5 Over 50

From Pageants to The Voice’s Biggest Winner

When Blake Shelton was a kid, his mom entered him in beauty pageants, specifically the talent portion, just so he could show off his singing voice. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Shelton moved to Nashville after high school to chase a career in country music. That gamble paid off. His breakout hit, “Austin,” arrived in 2001. He went on to rack up more than 25 No. 1 singles, including favorites like “Honey Bee” and “God’s Country.” Despite selling over 10 million records worldwide, Shelton may be best known as a longtime coach on The Voice. It was there that he met his wife, singer Gwen Stefani – and made show history as its most successful coach, with the most winning contestants.

Shelton married Stefani in 2021 and is now stepfather to her three children. He’s also the first country star ever named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” Offstage, Shelton is a co‑owner of Ole Red, a Southern‑themed chain of restaurants and bars in Oklahoma and Nashville, where he’s been known to pop in unannounced and grab the mic. Turning 50 on June 18, Shelton is set to take the stage for a sold‑out Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace.

Still in Control

Janet Jackson was born to perform. The youngest of ten, she made her stage debut in Las Vegas at just seven years old alongside her brothers, The Jackson 5. Before conquering the music charts, Janet built a successful acting career in the 1970s and ’80s, appearing on TV shows such as Good Times, Different Strokes and Fame. Born in Gary, Indiana, and raised in Los Angeles, Janet’s childhood was anything but ordinary. She grew up surrounded by exotic pets, including a giraffe, chimpanzee and toucan. She landed a recording contract as a teenager, launching her music career with her self‑titled debut album in 1982. It was her third release, Control, that shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and delivered five hits, including “Nasty” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately?”

With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, Jackson remains the only woman to score five consecutive No. 1 studio albums, including the iconic Rhythm Nation 1814. Now celebrating 40 years in music with a worldwide tour, she’s one of only three women to land hits across five different decades. Turning 60 on May 16, Janet now calls London home, where she lives with her son, Eissa.

Magnificent Margulies

Julianna Margulies, who turns 60 on June 8, is best known for her Emmy-winning roles as head nurse Carol Hathaway on the medical drama ER and as powerhouse attorney Alicia Florrick on the legal drama The Good Wife. In her memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life, Margulies describes her childhood as nomadic and unpredictable. The daughter of a ballet dancer and an advertising executive who divorced when she was a year old, Margulies shuttled between New York, Paris, and England with her mother and two older sisters. At Sarah Lawrence College in New York, she studied art history, English, and theater. After appearing in several campus plays, she made her screen debut in the action film Out for Justice.

Among her many television roles, the award-winning actress starred in the hit miniseries The Mists of Avalon, appeared in the popular drama series Billions and The Sopranos, and guest-starred for two seasons on The Morning Show with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Margulies and her husband, Keith Lieberthal, live in New York City with their son, Kieran. Next up, she is slated to star in the indie drama Penny, based on a memoir about a woman living in 1970s New York coping with a degenerative eye disease.

Charismatic Colin

Born in a Dublin suburb, Colin Farrell – who turns 50 on May 31 – once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player like his father and uncle. With his brother's encouragement, he traded the pitch for drama school, then promptly dropped out after landing a role on the BBC series Ballykissangel. From there, Farrell went on to star opposite Tom Cruise in Minority Report and in films like In Bruges, Alexander, and Saving Mr. Banks.

In 2009, Farrell struck up an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth Taylor after the two crossed paths at Cedars‑Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The pair shared late‑night phone calls for years about movies, television, and poetry. Farrell later honored their friendship by reciting a poem at Taylor’s funeral in 2011. Inspired by his eldest son, James, who has Angelman syndrome, Farrell launched The Colin Farrell Foundation in 2024 to support adults with intellectual disabilities. Up next, he stars as lead detective in season two of Sugar, and next year returns as The Penguin in The Batman: Part II.

Legendary Joe

Raised in a coal‑mining town south of Pittsburgh, legendary quarterback Joe Montana turns 70 on June 11. His family’s Italian surname was originally “Montani,” later Americanized to Montana. Growing up, he was a natural all‑around athlete, excelling in baseball, basketball, and football. Montana went on to lead the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl titles, earned three Super Bowl MVP awards, and secured his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 49ers officially retired his iconic No. 16 jersey in 1997, and in 2006, his hometown honored him by renaming Ringgold High School’s field Joe Montana Stadium.

Since retiring after 16 NFL seasons, Montana has found success as an investor and co‑founder of a venture capital firm. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Jennifer and their four children. Fun fact: when the couple first met on the set of a razor commercial in the 1980s, she had no idea who he was.

Most recently, Montana teamed up with Guinness to launch a limited‑edition “Legends Lager,” released in February 2026 for Super Bowl LX, with proceeds supporting the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank.

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