At 41, movie star Cameron Diaz is fit, active, successful and gorgeous. But that hasn’t stopped the star speaking out about ageism and revealing to Oprah that even she has felt like a “failure” for not looking younger than her years.
“Women don’t allow other women to age gracefully,” says Diaz. “And we don’t give ourselves permission to age gracefully.”
The actress turned author was on an OWN TV special about ageing to promote her new book, The Body Book. Cam spoke about society’s “crazy” obsession with youth and the pressure it puts on women to want to defy nature.
“For me I feel like if I – it’s almost as if we have failed if we don’t remain 25 for the rest of our lives. Like we are failures. It’s a personal … failure. Like our fault that at 40 years old that I still don’t look like I’m 25,” Cameron told the talk show queen.
The blonde beauty is one celebrity who seems committed to allowing nature take its course but she’s not the only one. While they may be among the minority, here are 10 stars in Hollywood who have decided go au naturale and not go under the knife.
“Women don’t allow other women to age gracefully,” Cameron Diaz tells Oprah. “And we don’t give ourselves permission to age gracefully.”
While her on screen Sex and the City character Samantha Jones would have jumped at the chance to get a facelift, Kim Cattrall, 57, says she’s choosing to shun surgery. “In my life and career I want to embrace ageing because I think that’s what’s interesting,” says Kim.
Diane Keaton, 68, has been the face of L’Oreal for years yet has said no to plastic surgery and in doing so Keaton has become the poster girl for women gracefully embracing their natural beauty.
British actress Helen Mirren might be 68 but the star is as radiant and beautiful as ever with no signs of surgery.
Veteran actress Meryl Streep, 64, says she’s never favoured looks over talent and opting for surgery in her line of work might have put her out of a job. “I didn’t have any confidence in my beauty when I was young,” she once said. “I felt like a character actress, and I still do.”
Halle Berry looks much younger than her 47 years but that could all be down to the actress’ healthy diet and exercise.
Jane Seymour, 63, has admitted to trying Botox and hating it. Since then the actress has sworn to age gracefully: “I’ve chosen to let my wrinkles express their feelings,” she said. “I play characters that need to have a face that moves!”
Cate Blanchett, 44, might be the face of cosmetics brand SK-II but the Oscar winner says for her, surgery is a no-go; “I’m not sitting on a soapbox telling women what they should and shouldn’t do … I just know what works for me. I’d just be too frightened about what it means long-term.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, 48, says that people are crazy trying to fight the aging process: “It’s like those flowers that wilt in front of you in time-lapse films. But what can I possibly do? Look like a lunatic?”
While some might expect the supermodels of the 90s to age well, Christy Turlington has managed to top the class. The 43-year-old is a huge fan of yoga the years spent taking care of her skin and body have paid off.