If you just watched Beetlejuice for the tenth time or saw her pop up in the 2024 thriller Blink Twice, you’ve probably wondered: how old is Geena Davis the actress anyway? It is one of those things people Google constantly because, honestly, she’s been a staple in our lives for decades. From the naive housecoat-wearing ghost in the 80s to the first female President on TV, Geena has a way of staying relevant without ever feeling like a "nostalgia act."
The Birthday Math
Geena Davis was born on January 21, 1956.
Since we are currently in January 2026, she is officially 70 years old. She just hit that big milestone birthday. It’s wild to think about because she still carries that same towering, quirky energy she had when she was hanging out with Jeff Goldblum in The Fly.
Most people don't realize she didn't even start acting until her mid-20s. She was working as a window mannequin and a model before Sydney Pollack cast her in Tootsie in 1982. She was 26 then. By the time she became a household name with Thelma & Louise, she was already in her mid-30s. Hollywood usually tries to phase women out by that age, but Geena basically said, "Nah, I'm just getting started."
Why How Old Is Geena Davis the Actress Still Trends in 2026
Age in Hollywood is usually a taboo subject, or at least a boring one. But with Geena, people are curious because she’s actually doing something about the "invisible woman" syndrome.
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She founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media back in 2004. They spend a ton of time researching exactly why women over 50—and specifically women over 40—disappear from our screens. Her latest 2025 study, Missing in Action, highlighted that menopause is basically a ghost in scripts. It's almost never mentioned.
She’s 70 now, and she’s using that number as a weapon. She isn't just "still working"; she's literally rewriting the data on how long an actress is allowed to be "valuable."
A Career That Defies the Calendar
Look at the range here. Most actors get pigeonholed. Geena just does whatever seems hard.
- The Athlete: She didn't pick up a bow until she was 41. Two years later, she was a semi-finalist for the U.S. Olympic archery team. Who does that?
- The Genius: She’s a member of Mensa.
- The Author: Her memoir Dying of Politeness came out a couple of years ago, and she just released a children's book in 2025 called The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page.
It’s that "too big" sentiment that really defines her. At 6 feet tall, she was always told to take up less space. Instead, she just kept growing her legacy.
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Dealing with the Hollywood Age Gap
There is a weird phenomenon where we see male actors like Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise lead action movies well into their 70s and 80s, but women are often pushed into "grandmother" roles the second they turn 45. Geena has been vocal about this.
She’s often talked about how, after she won her Oscar for The Accidental Tourist and did A League of Their Own, the scripts started to change. They got thinner. The characters got more boring.
But if you look at her recent work—like playing the mysterious Stacy in Blink Twice or her upcoming role in the Duffer Brothers' Netflix series The Boroughs—she’s carving out a space for older women that isn't just "sweet old lady." She’s playing characters with secrets, power, and flaws.
What You Might Have Missed
If you’re only tracking her by her 90s hits, you’re missing the best stuff.
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- She won a Golden Globe for Commander in Chief in 2006.
- She did a stint on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Nicole Herman that was actually heartbreakingly good.
- She’s the driving force behind the Bentonville Film Festival, which focuses on diversity and is still going strong in 2026.
The Takeaway on Geena's Longevity
So, how old is Geena Davis the actress? She’s 70. But more importantly, she’s a case study in not letting the industry's expiration date apply to you.
If you want to support what she’s doing, the best thing to do isn't just to watch her old movies (though The Long Kiss Goodnight still rips). It’s to look at the work her Institute is doing. They are the ones pushing studios to make sure that when we ask how old an actress is in ten years, the answer won't be "unemployed."
Check out the Geena Davis Institute's latest research on midlife representation if you want to see the actual data behind why we don't see enough women her age on screen. Supporting films directed by women and people of color at festivals like Bentonville is another way to keep that momentum going. Geena isn't just aging; she’s changing the way the world looks at aging.