Susan Hampshire Reflects on Ageing, Generational Change and Her Remarkable Acting Career

Reaching the age of 90 would normally be considered an extraordinary achievement and a reason for celebration. For veteran British actress Susan Hampshire, however, growing old has led her to think about life and society in a very different way. As she prepares to celebrate her 90th birthday next May, the award-winning actress has expressed the unusual view that people from her generation may be occupying too much space and using resources that could instead benefit younger people.

Hampshire made the comments while attending a VIP evening performance of Abigail’s Party at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre. Rather than speaking enthusiastically about reaching such an important milestone, she suggested that she would prefer not to live for an excessively long time. Her remarks reflected her characteristically frank approach to discussing ageing and mortality.

The actress said she hoped she would not continue living for much longer than necessary. Her comments may sound pessimistic, particularly coming from someone approaching such a significant birthday, but they were connected to her broader concerns about the relationship between older and younger generations.

Hampshire believes that modern society has become increasingly crowded and that older people can sometimes prevent younger generations from gaining opportunities. She argued that people of her age should recognize that they have already experienced their period of success and should be prepared to make room for those who are coming after them.

According to the actress, her generation has already enjoyed its “day in the sun.” She believes that older people should eventually step aside and allow younger members of society to take their place. In her view, the world is already overcrowded, making it more difficult for younger people to find opportunities and resources.

Her comments also extend beyond employment or social opportunities. Hampshire appears concerned about the wider distribution of resources between generations. She believes that an older population continuing to grow in size can place additional pressure on society, while younger people may struggle to access the opportunities they need to establish their own lives.

Despite her long experience, Hampshire does not believe that simply becoming older automatically makes someone wiser. The actress, who has won three Emmy Awards during her distinguished career, suggested that elderly people should not necessarily assume that they possess greater wisdom simply because they have lived longer.

She pointed out that people can easily mistake age for wisdom. In her opinion, many older individuals may believe they have accumulated profound knowledge over the years, while in reality they may simply have developed opinions that are not necessarily correct. Her comments demonstrate a degree of self-awareness and humor about the limitations of experience.

Hampshire has maintained a distinctive lifestyle throughout much of her life. She has never taken drugs and did not begin drinking alcohol until she was in her thirties. These details reflect a relatively restrained personal life compared with the stereotypical image sometimes associated with celebrities from the entertainment industry.

Her views on ageing have also been influenced by difficult personal experiences. During the last decade of her life, Hampshire devoted considerable time to caring for her second husband, theatre impresario Sir Eddie Kulukundis, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for 14 years.

The couple had been married for approximately four decades, making their relationship a major part of Hampshire’s personal life. Kulukundis died in 2021 after his long battle with the disease. Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s for so many years was undoubtedly an emotionally demanding experience, and his death marked the end of a significant chapter in the actress’s life.

Despite losing her husband, Hampshire says that she has never considered marrying again. She explained that she continues to cherish his memory and enjoys thinking about the years they shared together. She remembers him as an exceptionally gentle and kind person and appears to have found comfort in maintaining an emotional connection with him after his death.

Rather than viewing the passage of time simply through the lens of ageing, Hampshire seems to approach it as a period of reflection. Her comments about her late husband suggest that memories remain extremely important to her, even though she has moved forward with her own life and career.

Hampshire has one child, a son named Christopher Granier-Deferre, who works as a film producer. He is from her first marriage to French film director Pierre Granier-Deferre. Her family life has therefore connected her to both the British and French worlds of theatre and cinema.

Despite her unconventional thoughts about longevity, Hampshire has shown no intention of completely withdrawing from professional life. Even as she approaches her 90th birthday, she continues to work as an actress. Her ongoing involvement in television demonstrates that she remains passionate about performing and is still willing to accept interesting opportunities.

One of her upcoming projects will see her return to the world that originally made her famous. Hampshire is set to reprise her role as the aristocratic Lady Carteret in the second season of Channel 5’s modern adaptation of The Forsytes. The role is particularly significant because Hampshire originally became widely known for appearing in the classic BBC adaptation of The Forsyte Saga during the 1960s.

Her involvement in the new series creates an interesting connection between different generations of television. Hampshire first appeared in the original adaptation decades ago, while the new production introduces the story to contemporary viewers. Her return allows audiences to see a veteran performer bringing decades of experience to a modern version of a story with which she has a long-standing association.

When discussing future acting opportunities, Hampshire does not appear to have a strict plan for retirement. Instead, she takes a relaxed attitude toward whatever might happen next. She says that if an interesting role comes her way and someone offers it to her, she would regard that opportunity as a pleasant surprise.

Her comment that many people probably assume she is already dead was delivered with characteristic humor. It also highlights how unusual her continued presence in the entertainment industry is. Having worked for many decades, she has reached an age at which audiences may not expect her to remain professionally active.

Susan Hampshire’s career has been unusually long and varied. Her performances in productions such as The Forsyte Saga and Monarch of the Glen established her as one of Britain’s best-known television actresses. Her three Emmy Awards further confirmed her talent and international reputation.

Yet her recent comments suggest that she does not view fame, age or professional achievement in conventional terms. Rather than demanding more opportunities for herself, she is willing to question whether older generations should continue occupying positions that might otherwise belong to younger people.

At the same time, Hampshire’s continued acting career presents an interesting contrast with her philosophy. Although she believes older generations should eventually make room for younger people, she is still accepting worthwhile professional roles herself. Perhaps this contradiction reflects a more nuanced attitude: she may not oppose older people continuing to work, but instead believes they should remain conscious of the needs and ambitions of younger generations.

As she approaches her 90th birthday, Hampshire therefore remains both reflective and professionally active. Her thoughts about ageing, death, memory and generational responsibility reveal a woman who is unafraid to challenge conventional attitudes toward growing old.

Whether or not she truly wishes to slow down, her continued appearance on television suggests that her career is far from finished. For audiences, her return as Lady Carteret offers another opportunity to watch an actress whose career has spanned generations. And for Hampshire herself, perhaps the best approach is simply to accept each new opportunity as it arrives, without worrying too much about how long the next chapter will last.