To Angela Bassett, her age is just a number.
The 67-year-old actress — who lands in the No. 1 spot on AARP’s Movies for Grownups list of the 25 Most Fabulous Women Over 50 — opened up to the platform about her philosophy on aging gracefully.
“I don’t allow age to impose some limit on me,” she said in a clip, adding, “Half the time I forget how old I am.”
The “9-1-1” star admitted that even around her birthday in August, while she’s excited to usher in another “birthday season,” she still occasionally needs a reminder of just how many years she’s clocked.
“Plenty enough of people will remind you,” she teased.
In general, her approach to aging well is simple: “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep loving life, embracing it. And just know that the best is yet to come. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
Bassett — who has been a Hollywood mainstay since the mid-1980s — is married to fellow actor Courtney B. Vance, with whom she shares 19-year-old twins, daughter Bronwyn, and son Slater. For decades, she’s been praised for her talent, longevity, and seemingly ageless appearance, captivating audiences across generations.
She joins fellow Hollywood icons Viola Davis, Halle Berry, Octavia Spencer, Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Yeoh, and more on this year’s list.
“We created this list to spotlight women who are not just excelling in Hollywood, they are redefining it,” Alison Maxwell, senior executive editor of AARP.org, said in a press release, per People magazine. “These powerhouse talents continue to take creative risks, deliver unforgettable performances and are showing the world that growing older is not something to hide, it’s something to embrace.”
And Bassett—at an age when many begin scaling back or eyeing retirement—remains as booked and busy as ever.
“They say if you love what you do, you never work a day. I’m absolutely still loving what I do. It’s keeping me vibrant and out there,” she said in the clip.
Ultimately, she added, “A great part of it is your attitude. Just your attitude, how you look at life. And I have a very positive one.”
Over the years, Bassett has spoken openly about aging in an industry that historically gives actors and actresses a strict shelf life.
“In Hollywood, there was a time when people believed that once an actress turns 40, it’s over,” she told InStyle in a previous interview.
“But no, those things that make us who we are—our sensuality, sexuality, compassion, and intelligence—that doesn’t come to an end,” she continued. “It deepens and ripens, you know? It’s all in the attitude.”
