Burns | 1896–1996 | 100 | Oh, God! Oscar winner |
| Bob Hope | 1903–2003 | 100 | Comedian, USO tours |
| Kirk Douglas | 1916–2020 | 103 | Spartacus |
| Olivia de Havilland | 1916–2020 | 104 | Gone with the Wind |
| Norman Lloyd | 1914–2021 | 106 | St. Elsewhere, Hitchcock films |
| Luise Rainer | 1910–2014 | 104 | First back-to-back Oscar winner |
| Marsha Hunt | 1917–2022 | 104 | Golden Age actress and activist |
| Charles Lane | 1905–2007 | 102 | It’s a Wonderful Life |
| Gloria Stuart | 1910–2010 | 100 | Titanic (1997) |
| Mary Ellis | 1897–2003 | 105 | Opera singer and film actress |
| Patricia Morison | 1915–2018 | 103 | Kiss Me, Kate (Broadway) |
| Connie Sawyer | 1912–2018 | 105 | One of Hollywood’s oldest working actresses |
| Zohra Sehgal | 1912–2014 | 102 | Indian actress and dancer |
| Hal Roach | 1892–1992 | 100 | Producer behind Laurel and Hardy |
| George Abbott | 1887–1995 | 107 | Broadway and film director-producer |
| Anne Buydens | 1919–2021 | 102 | Producer; Kirk Douglas’s wife |
| Marge Champion | 1919–2020 | 101 | Dancer, choreographer, actress |
| Estelle Winwood | 1883–1984 | 101 | Stage and film actress |
| Norman Corwin | 1910–2011 | 101 | Radio writer-producer |
| Dolores Hope | 1909–2011 | 102 | Singer; Bob Hope’s wife |
| Sol Saks | 1910–2011 | 100 | Creator of Bewitched |
| Bert I. Gordon | 1922–2023 | 100 | Film director, sci-fi B-movies |
| Barbara Kent | 1907–2011 | 103 | Silent film star |
| Gisèle Casadesus | 1914–2017 | 103 | French actress |
| Amelia Bence | 1914–2016 | 101 | Argentine film actress |
| Norman Lear | 1922–2023 | 101 | Creator of All in the Family |
| Jimmy Carter | 1924–2024 | 100 | 39th U.S. President |
| Henry Kissinger | 1923–2023 | 100 | Diplomat, political scientist |
| The Queen Mother | 1900–2002 | 101 | Mother of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Irving Berlin | 1888–1989 | 101 | Composer, “White Christmas” |
| Iris Apfel | 1921–2024 | 102 | Fashion icon |
| John B. Goodenough | 1922–2023 | 100 | Nobel laureate, lithium-ion battery |
That’s 32 names, and the list still omits dozens of lesser-known character actors, sound editors, and international stars who reached the same milestone. (For the rare few who pushed past 110, see our related post on the daily habits of supercentenarians.)
Which Actors Who Lived to 100 Are Still Alive in 2026?
Most centenarian lists focus on those already gone. Four, however, are still here.
| Name | Born | Current Age | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eva Marie Saint | July 4, 1924 | 101 (turns 102 on July 4, 2026) | On the Waterfront, North by Northwest |
| Dick Van Dyke | Dec 13, 1925 | 100 | Mary Poppins, The Dick Van Dyke Show |
| David Attenborough | May 8, 1926 | 100 | Broadcaster and naturalist |
| Mel Brooks | June 28, 1926 | turns 100 on June 28, 2026 | Blazing Saddles, The Producers, EGOT winner |
Eva Marie Saint, as of this writing, is the oldest living Academy Award winner and one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Dick Van Dyke briefly trended online in mid-June 2026 after a fake “RIP” post and an on-air radio mix-up wrongly announced his death — both were hoaxes, and the Parade report on his finances confirms he’s still active in Malibu. David Attenborough’s milestone was covered widely, including by NPR. Mel Brooks officially turns 100 on June 28, 2026, making him the newest member of the club.
Betty White came close, dying at 99 just weeks before her 100th birthday. Prince Philip also fell short at 99, two months shy of the mark.
How Much Were They Worth? Net Worth of the Centenarian Stars
One caveat: net worth figures for classic-era stars are almost always estimates — pieced together from estate filings, biographies, and celebrity-finance trackers, not audited records. Treat them as ballpark numbers.
| Name | Estimated Net Worth | Source of Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Hope | ~$150 million at death (peak estimates ran as high as $700 million) | Films, TV, and real estate |
| Dick Van Dyke | ~$50 million | TV/film royalties, books |
| Kirk Douglas | ~$60 million | Film acting, production company |
| Norman Lear | ~$200 million+ | TV production royalties |
| Mel Brooks | ~$70–100 million | Films, Broadway’s The Producers, EGOT royalties |
| Henry Kissinger | ~$50 million | Consulting, books, speaking fees |
| Jimmy Carter | Comparatively modest (commonly cited around $10 million) | Books, farm income — famously less wealthy than most ex-presidents |
| David Attenborough | Comparatively modest for his fame | BBC salary, documentary and book royalties |
| Irving Berlin | Estate valued in the tens of millions | Song royalties (“White Christmas,” “God Bless America”) |
| Olivia de Havilland | Estimated in the low tens of millions | Film career, real estate |
For most character actors on the list — Charles Lane, Mary Ellis, Connie Sawyer, Patricia Morison — no reliable net worth exists in public records. Any number you find online is a guess.
Who Was Married to Whom?
| Centenarian | Spouse |
|---|---|
| Bob Hope | Dolores Hope (m. 1934–2003, his death) |
| Kirk Douglas | Anne Buydens (also a centenarian, m. 1954–2020) |
| Jimmy Carter | Rosalynn Carter (married 77 years, until his death) |
| Henry Kissinger | Nancy Maginnes (second wife) |
| The Queen Mother | King George VI |
| Irving Berlin | Ellin Mackay |
| Iris Apfel | Carl Apfel (married 67 years, until he died in 2015) |
| Norman Lear | Lyn Davis Lear (third wife) |
| Eva Marie Saint | Jeffrey Hayden (m. 1951 until he died in 2016) |
| Dick Van Dyke | Arlene Silver (m. 2012); previously Margie Willett |
| Mel Brooks | Anne Bancroft (m. 1964 until she died in 2005); previously Florence Baum |
| David Attenborough | Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel (until she died in 1997) |
| Dolores Hope | Bob Hope |
| Anne Buydens | Kirk Douglas |
One pattern stands out: nearly every centenarian on this list had a long, defining marriage. Jimmy Carter credited Rosalynn directly for his longevity. Eva Marie Saint limited her film output to one movie a year so she could stay close to her husband and children.
Daily Routines, Diets, and Fitness — What They Actually Did
Bob Hope: The 2-Mile Walker
Hope never skipped his daily two-mile walk — a habit inherited from his grandfather, who reportedly walked to the pub daily until 96. USO tours kept him on the road and physically active well into his 80s, decades longer than most performers last.
George Burns: Work Until the End
Burns avoided stress as a rule. Forty-five minutes of light exercise, a brisk walk, and a career he refused to quit — that was his formula. He kept performing and writing into his late 90s, including authoring How to Live to Be 100 Or More, and famously joked that his doctor had died years before he did.
Olivia de Havilland: The “Three L’s”
De Havilland credited “Love, Laughter, and Learning” for her 104 years. She did the daily crossword without fail and lived in Paris long after she stopped acting, staying intellectually engaged the whole time. The crossword habit has scientific backing: a 2022 study in NEJM Evidence found that regular puzzle practice improved cognitive performance in adults with mild cognitive impairment.
Kirk Douglas: Recovery and Purpose
Douglas survived a serious stroke at 79, then spent the next 24 years writing books, mentoring younger actors, and staying close to family. In his books, he pointed to humor and service as the antidotes to depression in old age.
Jimmy Carter: A Life of Service
After leaving the White House, Carter and Rosalynn built homes with Habitat for Humanity and led disease-eradication campaigns in Africa — physically demanding work he continued into his 90s. Purpose and partnership, he said, mattered more than any diet or exercise routine.
Norman Lear: Never Retire
Lear kept producing TV into his late 90s. His reason was blunt: he loved the work. Research in Preventing Chronic Disease found that people who keep working past 65 report good health roughly three times more often than early retirees — Lear fits the data almost perfectly.
The Queen Mother: Joy Over Discipline
The Queen Mother kept a famously cheerful disposition, enjoyed horse racing, and never let rigid health rules govern her life. Her take on the subject: why spend your whole life “doing everything you were supposed to do” only to get hit by a bus — a wry nod to the fact that constant health anxiety isn’t the same as actual health.
David Attenborough: Stillness in Nature
At 100, Attenborough keeps returning to one piece of advice: sit quietly outdoors. A 2019 research review found measurable links between time in nature and greater happiness, lower mental distress, and a stronger sense of purpose — the same qualities Attenborough has spent a century showing the rest of us.
What the Pattern Actually Shows
Taken together, these lives don’t point to one diet or one workout. They point to five repeating habits:
- Movement that never stopped — daily walking, dancing, or simply staying on their feet, not intense training.
- A mind kept active — crosswords, writing, producing, or learning something new, deep into old age.
- Strong relationships — long marriages, close family ties, or tight friendships that prevented isolation.
- Ongoing purpose — work they loved and refused to abandon, even past 90.
- A light touch with stress — humor, low health anxiety, and not treating every habit as a moral test.
None of it required a strict diet or an unusual supplement. It required staying engaged with life.
FAQs
What actor lived to be 100 years old?
George Burns, Bob Hope, Gloria Stuart, and Hal Roach all died at exactly 100. Others — Kirk Douglas (103), Olivia de Havilland (104), and Norman Lloyd (106) — pushed well past it.
Which actress lived the longest?
Olivia de Havilland’s 104 years ranks among the longest documented spans for a well-known Hollywood actress, though several lesser-known centenarians lived slightly longer.
Is Dick Van Dyke still alive in 2026?
Yes. Van Dyke turned 100 in December 2025 and remains active, despite a death hoax and an on-air mix-up that briefly circulated in 2026.
Who is the oldest living Oscar winner?
Eva Marie Saint, who won Best Supporting Actress for On the Waterfront in 1955, is currently the oldest living Academy Award winner.
Which celebrities turn 100 in 2026?
David Attenborough turned 100 on May 8, 2026. Mel Brooks turns 100 on June 28, 2026. Film critic Gene Shalit also reached the milestone this year.
Did Betty White almost reach 100?
Yes. She died on December 31, 2021, just over two weeks before what would have been her 100th birthday on January 17, 2022.
What’s the actual secret to living to 100?
There isn’t one. The common threads across this list are physical activity, mental engagement, close relationships, a sense of purpose, and a light relationship with stress — not any specific diet or supplement.
How many actors have lived past 100?
Wikipedia’s dedicated list of centenarian actors, filmmakers, and entertainers documents well over 150 names once international and lesser-known performers are included — far more than most people assume.
The Bottom Line
The answer to “what actor lived to be 100 years old” isn’t a single name — it’s dozens of them: silent film stars, sitcom legends, Broadway veterans, and the public figures who orbited their world. What connects nearly all of them is the same set of habits — staying active, staying curious, staying close to the people they loved, and refusing to stop working. No supplement, no regimen. Just a full life, lived to the end.
