At 96, June Squibb just became the oldest performer ever nominated for a Tony Award. Her response? "I'm thrilled."
Of course she is. And of course she's still working. Because Squibb - who you know from Nebraska, or About Schmidt, or more recently as the action hero of Thelma - has never particularly cared about what the industry thinks an actress of a certain age should be doing.
The nomination comes for her performance in a Broadway revival, and while the specifics matter less than the larger point, let's acknowledge what this represents: Squibb is still getting cast, still delivering, still earning recognition in an industry that famously has no idea what to do with women over 40, let alone over 90.
This isn't a feel-good retirement story. This isn't a lifetime achievement pity nomination. Squibb is working, at the highest level, in the most demanding performance medium. Eight shows a week on a Broadway stage would destroy performers half her age.
The ageism conversation in entertainment typically focuses on how actresses in their 50s struggle to find roles. Squibb leapfrogs over that entire depressing discourse to prove that talent doesn't have an expiration date - unless we artificially impose one.
Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back for "discovering" older performers when someone like Squibb breaks through. But she's been here the whole time. She was nominated for an Oscar at 84 for Nebraska. She anchored Thelma at 94. The industry didn't suddenly wise up; it just occasionally remembers to look.
Will she win the Tony? Maybe. Should she? If the performance merits it, absolutely. But even asking that question feels like missing the point. June Squibb is 96 years old, nominated for a Tony, and thrilled about it. The rest of us should just try to keep up.
