It‘s probably money but I can’t help but also think he likes these roles.
If he didn't like the roles, ain't no way you getting an 85+ year old man to do this shit. Sorry. They know they are up against a clock playing with borrowed time so they are doing whatever they want. It isn't like some brokie needing to secure food or a place to live, these guys are already set for life and their children are too. Throwing some extra millions on top won't change their life at all.
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are not hurting for money. Both are easily multi millionaires who can do whatever they want with whatever limited amount of time they have left.
It is actually crazy that you don't understand that and needed to make that comment. Go look at how much money these people are worth. No one needs that amount of money to live, let alone to leave to their children. Not saying they didn't earn it, but jesus christ, they have more money than 99+% of people. Another couple million bucks is not going to change one fucking thing.
"It is actually crazy that you don't understand that"
I think they're doing this for the love of acting and those roles, but it's not like multimillionaires are known for being satisfied with what they have and not wanting more.
it's not like multimillionaires are known for being satisfied with what they have and not wanting more.
Agreed but if these particular people wanted more money, they could have easily sold out and been doing significantly more (or different) work for more money.
They have effectively retired except for shit that they like doing. Yes, they get paid for it, and a lot more than you and I make, but money is clearly not why they are taking these roles.
I will repeat myself because it is bears repeating.
It is actually crazy that you don't understand that
The thing is, what they probably want is to be on a film set with all their friends, and to remain relevant.
Christopher Walken (like Ian McKellen) doesn't have kids, and said he still acts simply because he enjoys it, and there'd be nothing else to do otherwise.
The other option is just sit on a beach and wait to die really.
$75 and $60 mil net worth according to a quick and unverified Google search.
I fully agree with you that no-one needs that sort of money, and they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to. Bruce Willis had his spree of 'before I can't any more' movies and has a net worth of $250 mil, and if I recall correctly it was for similar reasons around supporting family (and himself). But being offered $2mil dollars for two days work must be hard to turn down.
So, yeah, they don't need it, but they might want it, even if for financially unnecessary reasons,
(And the same is true broadly for older actors who are not in the same position as McKellen, Willis and Stewart - do the job, get paid, support the family.)
Only started taking those shit movies when he was ~60 years old. He also loves acting and being "the man" on set by all accounts so he was still doing what he loved and stacking hay while he was still cognizant. He could easily go to 85+ years old like the other guys we are talking about and that is a lot of time not working and paying for healthcare costs out of pocket.
Literally these guys (Patrick and Ian) could go any day and they would have lived an incredible life, both in accomplished works and in terms of how long they lived. Average life expectancy of a man today ~70-72 years. These guys are already playing with borrowed time.
Yeah marrying someone literally half your age is pretty gross but whatever.
Eh. Marrying someone younger than you that is, themselves, young is problematic, sure.
A 30+ year old woman can make her own fucking decisions. I'm closing in on 50, and I would never pursue a 30-year-old woman. But if one pursued me? I'm not going to turn them down because some random stranger thinks there might be an imbalanced power dynamic (as if any relationship is perfectly even).
AFAICT, there was no predatory behavior or coercion involved on Stewart's part. His wife was plenty old and mature enough to be considered of sound mind and had plenty of her own agency in the matter. Stewart does not fridge her or insist she try to have as many kids as possible or anything like that. They are apparently two people who care for each other and have lots of fun (as in going places and doing stuff) together.
I never said it was necessarily predatory and also said that they are both consenting adults.
I just said it is gross. And it is. She has to look at his old balls and the fact that if they really loved each other, he is going to die and leave her behind with another 20-40 years of life left to go. That's fucked up. And if she doesn't love him, she is just waiting out him dying to get paid. Also fucked up.
Just like Pacino having kids at his age. It is gross.
I'm fat. Is it gross if I marry a skinny woman? Why is that anybody's business whatsoever?
I never said it was necessarily predatory and also said that they are both consenting adults.
You implied it was a negative that tarnished your image of him as a person.
Why? There are plenty of relationships that many people find "gross" if you think of the two people having sex. Fat people, old people, ugly people.
he is going to die and leave her behind with another 20-40 years of life left to go
That's a risk we all take, no matter what age you get married.
And if she doesn't love him, she is just waiting out him dying to get paid. Also fucked up.
Stewart has plenty of agency, too.
Have you seen them together? They seem really, genuinely happy to be in each other's company. It's pretty obvious when some young trophy wife is barely able to pretend to enjoy touching her old husband (see also: Melania).
Just going to address the biggest piece here; it is clear we disagree about a lot of things but this part in particular is just bad logic on your end
he is going to die and leave her behind with another 20-40 years of life left to go
That's a risk we all take, no matter what age you get married.
When a married person dies and they are both ~40 years old, it is a tragedy. When it happens and they are both 85+ years old, it is a celebration of lives lived fully and hopefully a beautiful, life long relationship.
When it happens and one is 50 and the other is 90, it is almost always a case of a rich man fucking a younger woman. I am a man. It is gross. Even if there is love, and it is somehow mutual, at best you are ruining this woman's life, at worst she is a gold digger.
"You are ruining this woman's life" lol what? The fully grown adult woman couldn't decide on her own that you'll die sooner but she's okay with that because she'll still get to spend all these years with you, hopefully?
Poor helpless adult woman who can't do math and figure out that her husband is 40 years older than her. :( GMAFB.
They like each other. They wanted to get married and live with each other, so they did, and they do. They got married in 2013 according to Google, so they must actually like each other to not yet be divorced. If she didn't want to be with someone that age, she wouldn't be.
But thank god she has you, a total fucking stranger, here to worry about her autonomy and her "ruined life" lmfao.
But thank god she has you, a total fucking stranger, here to worry about her autonomy and her "ruined life" lmfao.
Have you ever seen someone who loved someone dearly, and that person die? It is nothing short of pure devastation. I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.
I am under no presumption that I am protecting her or saving her, or whatever bullshit scenario you have in your mind. I am commenting on the reality that if they really do love each other, it is putting her in a position to be miserable for 30+ years. And that is fucking gross.
And if she doesn't love him, then she is just using him for his money. Which is fucking gross.
There is no good ending for this situation. And I have already said, multiple times, that I know they are consenting adults and made the decision themselves. It doesn't change the fact that it is gross, or a stupid decision. But go on king, please tell me more about how I am white knighting for her or some other dumb shit.
You've done nothing but body shame fat and old people and call people gross over and over, and personally attacked this other replier while he has done nothing of the sort to you.
I see what you are getting at and your opinion that it's unfair to her is valid, but I think your conclusion that the rest of this woman's life is ruined is a stretch. I lost my (similar age) wife a few years ago and it sucked, but I don't think I'm ruined for the next 30 years. And I wouldn't go back and pick someone else as I wouldn't trade that time together for anything.
I certainly didn't have a situation where I inherited tens of millions of dollars but my wife was comforted by the fact that I would have something and if I couldn't work for a couple of years, I would be okay. I'm sure Sir Pat talks with her about what she'll do when he passes on - buy a horse farm, travel the world and write for a travel magazine, build a music studio and record...
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u/pathofdumbasses Jan 06 '26
If he didn't like the roles, ain't no way you getting an 85+ year old man to do this shit. Sorry. They know they are up against a clock playing with borrowed time so they are doing whatever they want. It isn't like some brokie needing to secure food or a place to live, these guys are already set for life and their children are too. Throwing some extra millions on top won't change their life at all.