Mary McDonnell, who rose to prominence for her role in the acclaimed 1990 film Dances With Wolves, hasn’t aged a day in recent red carpet photos of the actor.
The Hollywood star, 72, started her stage career in the 70s and 80s before making a name for herself on screen as Stands With a Fist in the epic 90s Western which secured Mary her first Oscar nomination and the film a best picture victory.
She landed her second Academy Award nomination, this time for lead actressm after playing May-Alice in the 1993 movie, Passion Fish. Other notable roles have included Rose in Donnie Darko, Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day and Sharon Raydor in The Closer.
Meanwhile, in the 00s Mary gained a large fanbase after starring as President Laura Roslin in hit sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica.
Last year, she scored a Critics Choice award nomination after playing the ambitious Madeline Usher in Netflix’s horror adaptation, The Fall of the House of Usher.
In May, the actor was honoured at the Gracie Award – an annual ceremony put on by the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) Foundation to recognise outstanding achievements in media created by, for, or about women.
She stunned in a one-shoulder red ballgown paired with black elbow-length gloves, chunky gold earrings and black-rimmed glasses which perfectly complemented her naturally greying hair.
In images from the event circulated online, fans praised her looks. User @cococaprica commented: ‘So gorgeous, she ages backwards!! Juist flawless!!’
‘She definitely ages beautifully and just owns it. Gorgeous,’ @ericaschriek echoed.
‘You OWN the red carpet every time!! congratulations on the Gracie!,’ @megankc.4 added.
The star regularly posts to social media, and has recently been a vocal supporter of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s bid for the US presidential office.
After such an expansive acting career, Mary remains grateful for the opportunity to play nuanced characters on screen, like matriarch Madeline as she told Awards Radar.
‘When I met this character, I’ve never met a woman like her. I’ve never seen a woman so unabashedly and ruthlessly wield power and I’ve never seen that combined with a clear explanation of the trauma at the core of her being,’ she shared.
‘She’s an earth-scorcher for sure, but towards the end she goes after everything that capitalism creates for women. There has never been a character like Madeline Usher, so clearly I had to play her.’
Speaking to Gold Derby at the Gracie Award about her message to young women who are starting their careers, she said: ‘[It’s important] that they understand that the biggest, biggest gift they have is that they identify the purpose of their careers. What’s the purpose?’
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