Age is sometimes a curious illusion in the celebrity world. For instance, some stars, despite being at similar ages, exhibit striking differences in their physical appearances as they progress through life.

Whether due to varying lifestyles, genetics, or personal choices, these celebrities show that people can age differently even when they are at similar ages in their lifetime.

By focusing solely on physical appearance, we take a close look at how celebrities can look so different over time, as much as they were at a similar ages in their life.

Helen Mirren and Gwen Stefani at 54

Helen Mirren, 78, has been vocal about aging in Hollywood, especially her rejection of the term anti-aging. “Anti-ageing pisses me off so much! Whether you’re 25 or 45, you look great for who you are – not for how old you are,” she declared.

The movie star also doesn’t subscribe to beauty standards in the entertainment industry. She expressed her disregard for adhering to any rules, noting that she loves makeup and appreciates how mascara could alter her appearance, a trait she attributed to her acting profession.

Helen enjoys wearing unconventional attire and allowing her hair to remain natural, rather than feeling obligated to style it constantly. “I grew my hair long deliberately because I knew that was deemed inappropriate as you get older,” she explained.

On the contrary, Gwen Stefani, 54, has her own approach towards aging and beauty. The singer still looks stunning even as she ages. Dr. Mark Solomos, a plastic surgeon, agreed that “Gwen Stefani looks amazing at 54.”

Mark elaborated that Gwen had indeed succeeded in preserving her natural beauty. He speculated that while genetics and lifestyle choices played a significant role, it was probable that she had also undergone some skin treatments.

Mark added that for one to have youthful and healthy skin as they age, they must prioritize sleep, water, and nutrients. “Aside from looking younger than her years, more importantly, Gwen looks healthy and that is most likely due to the fact she has a healthy diet and exercise regime, sleeps well, and has an overall healthy lifestyle,” said Mark.

Gwen Stefani has also chimed in about how she has aged well, expressing that as she’s gotten older, the desire to feel attractive and confident remained prevalent. She emphasized the importance of feeling good and energized each morning as much as it gets harder for people her age.

The singer, who still does her own makeup for concerts also shared that with makeup, it does not matter the age one is as the glam gives them confidence and a feeling of creativity. She also attributes her youthfulness to finding love and happiness in her personal and professional life.

Helen and Gwen have distinct approaches to beauty and aging, potentially contributing to the differences in their physical appearance at similar ages.

Gwen adheres to a disciplined health routine and undergoes skin treatments, resulting in a younger appearance compared to Helen, who embraces aging naturally and natural looks, reflecting a more mature appearance.

Audrey Hepburn and Jessica Simpson at 37

British actress Audrey Hepburn died aged 63. She embraced her wrinkles as she aged and according to her granddaughter, Emma Ferrer, Audrey never once thought of undergoing plastic surgery.

Audrey’s wrinkles were a symbol of age, experience, and wisdom. One time, she was asked to choose a beloved photo for a special the American Photo magazine was doing on celebrities and their favorite photo of themselves.

Audrey chose a photo of her with a child on her back on one of her UNICEF missions. The photo, which was taken by John Isaacs, a photographer for the United Nations and National Geographic, showed the wrinkles on her face.

So, John called the actress asking if they should do some Photoshop due to the wrinkles but Audrey replied, “Don’t you dare touch any one of those wrinkles, I earned every single one of them.”

Unlike Audrey, Jessica Simpson, 43, uses cosmetic surgery to change her physical appearance. She once shared a video on Instagram, showing herself undergoing a non-invasive facelift, which removes signs of aging on her face and neck.

At 37, Audrey had subtle signs of aging such as loose skin around her jawline and wrinkles on her face and eyes. As for Jessica, cosmetic surgery helped her have smooth skin at 37 by removing sagging brows and forehead and cheek wrinkles, thus creating a younger look on her face compared to that of Audrey.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Megan Fox in Their 30s

Jamie Lee Curtis, 65, is not shy when it comes to talking about aging and does not want to hide from it. However, she is not a fan of the word, anti-aging.

“This word ‘anti-aging’ has to be struck. I am pro-aging. I want to age with intelligence, and grace, and dignity, and verve, and energy,” she divulged.

The actress is also against the Hollywood culture that pushes women to appear young no matter the cost. She understands the stigma that comes with aging but advises young women to avoid undergoing cosmetic work. “Don’t mess with your face,” she insists.

On the other hand, Megan Fox, 37, argues that there is a stigma directed towards women who have embraced plastic surgery. She explained that sometimes she goes through her comments and finds people vilifying her use of cosmetic work, calling her “plastic.”

Still, Megan insisted that she has not undergone a facelift, threads, buccal fat removal, liposuction, body contouring, and Brazillian butt life, as some people suggest. However, she has had a boob job done thrice since she turned 21.

Jamie and Megan’s different approaches to aging are evident in their physical appearance at the same age. While Jamie’s face and body look mature, Megan appears to be in her 20s as her face has no sign of wrinkles and the rest of her body looks firm thanks to her boob job.

Judi Dench and Jennifer Lopez at 54

Judi Dench is in her late 80s but even when she turned 88 she declared that her views on aging were non-existent. “I have no attitude to it; I don’t want to even think about it,” said the 89-year-old.

In contrast, Jennifer Lopez, 54, has a lot to say about beauty and aging. “People have realized that women just get sexier as they get older. They get more learned and more rich with character,” the actress pointed out.

According to Jennifer, this enrichment is beautiful and attractive not only physically but also on the inside as when older women gain beauty, they also accumulate wisdom. The actress also doesn’t see aging as an obstacle because she intends to create whatever she wants even in her 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Jennifer Lopez’s mindset does not allow her to let anyone put her in a box just because of her age or where she was born. “Those boundaries don’t exist for me,” she added.

Jennifer and Judi showcase that women in Hollywood do not let age bother or deter them. The two only look slightly different at the same age of 54 as Judi’s facial features show more pronounced wrinkles and less defined cheekbones compared to Jennifer, whose lips, eyes, and cheeks exude a youthful softness.

Sophia Loren and Courteney Cox at 59

Sophia Loren, 89, faced criticisms about her appearance from the moment she was a rising star. She recalled being told by her late husband Carlo Ponti, that one of the photographers said during one of her photoshoots that her nose was too long and that maybe, she could have it fixed a little bit.

The actress replied, “Listen, I don’t want to touch nothing on my face because I like my face. If I have to change my nose, I am going back to Pozzuoli.” The trendy thing at that time was for actresses to have a French nose with a tiny tip at the end but Sophia refused to change her body.

Sophia is comfortable with how she looks and tries always not to listen to other people’s opinions about her appearance. Meanwhile, Courteney Cox, 59, changed her appearance using plastic surgery several times and did not realize how much impact it had on her look until a friend exclaimed, “Whoa, no more!”

The actress narrated how it all started, “Well, what would end up happening is that you go to a doctor who would say, ‘You look great, but what would help is a little injection here or filler there.’”

Courteney Cox would meet people who would recommend her to other doctors and she would have a procedure done until in the end, she noted that she was “layered and layered and layered.”

After realizing that her appearance had changed too much, the actress had all her fillers dissolved and now she is as natural as one can be. “I feel better because I look like myself. I think that I now look more like the person that I was. I hope I do,” she revealed.

Due to the work, she did on her face, Courteney’s appearance at 59 was different from that of Sophia at the same age. Unlike Sophia, Courteney has less visible necklines, wrinkles, scrunches on the sides of her eyes, and saggy cheekbones.

The only lines visible on the “Friends” star face are those that appear when she smiles. Otherwise, her eyes, cheeks, lips, and neck have the look of a person yet to hit her 50s.

Ali MacGraw and Nicole Kidman at 56

Ali McGraw, 85, shared that as she grew older, she learned to ask for exactly what she wanted in the entertainment industry. As a young actress, she was a people pleaser but with aging came authenticity and realness, which she wholeheartedly embraced.

The actress has also come to terms with the changes that come with aging, making it very easy for her to admit her age. She admitted that she once considered plastic surgery, adding that the procedures can be a terrific thing for a person to do if it makes them feel better about themselves.

However, Ali has a balanced system that works for her, ensuring she embraces her age and all that comes with it. In contrast, Nicole Kidman, 56. Shared that ageism in Hollywood impacted her when she grew older.

Her age changed how she was being treated in the entertainment industry as older actresses often get turned away from more roles. ” There’s a consensus in the industry that as a female actor, at about 40, you’re done,” divulged Nicole.

However, Nicole Kidman has never directly been told that her age has impacted the kind of roles she gets. Still, she has had doors shut down on her as she was turned down due to aging.

Both Nicole and Ali admit that aging is a significant negative factor in Hollywood. However, the actress looked different at 56 with the necklines and wrinkles on the eyes and cheeks being more pronounced on Ali than on Nicole. Unlike Ali, Nicole has a raised cheekbones and barely visible wrinkles on her face.

Brigitte Bardot and Ashley Judd at 55

Brigitte Bardot never played by the Hollywood rules, she set her own, embracing sexual freedom and now aging. The 89-year-old has remained an icon never resorting to plastic surgery as she aged.

Brigitte is described as a woman who is not afraid of looking at herself in the mirror because she faces ageism with courage, acceptance, and self-confidence.

Ashley Judd, 56, has similar opinions to Brigitte about body image. In 2021, she emphasized the importance of healthy self-esteem, boundaries, and self-awareness when faced with public scrutiny of her appearance on Twitter, now X.

She linked the criticism of her weight gain and appearance to misogyny and revealed her struggle with chronic migraine as well as gaining weight due to medical restrictions.

Ashley finds peace with herself despite external judgment. She embraced liberation in wellness and activism, prioritizing inner peace over societal approval.

Despite sharing similar values, Ashley and Brigitte’s appearances differed at 55. Ashley looked younger than her actual age, with smooth and taunt skin, glowing eyes, and chubby and high cheekbones.

However, Brigitte looked like a woman in her 50s aging naturally with wrinkles on her face, lines on her neck, and eyes with faded hues.

Loretta Lynn and Demi Moore in Their 60s

Loretta Lynn passed away aged 90 on October 4, 2022. She was not vocal about her age or aging. The singer had instructed her spokeswoman, Nancy Rusell that, “If anyone asks how old I am, tell them it’s none of their business.”

On the other hand, Demi Moore, 61, found that embracing her age was liberating. The actress is no longer defined by a number but by her life experience.

She explained, “When I think of my grandmother at 60, she in a way seemed to be already resigned to being old. But I feel, in so many ways, more alive and present than ever.”

Demi is also not afraid of donning a great-fitting bikini, arguing that women of all ages should break outdated rules on what they should or should not wear. Her focus is to change the idea that women become less desirable as they get older. “We don’t want to look matronly or not feel sexy,” she stated.

Loretta and Demi displayed contrasting appearances in their 60s. Loretta embraced the natural aging process, evident in the wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks, lending her a mature air.

Meanwhile, Demi exhibited smooth and taut skin in the same age bracket, with a softness to her facial features that Loretta lacked.

In examining these celebrities, it’s evident that their varied approaches to aging, including the use of plastic surgery and skincare routines, result in distinct appearances at the same age.

From embracing natural beauty to opting for cosmetic enhancements, each star’s journey highlights the profound impact of personal choices on the aging process. Ultimately, their diverse paths remind people that beauty transcends age and that individuality shines brightest when embraced authentically.