As many stars begin slowing down in their later years, Joanna Lumley is doing just the opposite. The actress recently celebrated her 80th birthday while juggling major TV roles, an overseas travel series and decades of animal welfare campaigning. As for retirement? She’s not even thinking about it yet.
Joanna Lumley Says Age Doesn’t Mean Much
As reported by Hello!, the “Absolutely Fabulous” icon has a refreshingly relaxed attitude towards growing older.
“80 is the same as 85 or 60 or 90,” she said. “It doesn’t mean much to me because I’m still walking, working and operating.”
For Joanna Lumley, staying active matters far more than the number attached to her birthday. She pointed out that reaching 80 would have been far less common a century ago, adding that she simply intends to keep working.
Retirement also isn’t on the agenda for her or her husband, Stephen Barlow, whom she married in 1986.
“We just keep on going,” she said. He joked that one day “dust will settle on our heads and people will stop using us.” Until then, she is happy playing “ancient grannies, vicious, ghastly mothers and sorrowed aunts.”
Her schedule certainly backs that up. Joanna Lumley is currently filming Netflix’s “Wednesday,” where she plays Grandmama Hester Frump, while also appearing in BBC’s “Amandaland.” She will soon front a new ITV travel documentary filmed across Argentina.
Calling “Wednesday” “unbelievably splendid and marvellous,” she said she had “never met such expenditure on a project” since appearing in a James Bond film decades ago.
Meanwhile, she says she is having “the best fun” filming “Amandaland.” The actress has nothing but praise for lead star Lucy Punch, calling her “quite exceptional” “extraordinarily beautiful” and “physically very funny”.
A Simple Approach Keeps Her Moving
According to Good Housekeeping, Joanna Lumley doesn’t rely on gym workouts to stay active.
Instead, she credits everyday movement. “I don’t go to the gym but I do stuff with vigour,” she explained, including housework, gardening and taking the stairs “two at a time.”
The approach aligns with what’s known as Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT. It focuses on building movement into daily life rather than structured exercise. Research has linked this type of activity with better long-term health, particularly as people get older.
Her Biggest Passion Extends Beyond Acting
Away from television, Joanna Lumley continues to devote significant time to wildlife conservation.
As detailed by Hello!, she has been a patron of the Born Free Foundation since 1984 and remains one of its most outspoken supporters. She has repeatedly condemned trophy hunting and the exploitation of wild animals.
Speaking about giraffes, she described them as “gentle, harmful to no one.”
“Why people shoot them as trophies is almost unbearable.”
Her advocacy has also expanded into calls for stronger animal welfare protections. According to The Telegraph, she recently urged the UK Government to implement legislation covering wildlife attractions promoted to tourists overseas.
“Many thousands of endangered elephants, monkeys, big cats, bears, dolphins and numerous other species could be saved if the law is now implemented.”
Between hit television shows, international travel, a milestone wedding anniversary and a lifelong conservation campaign, Joanna Lumley has filled her 80th year with fresh challenges. If anything, her latest chapter appears even busier than the last – and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
