June Squibb Has Smashed Expectations Of What Your 90s Is Supposed To Be
June Squibb has made a habit of defying societal expectations about aging. Speaking to People in January 2024, the actor shared that she had done her own stunts in "Thelma," her first leading role, which she landed at the age of 94. For one of her stunts in the action-comedy, Squibb had to drive her motorized scooter straight into her co-star Richard Roundtree's. "I always think I could do whatever stunt is necessary in a film," Squibb said, later adding that she "was so proud" of herself for being able to work in an action-comedy.
During a January 2025 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," the Oscar nominee revealed that she had been instructed to stop her scooter right before it hit her co-star's and let the stunt double take over. However, as she got on the scooter, she thought, "'Oh, what the hell, I can do this'" and ultimately insisted on not using her stunt double.
Squibb notably wasn't done riding the high from her action movie work, as she told People that she had her eyes set on doing a Western film next, even though she was unsure if she would be able to ride a horse. While that dream remained on the table, Squibb grabbed her second lead role in "Eleanor The Great" at 94. Speaking to the Associated Press in September 2025, the "Inside Out 2" voice actor shared that the reason she remained successful in her 90s was simple: "It never occurred to me at 90 that I was supposed to say 'No, I can't work anymore!" Over the years, Squibb has repeatedly shown how your attitude towards aging can influence your health as you get older.
June Squibb has refused to be stressed out about aging
During a June 2024 Yahoo! Life interview, the "Nebraska" actor stated that she had never lost sleep over the prospect of aging, saying, "I just don't think I even deal with it, to be honest with you." Speaking to Prevention in June 2024, June Squibb shared her 7-word advice on aging, which belonged on a t-shirt: "To hell with how old you are." Squibb further elaborated that there were no hard and fast rules about how a life should be lived as we grow older.
She believed that instead of buying into societal notions of what life looks like as we age, we should focus on how to have the most fun. Additionally, during a June 2024 chat with PBS, Squibb confirmed that, contrary to societal notions, she had only found herself getting more confident as she aged. "I have that sort of security within me that what I'm thinking, what I'm — what my wishes are and what my wants are, are enough," she said.
On a similar note, she told The Female Quotient in May 2026 that she wished people understood that a person's desire to accomplish things didn't magically vanish as they aged. In fact, she believed that even older folks bought into the idea that they couldn't do things and gave up on their dreams without even trying first. During her Yahoo! Life interview, she shared yet another example of how she had defied societal notions about aging, revealing that she had started practicing Pilates, one of the best exercises for older adults, about six months before "Thelma" shoots to prepare herself for the stunts.