That all-important number: making it to 100 is an achievement in itself, but for these celebrities it’s just one in a long list of impressive feats. From star shot-putters and Oscar record-setters to producers and magicians, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding the elixir of life.
But for our round up of celebrated centenarians, a passion for performance or a contented retirement seems to have gone a long way. Ahead of David Attenborough’s century celebrations in May, join Hello! as we look at the famous faces who welcomed in their 100th year.
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Bruce won silver as a star shot-putter and found similar success on-screen
Bruce Bennett – 100
Olympic athlete, leading man and centenarian? Bruce Bennett, real name Harold Brix, did it all. Born in 1906, Bruce competed in the 1928 Olympics, winning a silver medal with his shot-putting skills. Seven years later, he was starring in The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935) and again as a Tarzan-like figure in Hawk of the Wilderness (1938). The actor then changed his name to Bruce Bennett, starring in features like crime drama Mildred Pierce (1945) and Sahara (1943) alongside Humphrey Bogart.
He retired from show business in 1960, transitioning into a role as sales manager at a vending machine company. The actor passed at the age of 100 in 2007. His wife, Jeanette, died 7 years prior. The couple were survived by their two children.
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Kirk Douglas is perhaps best known for his role as famous artist Vincent van Gogh
Kirk Douglas – 103
The Spartacus star rose to fame from decidedly humble beginnings, the son of Jewish immigrants from modern Belarus, he and his family survived on the small wage his father made as a ragman in New York. A high-school acting talent won Kirk a scholarship for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Starring opposite Barbara Stanwick in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) was a wonderful first step onto the walk of fame, followed by a role supporting Burt Lancaster in I Walk Alone (1947) that led to 7 roles with the actor between 1948 and 1986.
A low-paying but ultimately rewarding role in indie flick Champion (1949) showed the actor’s powerful presence on-screen and 7 years later he took on his most praised performance as Vincent van Gogh in 1956’s Lust for Life. He had two children with his first wife, fellow actress Diana Dill and two with second wife Anne Buydens, who he remained married to until his death in 2020. All four of his children have followed him into the entertainment industry.
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Luise Rainer was the first movie star to win back-to-back Academy Awards
Luise Rainer – 104
Luise Rainer made history when she became the first film star to win an Academy Award for best actress two years running for the 1936 feature The Great Ziegfeld and the following year’s The Good Earth. Her long life and star-power built Luise into a legendary figure: the actress counted Albert Einstein among her friends, frequently cameos in Anaïs Nin’s diary as a figure of fascination and was the lover of German playwright Ernst Toller. She began acting at 16 and was scouted by MGM in 1934. Luise arrived in Hollywood in 1935 and her first film, Escapade (1935), transformed her into a star.
She left stardom behind 10 years later, retreating with husband Robert Knittel, with whom she had daughter Francesca, to a life of travel and a happy home in Switzerland. She occasionally dipped her toe back into acting and in 1997, she returned to the big screen for the first time in over 50 years in Dostoyevsky-based feature, The Gambler. The actress passed away in 2014 at the age of 104.
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Bob Hope started out with small vaudeville shows and went on to star alongside Bing Crosby
Bob Hope – 100
Comedian and centenarian, Bob Hope moved to the US from Eltham, England with his parents and six siblings in 1908. Then going by his birth name Leslie Townes Hope, the comedian got his start on the stage in small-time vaudeville shows in Ohio. His first feature appearance came on The Big Broadcast of 1938 and was followed by starring roles, leading to a performance in The Road to Singapore (1940) alongside Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.
The series of Road movies built his reputation as a movie star and a sweet on-screen chemistry with Bing. The four-time honorary Academy Award winner was also recognised with an award for his humanitarian work by the Academy in 1960. The comedian was married to wife Dolores Hope for almost 70 years and they raised four children together. Bob died of pneumonia in California in 2003 at the age of 100.
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George Burns found fame alongside wife Gracie Allen
George Burns – 100
One of 11 siblings, George Burns, born Nathan Birnbaum, found success as a vaudeville star when he teamed up with comedian Gracie Allen. The two married in 1926 and debuted on The Big Broadcast in 1932 after a few short films. The duo were arguably most-known for their radio show where the couple played boyfriend and girlfriend, later evolving into husband and wife roles, with Gracie (at first) taking on the role of “straight man” until the audience fell for her comedic anecdotes and the pair swapped roles.
George was briefly married to his previous dance partner Hannah Siegel as a condition imposed by Hannah’s parents on their agreeing to the duo heading on a 26-week tour. 26 weeks later, they separated. His marriage to Gracie lasted until her death in 1964 and the couple had 2 children together. George Burns passed away in his sleep on 9 March 1996 at 100, seven weeks after his 100th birthday.
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John Calvert wove his magic on and off screen, performing magic until weeks before his death
John Calvert – 102
John Calvert was born for the stage – well, close enough. He performed his first magic show at just 8 years old and headed off on tour 10 years later. His 80-year career included working as an actor, writer, producer and director of 1956 feature Dark Venture as well as three movie credits in Devil’s Cargo (1948), Appointment With Murder (1948) and Search for Danger (1949) as celebrity sleuth The Falcon.
He performed at the London Palladium at the age of 100 and continued performing until weeks before his death in 2013. His wife of over 50 years, Tammy, assisted him. When asked how he lived so long, the magician said to the Oakland Tribune: “Every morning when I wake up, I say, ‘The world is my stage, I’m an actor and I’m going to play the part of a young man all day long.’”