Turn off the hundred candles as if it were the most natural thing in the world, with the same smile they proudly displayed on the posters of the most famous films, classics of the most glittering Hollywood ever. Indeed, there are many divas and celebrities who have reached the finish line or be there, surrounded by memorabilia and prizes they have won throughout their careers.

The secret of the stars

The last in chronological order is Olivia de Havilland, who on July 1, 2019 has completed the beauty of 103 years. Of the artistic and technical cast of Gone With the Wind, in which he played the character of Melania Hamilton, Olivia is the only survivor. At the time of shooting, in order to cope with temperatures that were not at all generous and reinvigorate properly, he ate the spinach salad, dressed with apple cider vinegar, with a certain regularity. Today, as a perfect Englishman, he admits that he cannot give up tea, which often combines biscuits belonging to different gastronomic traditions, "so much tea goes well with everything".

Kirk Douglas follows it, celebrating 102 years on December 9th 2018 with his third wife Anne, a film producer who crossed the 100 mark last April 23rd. The couple, one of the longest-lived in Hollywood, admits to having a healthy diet, consisting mainly of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds. And if the most recent studies on the subject have shown that those who follow a vegetarian diet have less chance of suffering from degenerative diseases, Kirk Douglas admits a small "weakness": he is crazy about Japanese food, especially when accompanied by soy sauce.

Who does not respect this rule absolutely, instead, Betty White, arzilla 97enne that, in an interview to "Bon Appetit!", Reveals to be crazy about very unhealthy foods like chips, hot dogs, vodka and soda and the so-called red whips, small red cues with liquorice flavor that, by White's own admission, "are my curse". Evil say they keep the actress from Three hearts for rent so in shape are the preservatives of the food that it ingests but, even if it were so, it would be a consolation to think of being able to swallow so many fats and reach almost 100 years.

Another great actress who has exceeded 90 (currently she goes for the 94) is Angela Lansbury, the legendary Jessica Fletcher of Murder, she wrote, which continues to act (we saw it in 2018 in The return of Mary Poppins) and follows a very British diet. In fact, the day begins with a good cup of tea and oatmeal cookies, then continues with a salad of sliced ​​tomatoes and basil enriched with a piece of grilled chicken. As a side dish, asparagus and Brussels sprouts while, finally, a delicious pudding accompanied by a slice of soaked bread.

We close with Honor Blackman, 94, who in 1964 joined Sean Connery in the third film of the James Bond series, Goldfinger mission. His favorite food is lamb, of which he especially appreciates the shoulder. If he could, he would gladly prepare him for former US president Barack Obama, whom Honor calls incredibly brave and fascinating. In short, getting close to and beyond 100 years does not seem to be bound by strict rules in terms of food: perhaps, to be decisive, it is the serenity of having led a full life and having obtained from the career all the satisfactions that could be had.