Entertainment

As Dame Vera Lynn turns 100, meet the other stars who lived to the age

The celebrities you never knew made it to at least 100 years old.
The celebrities you never knew made it to at least 100 years old. The celebrities you never knew made it to at least 100 years old.

As Forces’ Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn celebrates her 100th birthday on Monday, here are some more celebrity centenarians.

Kirk Douglas – born December 9 1916

Kirk Douglas.
Kirk Douglas.
Kirk Douglas (PA)

The Spartacus star celebrated the landmark with his family in December. His first movie role was as Walter O’Neil in The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers (1946) and he worked consistently as an actor, producer and director until his appearance as Jim Kovalski in Empire State Building Murders in 2008.

Olivia de Havilland – born July 1 1916

Olivia de Havilland.
Olivia de Havilland.
Olivia de Havilland (PA)

Born in Japan to British parents, she first appeared on the big screen in 1935 as Dolly Stevens in Alibi Ike. She made a number of television appearances and often worked on several movie titles a year until her last TV movie role as Aunt Bessie Merryman in The Woman He Loved (1988).

Connie Sawyer – born November 27 1912

Now 104 years old, the American actress played Mrs Sullivan in the TV series Ray Donovan from 2013-2014. Winding down a career of more than 60 years, she played “the oldest woman in the world” in the TV comedy New Girl in 2014.Norman Lloyd – born November 8 1914

Well-known for being an actor as well as a producer and director, American star Lloyd – whose career has spanned nine decades – has been a familiar face in recent years with appearances in comedy series Modern Family and comedy film Trainwreck.

Patricia Morison – born March 19 1915

Now retired, Morison was a film actress who also appeared on the stage and enjoyed a career as a singer. She is best-known for starring in the original production of Kiss Me Kate on Broadway in the 1940s.Ellen Albertini Dow – born November 16 1913 – died May 4 2015

The American actress, who had numerous TV and film roles across her career, lived to 101. One of her most memorable roles was in 1998 comedy film The Wedding Singer as Rosie, the rapping grandmother. Dow also featured in 2005 movie Wedding Crashers and had several guest appearances on TV sitcom The Golden Girls.

Luise Rainer – born January 12 1910 – died December 30 2014

Luise Rainer.
Luise Rainer.
Luise Rainer (Ian West/PA)

The German and American film star lived to 104, and had enjoyed an acting career from the age of 16. Rainer’s credits include roles in films The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937), for which she won two consecutive best actress Academy Awards. After these two successes, she quit Hollywood and went on to have a stage career.