Linda Hamilton, 69, Opens Up About Fighting Aging After Film Stunt Damage

She’s managed to remain an action film star well into her 60s.

But Linda Hamilton revealed that she’s less focused on the physical signs of aging than many other actresses of her generation.

The 69-year-old star of the Terminator franchise revealed that she does ‘not spend a moment trying to look younger on any level, ever,’ in an interview with AARP Movies for Grownups that was published on Tuesday. 

Hamilton had a zen attitude about aging after decades on screen, even though her body has weathered mounting ‘damage’ over the years that she acquired from doing her own stunts on screen.

‘I have just completely surrendered to the fact that this is the face that I’ve earned. And it tells me so much,’ she shared.

Hamilton, who will be appearing in the fifth and final season of Netflix’s hit sci-fi thriller series Stranger Things, emphasized that she refrains from ‘chase beauty’ and instead focuses on remaining ‘fully planted in the moment.’

However, the film star clarified that that she’s still passionate about remaining healthy at her age.

‘But not all the time — sometimes it is just a jelly donut,’ she said. ‘I’m not rigid, which is a fantastic way to get older. 

‘I’ve always said that rigidifying is what kills us: the rigid thoughts and the sort of not moving,’ Hamilton opined. ‘I’ve tried very hard in my life to stay as fluid as possible.’

She went on to share a metaphor about swimming in the middle of a fast-flowing river, rather than trying to swim to one of the banks, to explain how she has managed to find happiness by going with the flow.

‘That, truly, is kind of what my life has been. It’s been a great, fun ride,’ Hamilton added.

The Terminator 2: Judgment Day star also acknowledge the toll that being a leading actress and action star has taken on her body.

Hamilton has performed her own stunts in multiple Terminator films, which has led to ‘a lot of damage and harm’ over the years.

To ease some of the negative effects of her injuries, she maintains a regimen of three workouts per week, which was helpful for her Stranger Things turn.

Hamilton said her workouts usually include a mix of Pilates, yoga, free weights, exercise machines and cables, along with other exercises. 

‘And I kind of love that: to go in and not have a chest and back day, but just have a “What do you need to loosen up and stretch out today,”‘ she said.

Hamilton also shared her excitement about her new role in the upcoming season of Stranger Things.

The actress’ casting was announced in June 2023, but it was more than a year later that she was first pictured on set, and since then her character has remained under wraps. 

‘I couldn’t wait to tell people. I just couldn’t wait,’ Hamilton said of the role.

In February 2024, she revealed to Us Weekly that she was a huge fan of the seires who had ‘watched every season with relish,’ adding that she ‘just love[s]’ the series.

But Hamilton also has a long-standing habit of never watching films or television shows that she appears in, which has put her fandom to the test.

‘When you really buy into something, you don’t see yourself in it,’ she explained. ‘So I think, in a way, it kind of ruined the show for me. I never watch [a project], once I’m in something.’ 

‘It would just completely take me out of the reality of it to see myself in there,’ she continued. ‘So I won’t be watching [Season 5].’

Hamilton shared that the show’s creators, Ross and Matt Duffer, had explained details about her character over a video chat session, but they had avoided sharing much of the final season’s plot in hopes of avoiding leaks.

‘It takes a lot of discipline to not know where it’s going to go. But that’s to protect it from all of the people that want to know,’ Hamilton said.