Teri Hatcher, Cybill Shepherd and Linda Evans Come Clean to Oprah About Aging in Hollywood

By The Editors of StyleList Posted Oct 2nd 2010 07:01AM

Three Hollywood leading ladies came clean to Oprah Winfrey about the difficulty of aging in Tinseltown, washing off their makeup and opening their hearts.

Teri Hatcher, Cybill Shepherd and a rare appearance by 'Dynasty' star Linda Evans highlighted Winfrey's show, which revealed the insecurities and physical struggles of the stars. The trio contends they've had to deal with the intense social pressure to stay youthful and flawless, which they've decided they're past obsessing over anymore.

When Teri Hatcher posted bare-faced and sopping wet-haired photos straight out of the shower on her Facebook page just weeks ago, a public frenzy ensued over the star's willingness to reveal her self-described undereye circles, uneven skin tone and clearly non-Botoxed brow furrows. "I don't want to stop taking glamorous pictures -- they're fun -- but I just want people to know the truth," Hatcher told Oprah. "I think if we can accept the truth and reveal the mystery, we can enjoy both things."

The 45 year-old actress did admit to receiving Botox injections a couple years after daughter Emerson Rose was born in 1997 because she looked 'so tired,' though the former 'Superman' star says she hasn't had injections since.

Hatcher took a flip cam along on her morning routine so viewers could see her transformation from disheveled and crinkled-looking woman who woke up at 5:23am, to a near-flawless 'Desperate Housewives' star only a couple hours later. Squinting straight into the camera before makeup was about to commence, the star joked, "Can you say sh-t on 'Oprah'? Because that's what I look like!"

The day ended with Hatcher's long late night bath ritual, where she took off her makeup in front of the camera after a long day's work in order to show other women that she looks just like them when they do the same. "I'm willing to be naked in the bath tub on behalf of women feeling good about themselves," said Hatcher, which brought cheers from the 'Oprah' audience.

Cybill Shepherd followed, telling Oprah that despite being on seven covers of Glamour magazine, she would always look in the mirror after seeing one and beat herself up for not looking like the highly retouched and glossy image. "I would go home and say to myself, 'Why don't I look like that cover?'" the 60 year-old told Oprah.

After decades of enjoying the Hollywood opportunities her beauty opened the doors for, Shepherd says that the reality of aging hit her particularly hard. "I was scared that when I got older, I would no longer be valued. You were disposable in this disposable culture," Shepherd told Oprah. "I remember noticing when men were looking at my daughters, and not at me. I would be out and see men's eyes going towards the younger women. It was disturbing."

The one-time girlfriend of Elvis Presley says she has since discovered that her value exists in her inner wisdom, and that she strives to find things she loves about her body everyday.

A glowing Linda Evans appeared afterwards, and immediately admitted to a surprised Oprah that she had never thought of herself as an attractive woman. "What you look like has nothing to do with what you think about yourself," said Evans.

When she was 28, first husband John Derek left Evans for 15 year-old Bo Derek -- which Evans says she dealt with by replacing his absence with a busy career. The actress said she found that equally unsatisfying because of the fluctuations of popularity based entirely on viewer ratings.

The former 'Dynasty' star admitted to plastic surgery in her 50s, which she attributed to wanting to look sexy for her boyfriend at the time -- musician Yanni -- who was 12 years her junior. "I was in love. But I'm not sorry I got it," said Evans, who further elaborated that the upkeep needed to maintain the look was more than she was interested in continuing.

After leaving Hollywood to move to Rainier, Washington while on a 'spiritual journey,' Evans says she gained 25 pounds in her first year alone because she could finally enjoy food and drink, and that she never felt healthier or more satisfied with the glare of the spotlight no longer on her. "I'm happier because I don't define myself by what other people think. In my 50s, I was forced to give up the game. You get older and wiser, that's the great thing about aging," Evans told Oprah. "You get more certain in yourself and who you are and what you want."

Cameras followed Evans to her modest one bedroom home, set on 70 acres of bird-singing land with a river running through it. Evans smiled as she pointed out neighboring homes belonging to her sister, nephew and step daughter with ex-husband Derek, whom she says she is very close to.

Clearly at ease and more fulfilled than ever, the anything-but Desperate Housewife's closing comments said it best.

"There's an obligation these people marketing to us have on how else we can define beauty. No one is giving us an option to open our mind to what else could be considered beautiful," said Hatcher, who then looked directly at Evans. "What is more beautiful than realizing this great peace in your life?"

Tags: oprah winfrey, teri hatcher

Comments

(16)

Saturday 02 October

By Sue

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Linda Evans was always a gracious lady. The fact that her step daughter lives on the property with her says volumes about the incredible person she must be.

By miamiprep

Hat off to all 3 of these women. But Linda Evans: WHAT A DOLL! She has a wonderful perspective on life.

By Patty

Linda Evans' stepdaughter living on her property, that
says VOLUMES about this LADY. She has to be Very Special.
I didn't get to see the other's.

By Over50AndHappy

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It takes courage to age gracefully. Few women demonstrate that courage, and their self-acceptance of the inevitable. It's sad how many try to hang on to fleeting youth/beauty that ultimately look like fools and keep plastic surgeons in business. It's a shame society puts such importance on youth and beauty, after all, you can't stop time... good for those that "know" better! For those that don't...Consider the alternative.

By benji

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Linda Evans and her healthy, Norwegian thinking is a delight.
All 3 of these women where wonderfull and finaly we cann spit at the Amercan obsession about age and looks. We are controlled( so we think) by the YOUTH syndrome of this country and look dumb and stupid to the Europeans, rightly so.

In general , American's love to follow the HERD and take one look at the women in the mall's, dressing like there daughters.
It's pathetic and sad how obsessed we are while all along we are totaly, sloppyly dressed.

By Gina

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This woman is nothing but BLING. Why does she warrant such ad nauseum media coverage, anyway?

Why not bombard us with the pretty people doing worthy things for our world? We readers are less shallow than the media thinks.

By DJ

I'm sorry I missed this show. We need more shows like this. People need to quit feeding the perfection myth and spending all their time and money trying to maintain a facade. Even young, beautiful girls like Heidi Montag Pratt and her sister-in-law, Stephanie Pratt, are getting plastic surgery. It's ridiculous. Plastic surgery should mainly be for people who have been disfigured by some accident or illness, not for people endlessly tweaking themselves until they look like freaks.

By bernadette

I applaud all of them...Marilyn Monroe was considered a beauty without plastic surgery...Please, back to reality.

By Rois, Ireland

It's widely known Marilyn Monroe had a nose job right before her career took off. I'm not saying that she wasn't beautiful because I love her and I have posters of her in my room and I always watch her movies on DVDs, I love her.

Tuesday 21 December

By memphisbelle

I am of the opinion that Marilyn also had breast augmentation surgery. Her nude calendar photo in the early days of her career bears no resemblance to her proportions later on.

Monday 04 October

By Heartbreak Kid

Looks like they all lost that fight.........

By Jessica

I think this interview by Oprah is what the world is missing. A realization that our idolization of celebrities has created an image that is impossible even for the A listers to maintain. Our socieity needs to once again understand that natural beauty is truly more attractive and seductive then hollywood perfection. The Japanese have an understanding of perfection that goes beyond our westernization of the concept, they call is Wabi-Sabi. In this concept, an object is aesthetically perfect only through the acceptance of it's imperfections.

The aesthetic industry is not evil at it's core, but the problem is that most doctors and technicians don't understand that indivudualy differences and imperfections are the reasons for true beauty. It is rare to find someone who understnads this and is able to utilize today's technology to focus on the maintenece of one's natural beauty as we age, the only person I know who has perfected this is Dr. Arnold Klein. He truly finds perfection through one's individual differences and imperfections. He understands that true beauty is within, yet has also been able to maintain my outer beauty and slow the process of aging. He has never tried to make me conform to someone elses description of beauty, and I respect that.

By freddie

i always loved linda evans. god was she a beautiful woman in big valley and dynasty. nobody could top her beauty back then!!!!

Saturday 18 December

By Wes

All three of these ladies have aged gracefully and are still very beautiful. I will always be partial to Teri Hatcher as I think she is still extremely sexy!

Monday 25 April

By Erin

It doesn't matter if you are a celebrity or not. Employers and the world as a whole treat people differently when they start getting old. Youth is valued and age is feared. Sad but true.
These three ladies must be the only truthful people left in Hollywood. It gets me when some of the celebs who are pushing 70 and have not a wrinkle or sag, always say "good genes". Yeah, right.

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