Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake rose to fame rather early. After all, he’s one of the members of The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. Later, he came to fame with NSYNC and he’s garnered a lot of attention for his solo career as well.
The start was 35 years old in 2016, making him 41 years old now. In 2016, he took on a lead role in the animated movie Trolls and released the single “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
Julie Andrews
Born October 1st, Julie Andrews recently celebrated her 87th birthday. The star is well-loved for a number of roles. Her most famous pieces include The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and The Princess Diaries.
The star was 35 years old in 1970. In that year, she was in Darling Lili as Lili. This was five years after the star made her appearance in The Sound of Music and six years after Mary Poppins.
Denzel Washington
Actor Denzel Washington was born in 1954. That makes him 67 years old today, very nearly doubling his age since he was 35 years old. This means he was 35 years old in 1989, which actually was a big year for the actor.
That year, he appeared in a few movies but won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory. He also appeared in the movies A Soldier’s Story and The Mighty Quinn.
Cher
Cher has definitely made her mark as a celebrity and she’s still going strong. The 76-year-old singer has been performing since 1963. Cher was born in 1946, meaning she was 35 only a year into the 1980s.
This was a year before she would release her album, I Paralyze. However, fans could catch her on her Take Me Home Tour in 1981 while they waited for the new album. 1981 was also the year she released Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt rose to fame rather quickly in Hollywood. From Thelma & Louise to Bullet Train, the actor has quite a filmography. Today, Pitt is 58 years old and was 35 in 1998.
By this point, the star’s career had already taken off but he still had some heavy-hitting titles to come. He made one movie that year, starring in the film Meet Joe Black before shooting Fight Club the next year. The actor also appeared on the comedy show Saturday Night Live in 1998.
Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox became a household name for her tenure as Monica in Friends but she’s done many projects, both in front of and behind the camera. Cox was born in 1964, making her 58 years old today and 35 years old in 1999.
This wasn’t a bad year for Cox at all! For one, it’s in the middle of the run of Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004. She also appeared in The Runner and in 1999, she’d return as Gale Weathers for Scream 2.
Nicolas Cage
Interestingly, just like Courteney Cox, Nicolas Cage was also born in 1964, meaning he’s 58 years old today and was 35 back in 1999. Cage was pretty busy in 1999. He took on both the role of Tom Welles in 8mm and then Frank Pierce in Bringing Out the Dead.
That year he also won Favorite Actor twice at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for his 1998 roles in City of Angels and Snake Eyes. He also won the MTV Movie and TV Awards for Best On-Screen Duo for his role in City of Angels in ’99.
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren has definitely made her mark in acting at this point. There are few people who don’t recognize the 77-year-old. Her career started in 1965 and she was 35 in 1980, so she already had some experience under her belt by then.
She’d had a few films under her belt up to this point but her 1980 role in The Long Good Friday really helped launch her as a film actor. From there, her career would only go up. After all, she would become a dame before she was 60!
Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd has a bit of a reputation as a man that doesn’t age. If you look at these two pictures, you just might believe it. Rudd was born in 1969, meaning he was 35 years old back in 2004 — while today, he’s 53.
Back then, before he was Ant-Man, he’d already made his big debut as an actor. By 2004, he was in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, P.S., and Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie. Not to mention, 2004 marked the end of his run as Mike Hannigan on Friends.
Dolly Parton
There are few singers as near-universally loved as Dolly Parton. The singer was born in 1946, meaning she’s 76 years old now. When she was 35, back in 1981, she was enjoying the success of her talent and work.
If you turned on the radio, you’d probably catch “9 to 5” because it was both at the top of the pop and country music charts. It would even get to the top spot on the adult-contemporary charts.
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is well-known for his comedic films and the actor has an impressive number of hits under his belt — so much so, it comes as a surprise that he’s only 40 years old. Even in the last five years, he’s grown as an actor, director, and even producer.
In 2017, he was a producer and actor for The Disaster Artist, plus he appeared in Dr. Ken and Friends From College. It’s also when he started producing Future Man.
Kim Kardashian
The Kardashians have been hard to miss since Kim first made waves in 2007. It didn’t take long for Keeping Up with the Kardashians to appear after that. Kim was born in 1980, making her 42 years old today and 35 in 2015.
By then, Keeping Up With the Kardashians was in full swing. There was even a brief spin-off that year called Dash Dolls. Of course, the star’s social media presence has only grown during that time as well.
Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz is well-known as a musician. The star has even stepped into acting roles over the years alongside a long list of music awards. Kravitz is currently 58 but was 35 in 1999.
That year actually kicked off the first of four straight years that Kravitz would win a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. That was also the year he released his cover of “American Woman” and worked with Cree Summer on a solo album.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep might just be one of the most well-known actresses in Hollywood in the last couple of decades. Born in 1949, she’s 73 years old now.
In 1984, when Streep was 35, Streep was in the movie Falling in Love, a romance with Robert De Niro where she played a character named Molly Gilmore. Unfortunately, the critics didn’t like this one as much as most of her later hits.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is another actor that some people claim doesn’t seem to age too much. The actor is now 58 and the picture when he was 35 was taken in 1999.
After all, 1999 was the year that The Matrix came out and Reeves played the main character, Neo. This was only the start of a series of movies the actor would take up his role again for.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson first rose to fame after winning American Idol in 2002. She wouldn’t turn 35 for another 15 years, in 2017. She was busy in 2017, too!
Clarkson released a book called River Rose and the Magical Christmas, voiced a character in The Star, and released her eighth album called Meaning of Life. She also appeared alongside P!nk to open for the 45th American Music Awards. Plus, she made an animated cameo appearance on Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise has been in Hollywood for a while now and there are few people who don’t know who the actor is. The actor was born in 1962 and is currently 60 years old.
When he was 35 in 1997, Cruise didn’t actually make any films — although he was just coming off the year he made the first Mission: Impossible and Jerry Maguire. The next year, he’d go on to produce Without Limits.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer started her career as a comedian in 2004. Born in 1981, Schumer turned 35 in 2016, once her career was already gaining momentum. 2016 was the final year of Inside Amy Schumer, which Schumer didn’t only star in but created as well as co-produced and co-wrote.
Schumer also took 2016 to release a memoir about her life titled The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the book, too. Today, Schumer is 41 years old.
Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon has made a name for himself with a few different trades including time as a rapper, comedian, actor, and even a host for quite a few different television shows. Born in 1980, the star is 42 today, making him 35 years old in 2015.
As an actor, he starred in Chi-Raq and appeared in both Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Marcus and as himself in Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. He was also named the Chief Creative Officer of RadioShack.
Jim Carrey
Whether you like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas around the holidays or you prefer Liar Liar, odds are that you’ve seen a Jim Carrey movie. The star is 60 years old now, born in 1962, meaning he turned 35 back in 1997.
That’s actually the year that Liar Liar came out. He took on the role of Fletcher Reed in that movie and it was successful enough that the next year, the actor had the chance to make one of his more well-known movies, The Truman Show.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton came to fame not only as one of the Hiltons but as a model and entertainer herself. 41 years old now, the star celebrated her 35th birthday in 2016.
The socialite had a few business ventures that year, including a haircare line with Lidl and the release of a new fragrance — the 20th in her line — as well as a home décor and shoe line. She even appeared in music videos for Demi Lovato and Kim Petras. Not to mention, she made time to model in both New York and Milan Fashion Week.
Mick Jagger
At this point, it seems like the whole world knows who The Rolling Stones are. Lead singer Mick Jagger celebrated his 79th birthday in July and shows no signs of retiring. This means the rock singer was enjoying his 35th back in 1978.
That year, the Rolling Stones released the album Some Girls, which was their first album with Ronnie Wood replacing Mick Taylor as guitarist. In addition, Jagger put on an acting cap to make an appearance as himself in All You Need Is Cash.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah is perhaps one of the most well-known talk show hosts around. That isn’t to say that’s it — she’s put her efforts into philanthropy, writing, producing, and acting. Winfrey was born in 1954. If you do the math, that adds up to 35 in 1989 and 68 years old today.
One of the biggest successes from this year came from the very first season of her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. On top of that, she even produced and acted in The Women of Brewster Place.
Catherine O’Hara
Catherine O’Hara has a few iconic roles, including that of Kevin McCallister’s mother Kate in Home Alone — as well as its sequel. Recently, fans know her from Schitt’s Creek alongside classic roles like Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The actress was born in 1954, so she’s 68 years old today and was 35 in 1989. O’Hara was in two different projects that year. She played Nancy Mae in Andrea Martin…Together Again and a few different roles in I, Martin Short, Goes to Hollywood.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has some really iconic roles in his filmography. Now 41 years old, the actor started his career all the way back in the early ’90s. In 2015, the actor was busy. He worked on Accidental Love, Southpaw, Everest, and Demolition.
He even stepped back on the stage to play Roland in Constellations and take up the mantel of the classic Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors. The latter was at the New York City Center where Gyllenhaal would come back to perform on stage for the next two years in a different production.
Cameron Diaz
Hollywood first saw Cameron Diaz from 1990 until her 2014 retirement from the spotlight. However, the 50-year-old actress has recently stepped into a few roles. When Diaz was 35, she was reprising her role as Fiona for Shrek the Third and for a television Christmas special called Shrek the Halls.
The former title earned her a nomination for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie at the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. That year, she also won Favorite Leading Lady for The Holiday.
Elton John
To say that Elton John has had a successful career thus far would be a vast understatement. Born in 1947, the “Rocket Man” singer is currently 75 years old. This means at 35 years old, Elton John was enjoying the year 1982.
That was the year his fans could pick up his then-brand-new album Jump Up! The biggest hit he celebrated off this album went to “Blue Eyes”. Busy as always, the musician also released an album the year before and the year after this too!
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst is one actress that hit fame rather early. She was still rather young when she took on memorable roles like Interview With a Vampire and Jumanji. So, by 35 years old, the star was already enjoying notable success!
She worked with Sophia Coppola on The Beguiled as well as took on the role of Theresa in Woodshock. If you kept a close eye out, you might have even caught her cameo in the episode “USS Callister” on Black Mirror.
Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall has taken on quite a few roles in her career but one of the ones people think of right off the bat is her role in Sex and the City. Born in 1956, the actress was 35 years old in 1991, before the world would know her as Samantha.
At this point, she was in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County and Miracle in the Wilderness. On a more sour note, the star did win a Golden Raspberry Award for her film The Bonfire of Vanities.
Sir Ian McKellan
From Marvel movies to the classic roles of Shakespeare, Sir Ian McKellen has proven his range over the course of his long career. The 89-year-old was born in 1939 and started his career in 1958 when he was only 19 years old.
By the time he was 35 years old, McKellan would be finishing a tour with the Brooklyn Academy of Music in the U.K. During this tour, he played roles in The Way of the World by William Congreve, King Lear by William Shakespeare, and The Wood Demon by Anton Chekov.
Suzanna Somers
Suzanna Somers has worn many hats but is most recognizable for her work on Three’s Company as the character Chrissy Snow. The star is 76 years old today. Back when she was 35 years old, the actress was already a couple of decades into her career.
1981 would also mark the year her tenure on Three’s Company ended shortly after the actress was fired when she tried to negotiate a higher salary. However, it didn’t take long for Somers to show her strength as a businesswoman and talk show host after this either.
Al Pacino
Al Pacino might be one of the most well-known actors in recent Hollywood history. The actor was born on April 25th, 1940 — making him 82 years old today. Back in 1975, Pacino released Dog Day Afternoon, which was a great success in his career.
He played the main role of John Wojtowicz and his performance even earned him a few awards. He also won multiple awards for his previous performances in Serpico, The Godfather Part II, Angels in America, and You Don’t Know Jack.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand has made a name for herself both with her talents as a singer and actress. The 80-year-old started her career at about 18 years old. So, what was she doing by the time she was 35?
Well, fans of the singer that year could pick up her album Superman for the first time in a nine-year-long stretch of yearly albums. Upon release, Superman was rather well-received.
Shakira
Oftentimes dubbed the Queen of Latin Music, Shakira started her career at only 13 years old. Today, the musician is 45 years old. In 2012, Shakira had a few successes. For one, the singer took one of the judging roles on The Voice.
She’s also ranked in Forbes’ list of the “Top 100 World’s Most Powerful Women.” The French Government even dubbed the then-35-year-old Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Andrew Garfield
Many people look at Andrew Garfield and immediately think of his recent tenure as Spider-Man. Although he’s also been named one of Time‘s 100 Most Influential People in the World now at 39. In 2018, Garfield took both to the big screen and the stage.
In Hollywood, he played Sam in Under the Silver Lake. He also took on the role of Prior Walter in Angels in America. Garfield performed this both at the Royal National Theater in London — as well as on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theater.
Julia-Louis Dreyfus
If you’re a fan of comedy, odds are you’ve seen Julia-Louis Dreyfus’ work. Dreyfus has worked on Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live, and Veep. She was born in 1961, making her 61 today but stepping back 26 years, what was she up to?
This was the year she played in London Suite. In 1996, her previous role in Seinfeld also won her an award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Chad Michael Murray
One Tree Hill fans definitely know who Chad Michael Murray is. 41 years old today, the actor was 35 years old in 2016. In 2016, Marrya played Henry in Outlaws and Angels.
Stepping onto the small screen, the star took on a role in the Marvel show Agent Carter as Jack Thompson. Interestingly, that year you could catch the actor as a worker in a Walmart commercial as well.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera didn’t take long to rise to fame after the world heard her voice for the first time. Her name was nearly inescapable by the early 2000s. Her career is still going strong, too.
The singer was 35 in 2015, a year before she’d ended her run on The Voice. She’d throw on her acting shoes for a role in Nashville as Jade St. John. The role lasted for three episodes.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen has been making music since the 1960s. Now, the musician is 73 years old but celebrated his 35th birthday back in 1984. This actually marked a huge year in Springsteen’s career.
After all, it was the year he’d release what is perhaps still one of his most well-known albums, Born in the U.S.A. While Springsteen was already successful and well-known at this point, this album would really blow things out of the water to become one of the best-selling albums by any musician.
Maggie Smith
It’s hard to name every iconic role that Dame Maggie Smith has played over the years. Perhaps one of her most beloved is Professor McGonagall throughout the Harry Potter series. The actress was born in 1934, making her 87 years old now and 35 years old in 1969.
She was active in both film and theater that year. On the silver screen, she’d appear in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Oh! What a Lovely War. On stage, she’d become Margery Pinchwife for The Country Wife.
Ozzy Osbourne
Another famous English face, Ozzy Osbourne has a much different legacy than Dame Maggie Smith. The 73-year-old rock singer was 35 years old in 1983.
That year, the musician would release one of his most successful solo albums, Bark at the Moon. In the same year, he’d released a music video for the title track of the album. He also appeared on the album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes by Was on the track “Shake Your Head (Let’s Go to Bed)”.
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn has made her name as an actress but as a dancer, singer, and producer as well. This has put her both in front of and behind the camera throughout the years. Hawn was 35 years old in 1980.
This was the year she’d unite with another big star, Liza Minelli, to make Goldie and Liza Together. She would also make Seems Like Old Times and Private Benjamin. She actually produced Private Benjamin as well as played Judy.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock is another actress whose taken on quite a few memorable roles over the years. She’s 58 years old today and was 35 in 1999. This was the year she’d star across from Ben Affleck in Forces of Nature, adding to her romantic comedy filmography.
The movie met critical success and Bullock earned her second Golden Globe at 35. This was also the second year the actress was named one of People‘s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
Adam Levine
At 43 years old, Adam Levine and his band, Maroon 5, are rather well-known by now. The singer has been in the business since the early ’90s. In 2014, the star was entering his 35th year. The band’s fifth album, V, came out the same year.
The most successful singles they enjoyed were “Maps” and the now-familiar song “Animals”. Levine would also make an appearance as himself in the Lennon or McCartney documentary.
Many of our favorite stars have been in the public eye for quite some time. Sometimes, it’s interesting to step back and take a look at how these icons got to where they are now. Let’s go back in time to compare where the stars were in their careers at 35 years old versus today!