5 Older Women In Hollywood Who Are Still Embracing & Celebrating Their Sexuality

In 1970, Zoe Moss wrote the essay, "It Hurts to Be Alive and Obsolete: The Aging Woman." Moss was only 43 when she wrote the devastating account that not only addresses the invisibility that women feel after a certain age, but how men don't experience the same thing. Instead, they're regarded as sexual and potent throughout their lives, whereas women have to fight to be seen that way.

Even though it's been over 50 years, sadly a lot of the misogynistic mentality she wrote about remains today. Even Sarah Jessica Parker, star of the groundbreaking series, "Sex and the City," had to defend herself for — gasp — getting older. "I know what I look like. I have no choice," SJP told Vogue in 2021. "What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?"

Although the patriarchy would love it if all women over 50 magically reverted to 25, that's not going to happen. What's also not going to happen is women ceasing to embrace their aging bodies and the sensuality that comes with that. "There is a big secret that women are discovering after 50, which is that you can become more irresistible than ever without even trying," fashion and beauty director for More magazine Lois Joy Johnson told NBC News. "It has to do with confidence ... You are relaxed, comfortable in your own skin. That is so refreshing." If you confront aging with confidence, you'll be hotter than ever — and you'll know it. 

One of the most important things about celebrating your sexuality as you get older is recognizing that it changes, and embracing that. For cisgender women, the biggest change comes once perimenopause and menopause hit. In a conversation with Fahti Khosrowshahi, CEO of Ceek Women's Health, at an event in February 2024, Halle Berry revealed what sex during menopause felt like for her, via Self. "Okay, TMI but get ready: I'm trying to have sex and [it's as if] I've got razor blades in my vagina," Berry said at the event hosted by Nella Speculum and RESPIN, the latter being Berry's wellness website that focuses on "respinning" menopause, among other things. "He comes at me with [what feels like] scissors at night, and I'm like, 'Get away!' But he's the love of my life, and I realize there's something wrong."

After her doctor confirmed it was menopause and not something else, Berry decided to accept the change, instead of running away from it and or seeing it as the death of her sex life. "It's not the end of anything," she added. "It's actually the start of a new chapter of your life. As women ... we have to reimagine what that is."

While younger audiences might associate Glenn Close with her role in "101 Dalmatians," if you look at her resume, you'll see that she played one of the most iconic seductresses in film history: Alex Forrest in the 1987 movie "Fatal Attraction." With her big '80s hair and overall obscene hotness, the character easily lured Dan, played by Michael Douglas, away from his wife and daughter. Her performance garnered an Oscar nomination and it was a role that took her career to new heights, proving that she could play a femme fatale and nail it.

While she was regarded as a sex kitten in the '80s and '90s, as she got older, the roles she was offered were a far cry from Alex Forrest. But that hasn't stopped Close from talking about and reminding society that age doesn't define sexuality. "It's one of the great myths that you lose your sexuality as you get older," Close told The Guardian in 2019. "I feel as free and as creative, as sexual and as eager, as I ever have. And it's ironic because I'm thinking: 'How much time do I have left now?' It's one of those ironies, I suppose, that we sometimes start feeling comfortable in our own skin only late in our lives, but hopefully with enough time to benefit from it."

In 2011, Jane Fonda talked to The Telegraph about her memoir, "Prime Time," and most notably the chapters on sex. When the interviewer asked her why she addresses being sexual at her age in the book, she explained that nobody talks about it, despite how important the topic is. "There are all kinds of changes that no one ever tells us how to handle," said Fonda, who was 73 at the time. "I loved researching those chapters."

In true fearless Fonda form, she doesn't just talk about sex and sexuality, but delves into specifics, writing at one point, "If you have been celibate for a long time and then begin a new love affair, be aware that your vagina is likely to need some attention." She's also quick to point out that if you've closed up shop on the sex front when you reach a certain age, that's absolutely fine. "But for those who do still want to be sexual here are a load of things you need to know, and I needed to know them too," Fonda told The Telegraph.

Fonda, unlike some people in her generation, also advocates for self-pleasure and isn't shy to admit that she engages in masturbation. As Fonda told The Washington Post in 2017, "Life isn't over... [Masturbation] is especially useful for older women, because men die sooner than we do. And so: Use it or lose it." Hear! Hear!

At age 58, Salma Hayek is giving new meaning to being an "older" woman still oozing with sexuality. All you need is a few minutes on her Instagram page to see that, despite society's issue with aging, Hayek is comfortable in her skin. She also still has quite the sex life with French businessman (and millionaire) François-Henri Pinault.

"Sex is not the key to a happy marriage, but it's a side effect. Although not every day! If it's every day, it loses its charm," Hayek told Red Online in 2017. "It's so important to maintain your chemistry. You have to continue to laugh, explore, have fun with each other, and have romance." She also went on to explain what sexuality means to her. "I try to be really aware of every muscle. It is sexy. Sexuality, what other people see in you, is enjoying your body. Involve your senses in your life, and you will become sexy," Hayek told Red Online.

In 2023, Hayek was interviewed by GQ and talked about how she struggled to be seen as anything but sexy early in her career and how getting older gave her the chance to showcase her humor. "I'm at a place in my life where I don't think my sexuality is the only thing that's appreciated anymore," said Hayek. "But if it was, I wouldn't care, because I've built enough respect around me from the people that really matter that I feel seen beyond that."

Paulina Porizkova started her career as a model at the age of 13 and, at 18, became the first woman from Central Europe to be featured on the cover of the "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. So, you can say that from a very young age, Porizkova's looks played a major role in how the world perceived her, and being sexualized was part of it.

Now, at 59, Porizkova continues to model and has since added author to her resume. She's also active on Instagram where she shares her struggles with being an aging model, as well as learning to embrace her sexuality after 50. 

"What I have found is that sex gets better with age, which is something that I was kind of terrified about for a while because I kept hearing all these horror stories about how you go through menopause and then you lose your sex drive and you don't want to have sex anymore," Porizkova wrote in an op-ed for Yahoo in 2021. "And it turns out that it only gets better because I know my body so much better. Whatever confidence and wisdom that you acquire with age, it's kind of paying off in your 50s ... I'm not there to please the guy; I'm there to be pleased."