5 Over 50

Shue In

While still in high school, Elisabeth Shue (credited as Lisa Shue) appeared in a Burger King commercial alongside future stars Lea Thompson and Sarah Michelle Gellar. In her feature film debut a few years later, Shue, who turns 60 on October 6, famously played Ali Mills, the love interest in “The Karate Kid.” She followed up with “Cocktail,” opposite Tom Cruise. The New Jersey native, whose brother is actor Andrew Shue, won acclaim playing against type in “Leaving Las Vegas,” which earned her an Oscar nomination. In 2021, she reprised her role of Ali Mills in “The Karate Kid” spinoff “Cobra Kai.” After dropping out of Harvard with five remaining credits in 1985, Shue recently graduated from the university with a degree in political science. Shue and her husband, documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, have three children.

Extra, Extra

Born in Chula Vista, California to Mexican immigrants, Mario Lopez played a young student in an episode of “The Golden Girls” in one of his first roles. He also performed alongside Fergie (then known as Stacy Ann Ferguson) on the children’s show “Kids Incorporated.” The dimpled star, who turns 50 on October 10, rose to teen stardom with “Saved by the Bell,” before transitioning to hosting “Access Hollywood,” “X-Factor,” “Extra,” and other shows. A trained dancer and former high school wrestler, Lopez was a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars.” He wowed on Broadway in “A Chorus Line,” where he met his wife Courtney Lopez, a dancer in the show. The couple has been married since 2012 and has three children. Most recently, Lopez produced a new generation of the boy band Menudo, which just released its first single.

“Scream” Queen

Born to a Dutch mother (whose maiden name was Neve) and a Scottish father, Neve Campbell, who turns 50 on October 3, studied at the National Ballet School of Canada before joining the Toronto production of “The Phantom of the Opera” at 14. When dance injuries shifted her focus to acting, she landed a role as a regular on the Canadian sketch comedy show “The Kids in the Hall.” Her breakout role on “Party of Five” propelled her to film roles in cult classics such as “The Craft” and “Scream.” Recently, she starred as a Deputy District Attorney in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” series. The actress, who has two children with her partner, actor JJ Feild, will next appear in the new TV series “Twisted Metal,” a live-action adaptation of a video game.

The Marvelous Mr. Shalhoub

Though he has played Italian, Jewish, and other ethnic roles, Tony Shalhoub, who turns 70 on October 9, was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin to Lebanese parents. After arriving in Los Angeles, he landed the first role he auditioned for: an Italian cabdriver on the long-running sitcom “Wings.” For eight seasons, Shalhoub played an obsessive-compulsive detective on “Monk,” earning him three Emmys. He’d go on to win yet another as Abe Weissman on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Shalhoub met his wife, actress Brooke Adams, while performing on Broadway. The couple has been married since 1992 and has two grown children. Next up, Shaloub will reprise his “Monk” role in an upcoming TV movie.

Enchanted Juror

On vacation in Hawaii in 1991, James Marsden met actors Kirk Cameron and his sister Candace Cameron Bure, who invited him to visit L.A. and encouraged him to pursue an acting career. Soon, he was cast in small roles on “The Nanny” and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” credited as Jimmy Marsden. The Oklahoma native, who turns 50 on September 18, gained fame as Cyclops in the original “X-Men” series and as Prince Edward in “Enchanted,” and the 2022 sequel, “Disenchanted.” Twice named to People’s List of “Most Beautiful People,” Marsden recently played an exaggerated version of himself in the mockumentary series “Jury Duty,” which earned him his first Emmy nomination. He will play fitness guru Jack LaLanne in “Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story,” a Jerry Seinfeld-directed film set to be released in 2023.

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