Joanna Lumley says 'I don't have much longer' after personal tragedies
Joanna Lumley says 'I don't have much longer' after personal tragedies
Joanna Lumley admits she thinks about death a lot as many of her friends have passed away - but the Absolutely Fabulous star says getting older has made her more energetic
Joanna Lumley admits she spends a lot of time thinking about her own mortality
(Image: Getty Images )
Dame Joanna Lumley admits "there's not a lot of time left" as she reflects on her own mortality.
The 78-year-old actor and comedian admits she spends a lot of time thinking about growing older. Speaking to the Mirror, she explained it comes after losing a number of people close to her.
Joanna said: "All kinds of my beloved friends are beginning to leave. My time must be coming quite soon and I don't want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet."
Despite acknowledging her mortality, Joanna's schedule remains bustling with impressive projects. In 2023, she graced screens in BBC's Amandaland, and in 2024 she appeared in Netflix's critically-acclaimed drama Fool Me Once.
Her penchant for adventure recently led her to helm an ITV travel series journeying along the 1,770-mile length of the River Danube. Joanna says she "always knew" good projects would come along as she got older, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Joanna Lumley says she thinks a lot about mortality
(Image: Getty )
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In a chat with My Weekly, Joanna confidently shares her evolution from restless youth to a poised elder: "I used to panic when I was young, but as I've got older I've started literally to live day to day. With age, you work out what matters.
"I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, longed to be 50.
"We mustn't be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good."
Furthermore, she offers a stark insight to today's youth about the pitfalls of technology, cautioning that the omnipresence of social media might impair their social skills.
Joanna still looks fabulous at the age of 78
(Image: Getty )
Joanna stressed the importance of self-reflection for the younger generation, saying: "My big message to the young that you need time in your head. I'm so afraid we're going to breed a generation who don't know the world and don't know how to talk."
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The actress's glittering career on screen includes roles in timeless classics such as The New Avengers and Sapphire and Steel, cult favourite Absolutely Fabulous, alongside newer hits like Finding Alice and Motherland. Her journey into the spotlight began in the 60s with her role on Coronation Street as one of Ken Barlow's earliest girlfriends.
Her ventures into film have placed her alongside stars like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and in family favourite Paddington 2. Acknowledged for her contribution to drama, entertainment, and charity work, Joanna was appointed a Dame in 2022.
Away from the screen, Joanna is married to conductor Stephen Barlow, 70. She is a devoted mum to son Jamie, 57, and she has two granddaughters, Alice, 22, and Emily, 21.
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