15 Stars Who Are Totally Comfortable With Aging

Find out how these stars feel about getting older…

1. Beyoncé

When Beyoncé turned 40, she penned a poignant message about what she'd learned ahead of entering a new decade of her life. She shared that she was actually more joyful than ever and felt that she was at her best -- despite society telling her that aging was a negative thing.

"This is the first year that I really understand what it means to be alive and to live in the moment. It's the first time that I have an understanding of how fragile life truly is, how hard life can be at times, and therefore how important it is to stop and smell the roses during the good times. I thought I knew that at 21 or 30...but I didn't," she wrote on her official website.

She continued, "The more mature I become, the more I understand and the deeper my joy grows...I'm finally giving myself permission to enjoy the seeds I've worked so hard to plant my whole life. Whoever tried to condition women to feel that we are supposed to feel old or unhappy when we turn 40 got it ALL THE WAY F'd UP. It has absolutely been the best I've felt in my life. I'm so grateful to be GROWN, GROWN!"

2. Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is now in her 40s, and admits she's enjoying her age much more than when she was in her 20s. The actress and entrepreneur says that she's much more experienced and wiser at this age and feels more comfortable in her opinions.

"I have a point of view because I've been on this planet for 43 years, and I didn't feel that same way when I was 25. I didn't have the same things to say. I'm 43 and I've had a whole bunch of experiences, and I can speak with a thoughtfulness about the changes I'd like to see in the world," she told Allure. "I just feel like I earned that gray hair and my fine lines. I like 'em. I so prefer 43 to 25."

3. Angelina Jolie

Now that Angelina Jolie is in her late 40s, she says she looks in the mirror and sees her mother -- which brings her a great sense of comfort. To her, aging means she's alive, even if it does include some flaws.

"I look in the mirror and I see that I look like my mother, and that warms me. I also see myself aging, and I love it because it means I'm alive -- I'm living and getting older. Don't love having a random dark spot from a pregnancy, sure. I see my flaws. But what I see that I like isn't about a structure or an appearance. It's more that I see my family in my face. I see my age," she told InStyle.

4. Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is totally okay with aging, even if certain things may have been easier for her when she was younger. She says she much prefers the wisdom she has at 40 than anything she could do in her 20s.

"I feel more in charge of my life and happier than I've ever felt, and that's because of wisdom, and how I've evolved as a person. Did I have an easier time getting in shape and a better bathing-suit body in my 20s? Sure, but if I weigh all that against the wisdom I have now that I'm 40, there's no comparison. I'm loving it and I'm wearing it like a badge of honor," she shared with NewBeauty.

5. Eva Mendes

When a social media troll called out Eva Mendes for "getting old" on an Instagram post in 2020, she clapped back with the perfect response. She said that while she was getting older, she was just grateful to be alive and living her life.

"Yes your [sic] right. Thank God I'm getting old. That means I'm still here. I'm gonna be 46 soon and grateful everyday that I'm aging. Was your comment suppose to make me feel bad? It didn't. It makes me feel grateful. So thank you for the reminder that I'm still here," Eva commented on the post.

6. Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow is now in her 50s, but several years back, she opened up about how much she enjoyed being in her 40s. She explained that in her new decade, she felt incredibly free and stopped caring what others thought of her.

"I am no longer in my 20s and 30s, I am 46 and I love being in my 40s. I think there is this incredible freedom that comes with a woman in her 40s and understanding that this is who I am and I've stopped worrying so much about what people think of me," Gwyneth said during a SXSW panel in 2019.

7. Tracee Ellis Ross

The older Tracee Ellis Ross gets, the more comfortable she is with herself. Looking back, Tracee says she's much happier now and would never choose to go back to her younger days.

"Well, I personally have always loved getting older, like genuinely, I think it's an honor to get older. Not everybody gets to get older, and I'm not sure why we don't look at it that way," NPR’s It's Been a Minute podcast. "I know we are obsessed with youth. I would not go back if you paid me. Sure, my skin was tighter. Sure, my legs held muscle in a different way. But, I am so much more comfortable in my skin."

8. Brooke Shields

For Brooke Shields, entering her 50s was like a new beginning for her. While discussing getting older, Brooke shared that she wants people to know that there's no shame in aging and that there's still more to come in life.

"I don't think there's any shame in being afraid of doing new things. There's no shame in being older and getting older. There's a sense of pride I think that comes with it, but I don't want to wait for that pride to have to look like ancient wisdom. You know, I'm not stopping a thing I love doing," Brooke told NPR.

She continued, "Yes, I'm limited in a lot of the physical activity, but I'm still going. I'm still taking on new jobs. There is still more to come. And this is all a part of it. So I want that message to be out there, because I want, especially women over a certain age in their 50s, to feel like they are at a new beginning. You know, just because their ovaries are not producing babies anymore, are they supposedly not as important or not as valuable? I don't believe so."

9. Taraji P. Henson

As Taraji P. Henson gets older, she wants other women to know that you're never too old to be sexy. She says that she hasn't let other people dictate how she feels about herself and will continue to live her life, no matter what other people have to say.

"I want to be the representation for women that your sexy never dies 'till you're in the box. I decided that I wasn't going to allow the world, men, or this industry to dictate how I live my life and how I age. '’m going to turn 50 just like I turned 30, except you know, my knees are a little different. I'm not going to buy into my career is over, or, life for me is over, or sexy is over, or I shouldn't wear this. I'm going to do what I feel," she said during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

10. Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy was totally content when she turned 40. After entering the new decade of life, Melissa says she now knows herself better than she ever has and no longer has concerns about what other people think of her.

"Being in my 40s is such a great relief. I know myself better than I ever have. I don't worry about what the perception is. There's always going to be people that don't like something you’re doing. As you get older, you can step into that and not be worrying about it," she shared with TODAY Style in 2018.

11. Sandra Oh

Sandra Oh says she gets more and more confident the older she gets. During a photoshoot for InStyle where she was asked to wear a mirrored sequined Gucci dress, Sandra explained that she felt that she could rock it better now than when she was younger.

"I was more insecure when I was 20 than I am at 47. At 47 it's like, 'You need me to put on a crazy dress with mirrors? Yeah, sure. I'm going to work the s--t out of this!' I don't know what I'm doing. It's like, you give less f---s. Aging is the greatest. It really gives you more space to be that person in the mirrored dress who has always been inside," she told the outlet.

12. Elizabeth Banks

While Elizabeth Banks knows that society can be obsessed with being young and beautiful, she says that getting older is a "privilege." Reflecting on aging, Elizabeth admitted that she'd rather get older than any alternative.

"We live in a society that loves and values youth and beauty. I get it. I love looking at beautiful young people too. I like to remind people, you're never going to look as good as you do today, right now, because aging is a privilege. It's better than the alternative, right? You want to age, trust me," Elizabeth told People.

13. Connie Britton

Ahead of turning 50, Connie Britton shared that she was excited to enter a new decade. She shared that while there has always been a stigma about aging, she now knows that you can still be whoever you want to be, no matter what age you are.

"People tell me the 50s are the best time -- I'm ready. That whole stigma of being over 40 and not being sexy anymore is fake news. We're more vibrant because we have experience, we know our bodies," Connie told Good Housekeeping. "I have a friend who says that you always want to make sure it's your life that you're living -- it's a constant mantra."

14. Katherine Heigl

When Katherine Heigl turned 40, she penned a heartfelt message about getting older. She expressed that she was actually excited to enter a new decade, and after spending years working on "evolving" her mind and spirit, she was ready to embrace it all.

Well… I am officially 40 years old. I know you're going [to] think I'm full of it but the truth is… I'm pretty damn thrilled to be 40," Katherine wrote on Instagram. "40 feels to me like a certain kind of freedom. Freedom from all the self doubt, insecurities, self loathing, uncertainties and anxieties of my 20s and 30s. Not to say I don't still have those moments but I just feel like 40 makes me older and wiser. Steadier in my convictions. More certain of my strengths. More forgiving of my faults."

She continued, "For myself and those I love. I know there's a certain stigma attached to 40. I've had plenty of well meaning acquaintances and even strangers tell me not to worry I still look great. Or soon you'll be 50 and then you'll really feel old. Or youth is so fleeting isn't it. I guess I kind of feel like it's all about your frame of mind. And I've made up my mind not to let a number determine how I feel about the way I look. Or what my value as a woman in society is."

15. Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren says she isn't aiming to age gracefully as she gets older. Instead, she'd much rather roll with the punches and live large no matter what other people have to say. Now that she's in her 70s, Helen says she's exactly where she's supposed to be and wouldn't want to be any other age.

"It's much better to age disgracefully!" Helen told Vogue. "Take it on the chin, and roll with it. You die young, or you get older. There is nothing in between! You may as well enjoy it."

She continued, "My mother once said, 'Never worry about getting older. I know the thought of you being 45 when you're 25 is, Oh, my god! Who wants to be 45? But it's amazing because when you get to be 45, you'll realize it's actually very cool and you don't want to be 25 again.' And I have to say, she was absolutely right. With every age comes advantages and disadvantages. And you tend to find that you don't want to go back. You want to be exactly where you are with everything you've experienced."