Turning 40 is one of the biggest milestones in life: so how do these 5 stars feel about reaching the age? Some are worried that their age might change their success so far, while others just felt happy to be alive and others fully embraced it because they believe as they age, things just get better. Turning 40 is a big step in life, but these stars have all put thought into their feelings towards the big birthday and are moving forward with their lives, excited at where the road will take them and how their journey will continue in the future. Here is what they have to say on the topic.
Dannii Minogue
Dannii felt privileged to be turning 40 and didn’t fear growing older at all: “For me, the biggest thing was just cherishing every moment. A lot of people asked me if I was scared about turning 40, but that was the last thing on my mind. I have lost one of my best friends to cancer and I thought, ‘She didn’t get the privilege of reaching 40 and here I am’. It made me feel so many emotions but none of them had to do with, ‘I need more eye cream’. It was just that it was a special moment. I really embraced it. I loved it.”
Winona Ryder
Winona was concerned that her age was going to effect her career negatively: “I’m at that age I’ve been warned my whole life about. It’s hard to imagine a time where Meryl Streep wasn’t the first choice for everything, but I was reading some article, and she said something like, ‘Yeah, when I was around 38, 39, I turned to my husband and said, ‘Should we just call it a day, or should we try to kick the can down the road?’ It was so weird to me to think about movies without her in them. But a lot of great actresses have chosen that.”
Matt Damon
Legendary actor Morgan Freeman told Matt that the best part of his life is still ahead of him which made him worry less about the future: “I was talking to Morgan and someone said I was about to turn 40 and Morgan said, ‘Are you about to turn 40?’ I said I was and he said, ‘You are just coming into your prime.’ I said, ‘Really?’ And he replied, ‘The 40s are the best decade by far. That’s when things really get good.’ “
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth was worried at first, but is now excited to see where her life takes her: I was really worried about it, leading up to the day, but now I feel really happy and content with my life. I’m excited to move into the next phase. It’s much more exciting than I thought it would be. I think I try to promote self-growth and reflection for myself every day.”
Elle Macpherson
Elle feels the best she has ever been because she is wiser now: “I feel better than I’ve ever felt. It’s not scary at all. The alternative is not turning 40 and then what would that mean? I don’t think turning 40 these days has the same connotation that it did generations ago. It’s a very different feeling, but it’s not like you turn 40 and it changes the next day. I’ve been really fortunate in that I think that I feel better about myself now than ever before. I feel more secure, I feel that I’ve started to understand myself more, I have the beauty of the love of my children. I feel more complete now than I did when I was 20. And wisdom is a beautiful thing. You get a greater understanding for oneself and a greater empathy for other people.”
