12 Celebrities Who Have Not Aged Well

Everybody gets old. It’s part and parcel of life. But not everyone ages gracefully. There are many celebrities who have not aged well. For some, years of substance abuse have ruined their movie-star good looks. Others have lost their battle with weight and overindulged. This is especially true of rock stars and sportspeople that have retired. Then there are those who have gone under the knife numerous times. While you might think that would help, many stars who undergo cosmetic surgery procedures often look worse than they did before. 

There is a long list of celebrities who have not aged well. Many of these people were once super attractive but are now washed up. These celebs could be a warning of what not to do as you get older. So read on and discover some of the biggest celebrities who have struggled with growing old respectfully. 

1. Mickey Rourke

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Bursting onto the scene in the 80s, Mickey Rourke was pure sex. A heartthrob with masculine appeal, Rourke was touted as the next big thing. Star turns in erotic drama 9½ Weeks, Charles Bukowski biopic Barfly, and cult classic Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man had everyone clamoring for a piece of the actor. But in 1991 Rourke threw it all away to chase a career in boxing.

Although mildly successful (he didn’t lose a match), Rourke was seen as too old to be a big draw. He eventually quit and returned to acting. Unfortunately, he looked nothing like he previously had. A number of facial reconstructive surgeries meant Rourke’s good looks were gone. Despite this he managed a career resurgence in the early 00s, culminating with his stirring performance in The Wrestler. He received an Academy Award nomination for the film, losing out to Sean Penn. Since then Rourke has continued to work steadily, although most of his recent output is direct to DVD fare that isn’t worth your time. 

2. Courtney Love

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Years of hard living have taken their toll on Courtney Love. The former wife of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain has suffered much during her life. While known for her grunge look, Love went Hollywood during the late 90s as her band Hole crossed over into the mainstream with their third album Celebrity Skin. While the glamourous look suited her, it didn’t take Love to revert to her old ways. Not only do her outfits leave you raising your eyebrows (she is 57), but her intoxicated behavior is also offputting. If only she could have aged as gracefully as peers Gwen Stefani and Tina Turner she might not have made this list. 

3. Keith Richards 

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It’s a surprise Keith Richards is still alive. The Rolling Stones guitarist was heavy into drugs during the 60s and 70s and is a known smoker and drinker. While he has managed to survive the rock and roll life intact, you can certainly see he’s lived a hard life. His wrinkled face tells the story of someone who has done it all more times than once. Surprisingly Richards was quite the looker as a young man. Then he found sex, drugs, and rock and roll and everything changed. 

4. Pamela Anderson

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The blonde bombshell was a Playboy favorite when she broke out in the 90s. Baywatch and V.I.P. put her on the map, while her six marriages to five different men ensured she was always in the spotlight. While she has undergone numerous breast augmentation surgeries, it is unclear what work she has done on her face. But if you have seen recent pictures of Pammy, it is clear to see she has had some form of surgery as she looks different from before. And not in a good way. While she is still beautiful, Anderson is certainly not aging gracefully as a famous person should. 

5. Axel Rose

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Axel Rose is another muso who doesn’t believe in aging gracefully. The lead singer of Guns N’ Roses is a shell of his former self. Years of substance abuse have taken their toll on the once handsome frontman. There was a period when Rose was a little overweight, but he seems to have trimmed down lately. This hasn’t helped stopped him from looking a little ragged in the face. When you look at him compared to his bandmate Slash, it’s amazing to see how the aging process as impacted them both so differently. 

6. Meg Ryan

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The last two decades have been very quiet on the acting front for Meg Ryan. Roles in Top Gun, When Harry Met Sally…, and Sleepless in Seattle had many thinking she was going to be a staple in Hollywood. But she went against type in the 00s and starred in a variety of films that mainly failed at the box office. This led her to her working less, with her last feature film coming in 2015.

It’s been rumored for years that Ryan underwent several plastic surgeries during these years, making her look much older than she really is. It’s believed this resulted in her missing out on several high-profile roles. Whether this is true is anyone’s guess, but Ryan is one woman who is struggling to come to terms with the aging process.

7. Haley Joel Osment

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The child star of The Sixth Sense is another actor who gave it away at the peak of his powers. He took a break from acting for several years before slowly re-emerging with small roles in a number of TV shows and films. When he did make his comeback, Osment had put on quite a bit of weight and his appearance surprised many people. He also grew facial hair that aged him. The good news is Osment has lost much of the weight now and is as healthy as he’s ever been. While he still looks a little old, he is doing his best to appear better than some on this list. 

8. Donatella Versace

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The years haven’t been kind to Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace. During her younger years, she was an incredible feast for the eyes. A woman of pure natural beauty. But her quest to remain young has hampered her current look. A fan of the sun (or tanning beds), Versace gets darker and darker the older she got. This in turn caused her skin to resemble worn leather. To correct this she has had several surgeries and botox treatments. This has only worsened her features, making her look like some type of scarecrow. Despite this, she still struts her stuff at award festivals and fashion shows across the globe, most recently appearing at the Met Gala. 

9. Brendan Fraser

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Another big star in the 90s who fell off during the 00s but is now making a comeback. Brendan Fraser was the talk of Tinseltown with films such as Encino Man, The Mummy, and George of the Jungle. But after injuring himself badly on the set of the 2012 film Superstorm Sandy, Fraser required numerous surgeries that kept him away from acting. Coupled with his divorce, mother’s death, and periods of depression, Fraser became an outcast in Hollywood circles. It is only over the past few years that his comeback has occurred, with many labeling it the ‘Brenaissance.’

While great to see him back, the years haven’t been kind to Fraser. He is overweight and balding, but he seems to be in a great place mentality which is the main thing. 

10. Lara Flynn Boyle

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Plastic surgery is the unfortunate reason for Lara Flynn Boyle appearing on this list. The once-promising actress underwent numerous procedures. In an article with The Daily Mail, she remarked that “I know I may be running out of time,” which was quite sad considering she was only in her 30s at that time. Whatever work she has done, it hasn’t helped her career, with Boyle hardly acting in the past 15 years. 

11. Val Kilmer

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Hard living and cancer have been the cause of Val Kilmer’s downfall. The blonde heartthrob was a big deal in the 90s, starring in films such as Tombstone, Heat, The Doors, and The Saint. His profile took a hit after the box office bomb Red Planet, causing Kilmer to take smaller roles to build back his goodwill with the Hollywood fraternity. 

His first big comeback role was in the 2005 neo-noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but Kilmer was almost unrecognizable. He had put on a lot of weight and looked much older than he was. Kilmer’s weight went up and down until he was struck down with throat cancer in 2015. Although he is cancer-free, Kilmer needs to plug an electric voice box into his trachea to speak. 

12. Kirstie Alley

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She might not be a household name today, but in the 80s Kirstie Alley was a woman who was seen everywhere. Her breakout role was on the sitcom Cheers before another star turn in Veronica’s Closet during the late 90s certified her star power. Unfortunately for Alley, her star began to wane during the 00s as she piled on the pounds. With the help of Jenny Craig, she was able to lose75 pounds, but after parting ways with the diet company put it all back on again. Since then her weight has fluctuated over the years, in turn impacting her beauty.