20 Oldest Emmy Winners and Nominees of All Time

By Brett White @brettwhite

Published Sep. 13, 2018, 12:37 p.m. ET

Carl Reiner attends the Premiere Of HBO's 'If You're Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast' — **Carl Reiner**
**Born:** March 20, 1922
**Nominated:** Outstanding Narrator, *If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast*, 2018
**Age:** 96 years, 6 months, 25 days
Winner of 9 Emmys, the first one for *Caesar's Hour* in 1957.Photo: Getty Images

cicely Tyson at creative arts emmys 2018 — **Cicely Tyson**
**Born:** December 19, 1924
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, *How to Get Away with Murder*, 2018
**Age:** 93 years, 9 months, 25 days
Winner of 3 Emmys, the first one for *The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman* in 1974.Photo: Getty Images

Ernest Borgnine attends the AMPAS screening of 'From Here To Eternity' — **Ernest Borgnine**
**Born:** January 24, 1917
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, ER, 2009
**Age:** 92 years, 8 months, 22 days
Nominated for 3 Emmys, the first one for *McHale's Navy* in 1963.Photo: Getty Images

Betty White visits "Extra" at Universal Studios Hollywood — **Betty White**
**Born:** January 17, 1922
**Nominated:** Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition Program, *Betty White's Off Their Rockers*, 2014
**Age:** 92 years, 8 months, 3 days
Won an Emmy in 2010 at the age of 88, becoming the oldest person to win an Emmy until David Attenborough's win in 2018 at the age of 92. Winner of 5 Emmys, the first one for *The Mary Tyler Moore Show* in 1975.Photo: Getty Images

Sir David Attenborough attends National Audubon Society Annual Gala at Rainbow Room. — **Sir David Attenborough**
**Born:** May 8, 1926
**Nominated:** Outstanding Narrator, *Blue Planet II*, 2018 (won)
**Age:** 92 years, 5 months, 5 days
Now the oldest Emmy winner ever. Nominated for 4 Emmys, the first one for *The Living Planet* in 1985.Photo: Getty Images

Mel Brooks speaks onstage during the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards — **Mel Brooks**
**Born:** June 28, 1926
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, *The Comedians*, 2015
**Age:** 89 years, 3 months, 16 days
Winner of 4 Emmys, the first one for *The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special* in 1967.Photo: Getty Images

MAXIE, Ruth Gordon — **Ruth Gordon**
**Born:** October 30, 1896
**Nominated:** Individual Achievement in Informational Programming-Performing, *The Secret World of the Very Young*, 1985
**Age:** 88 years, 10 months, 17 days
Won an Emmy in 1979 for *Taxi*.Photo: Everett Collection

Elaine Stritch attends the screening of "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" — **Elaine Stritch**
**Born:** February 2, 1925
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, *30 Rock*, 2013
**Age:** 88 years, 8 months, 15 days
Winner of 3 Emmys, the first one for *Law & Order* in 1993.Photo: Getty Images

THE WALTONS, Beulah Bondi in 'The Conflict' — **Beulah Bondi**
**Born:** May 3, 1889
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, *The Waltons*, 1977 (won)
**Age:** 88 years, 5 months, 2 days
Third oldest person to ever win an Emmy, after David Attenborough (92) and Betty White (88).Photo: Everett Collection

Ossie Davis at the Apollo Theater in New York City — **Ossie Davis**
**Born:** December 18, 1917
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, *The L Word*, 2005
**Age:** 87 years, 9 months, 26 days
Nominated for 4 Emmys, the first one for *Teacher, Teacher* in 1969.Photo: Getty Images

Max von Sydow pose on May 14, 2016 as they arrive for the screening of the film "The BFG" — **Max von Sydow**
**Born:** April 10, 1929
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, *Game of Thrones*, 2016
**Age:** 87 years, 6 months, 3 days
Nominated for 2 Emmys, the first one for *Red King, White Knight* in 1990.Photo: Getty Images

SUMMER'S LEASE, John Gielgud — **John Gielgud**
**Born:** April 14, 1904
**Nominated:** Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, *Summer's Lease*, 1991 (won)
**Age:** 87 years, 5 months, 4 days
Nominated for 5 Emmys, the first one for *Brideshead Revisited* in 1982.Photo: Everett Collection

ALONE, Hume Cronyn, 1997 — **Hume Cronyn**
**Born:** July 18, 1911
**Nominated:** Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, *12 Angry Men*, 1998
**Age:** 87 years, 2 months, 19 days
Winner of 3 Emmys, the first one for *Age-Old Friends* in 1990.Photo: Everett Collection

Bob Newhart arrives at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards — **Bob Newhart**
**Born:** September 5, 1929
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, *The Big Bang Theory*, 2016
**Age:** 87 years 1 month, 5 days
Nominated for 9 Emmys, the first one for *The Bob Newhart Show* (the variety, not the '70s sitcom) in 1962.Photo: Getty Images

MEDEA, Judith Anderson — **Judith Anderson**
**Born:** February 10, 1897
**Nominated:** Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, *Medea*, 1983
**Age:** 86 years, 8 months, 7 days
Winner of 2 Emmy awards, the first one for *Macbeth* in 1955.Photo: Everett Collection

Red Buttons during PBS TCA Press Tour 2005 Presents "The Pioneers of Primetime" — **Red Buttons**
**Born:** February 5, 1919
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, ER, 2005
**Age:** 86 years, 8 months, 7 days
Won an Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1958 for the film *Sayonara*.Photo: Getty Images

Charles E. Durning poses after being awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honor — **Charles Durning**
**Born:** February 28, 1923
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, *Rescue Me*, 2008
**Age:** 85 years, 7 months, 17 days
Nominated for 9 Emmy awards, the first one for *Queen of the Stardust Ballroom* in 1975.Photo: Getty Images

Cloris Leachman performs at the Buckhead Theatre — **Cloris Leachman**
**Born:** April 30, 1926
**Nominated:** Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, *Raising Hope*, 2011
**Age:** 85 years, 5 months, 12 days
Winner of 8 Emmys, the first one for *A Brand New Life* in 1973.Photo: Getty Images

Jessica Tandy attends the 48th Annual Tony Awards — **Jessica Tandy**
**Born:** June 7, 1909
**Nominated:** Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, *To Dance with the White Dog*, 1994
Age: 85 years, 3 months, 27 days
Won an Emmy in 1988 for *Foxfire*.Photo: Getty Images

BEWITCHED, Marion Lorne, 1964-1972 — **Marion Lorne**
**Born:** August 12, 1883
**Nominated:** Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, *Bewitched*, 1968 (won posthumously)
**Age:** 84 years, 10 months, 1 day
Nominated for 5 Emmys, the first one for *Mister Peepers* in 1954.Photo: Everett Collection

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If You're Not in the Obit Eat Breakfast

You don’t have to be a hot and hip young performer to get attention from the Emmys. Even as the awards show sways towards newer content, shows like Atlanta and Stranger Things, there still is and always has been room at the show for veterans that are either still turning out top-notch work or have not received the recognition they’ve long deserved. Everyone talks about all the youngest Emmy nominees and winners ever. But what about the oldest nominees and winners, the legends that were still getting major praise well into their sixth or more decade in the biz?

Move over young’uns like Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, because 2018 is actually a big year for the over-90 set too! Three of the oldest-ever Emmy winners–Carl Reiner, Cicely Tyson, and Sir David Attenborough–were nominated once again this year, proving that age and wisdom are always winners. In addition to those three Emmy vets, we’ve searched through the nominees and winners in every performance category of all 70 ceremonies and come up with a list of the 20 most senior Emmy nominees and winners of all time. Some of them have won consistently over the decades while others didn’t get props until late in life. Either way, these are 20 Emmy winners whose names and careers you need to know!