"When you say you're 40, you can't call yourself an ingenue any more," Molly Ringwald once reportedly said. The Godard star, now 56, knows what she's talking about; when she came up, actresses either played beautiful young things or mom roles, with a steep drop-off of good parts after that. Times have changed, albeit not enough. These celebrities all recently turned 40, and they look amazing and, more importantly, are at the top of their games at work. From actresses like America Ferrera, to wrestlers like The Bella Twins, and singers like Michelle Branch, these ladies are embracing their 40s.
1. America Ferrera
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America Ferrera shared some of her favorite workouts with People. She says that she likes to do Zumba. “It's so many of the things that I love when I'm looking for a workout,” Ferrera explained. “It's fun, it's high energy. I love anything that has to do with choreography because it takes my mind off the fact that I'm working out. And before you know it, it's done, and I've done my workout for the day.”
2. Olivia Wilde
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Olivia Wilde isn’t just a great actress, she’s also a great director. She opened up about making the transition to CNBC’s Make It. “I think sometimes we all get into the mindset that if you’ve chosen your career at 25 — that’s it. You can’t shift your career focus and it’s just not true. I think we need to continue to evolve and trust [our] own evolution and don’t be afraid to pivot.”
3. Mandy Moore
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Mandy Moore opened up about getting some physical activity into her schedule to Bustle. “I’ve given myself a little bit of a pass to not be on my workout game as much,” she says. “If I can go on a daily walk with the family, then I’m doing my part. We have a 3-mile loop we like to do with our dog and Gus. If I can find the time, I love a Peloton ride. I want to start hiking again and feel more connected to the outdoors; I love to feel grounded and sort of slowly climb uphill. That’s my favorite thing.”
4. Miranda Lambert
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Miranda Lambert shared her favorite skincare products with CNN. “Moisturizer and sunscreen are my ultimate makeup daily secret weapons. I love all of Laneige’s hydrating products, especially their sleeping masks for the face and lips. I also help strengthen my skin’s barrier with Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream.”
5. Zoe Perry
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Zoe Perry opened up about living up to her famous parents in an interview with Backstage. “Starting out, I don’t think I had the emotional stamina. When I first started pursuing acting professionally out of college, it was very much in my head that there would be comparisons with potentially both of my parents, and I found that pretty intimidating. When one is starting out, you’re trying to do right by them and not embarrass myself and not embarrass them. But with time and with experience and getting some jobs and getting more confident along the way, it’s been more and more of a pleasure to encounter some of those comparisons. I’m biased, but I think they’re both absolutely incredible, and I’m flattered if those comparisons get drawn now, maybe not as intimidated as I used to be.”
6. Brie Bella
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Wrestler Brie Bella, and her twin sister, Nikki, shared their wellness secrets with Us Weekly. Bella says that she looks to her children when she is feeling insecure with herself. “When I look in the mirror and start to get negative, I look at my kids running around. They’re healthy. This is the body that birthed them. I feel blessed.”
7. Nikki Bella
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In the same Us Weekly interview, Nikki Bella opened up about her diet. She says that she makes sure to eat healthy and avoids unhealthy foods. “I don’t drink soda; I don’t eat fried food unless it’s french fried every now and then. I make sure to get protein and veggies in.”
8. Camilla Luddington
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9. Katharine McPhee
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Katharine McPhee shared her skincare secrets with Glamour. In it, she revealed her go-to serum. “I want to give a shout-out and big kudos to my really great friend Sahar Sanjar, who about a year ago launched her company Sundree. She has a beautiful serum that I really love, the Ryse + Shyne hydrating facial serum. It's an amazing price point and not sticky. Some serums can be a little bit sticky, but this one is a perfect consistency. She also makes really great eye patches. I don't do those every day, but I definitely love to use her serum after I cleanse.”
10. Cecily Strong
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Cecily Strong admits to Glamour that she doesn’t always look forward to exercising, but she always makes sure to do so. “I can't tell you how much I hate exercise. I hate the act. I hate the culture. I hate the people who talk about loving it. Gym people are from a different world than I am. But I have to throw it in here because the feeling I get after exercising is way more amazing than I'd like to admit. I feel more confident. Plus I have crazy anxiety, and sometimes a 20-minute Jillian Michaels DVD workout hurts the emotional stress right out of me.”
11. Cheryl Burke
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Dancer Cheryl Burke shared some of her favorite workouts in an interview with GMA. "When I'm not dancing it's important I stay in shape, and for me, because I've been so active my whole life it's hard for me just to go on a treadmill and run for a few miles. I love boxing because it's similar to dancing, you have to memorize certain moves ... and it's not just challenging for the body but you have to use your brain as well.”
12. Tessa Thompson
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Tessa Thompson talked about inventing her own at-home workouts with Grazia. “I think necessity is the mother of invention and I'm really inspired by the people online that have really figured out a workout routine. Mine is a bit more haphazard but I do try to do something physical every day. I’ll run, and try to meditate. My dog really enjoys it when I do yoga, and recently I decided I would use him as a weight: sometimes I just do reps with him.”
13. Jana Kramer
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Singer, podcast host, and actress, Jana Kramer, shared her approach to fitness with New Beauty. “Fitness is a huge passion of mine; it keeps me healthy and energized for all that I have going on! Hiking, squats, planks and running are just a few of the ways I keep myself in shape. I’ve learned that it’s not just about working out; it’s what you put in your body too. You have to take care of your overall lifestyle with eating, stress, etc. and find a balance.”
14. Michelle Branch
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Michelle Branch shared her secrets for eating healthy on the road to Whole Life Times.“Try to find a local natural foods market because a lot of those places have salad bars and delis. Our bus has a fridge and a little stove so we stock up with essentials. If I have time to go out, I usually Google restaurants that support local organic ideals. If we’re catering in, I’ll eat the vegetarian option as opposed to the meat because [the meat] creeps me out.”
15. Adrienne Bailon
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Adrienne Bailon shared some of her wellness secrets with Us Weekly. She says that she loves to take her Hashimoto’s medication with hot water and lemon each morning. "[This drink] helps me make wiser decisions when I'm walking downstairs to eat breakfast. Instead of having the pancakes that my mom is making for my nieces, I stick to my regimen and what I know I should be having, which really is an immunity smoothie."
16. Kimberly Perry
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Kimberly Perry talked about recovering from her divorce to Thrive Global. “I’ve always been somebody who felt like they really had it together. And it was hard to not have it together at all in those moments. But it was so helpful to talk to the people around me. That was one Microstep I did every day. I think vulnerability was very important for me: communication with a vulnerable and open heart.”
17. Lzzy Hale
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Lzzy Hale is best known as the lead singer of Halestorm. She talked about being grateful for her career on a Tumblr post. "These are good times that I look back on and I wouldn’t trade for the world," says Hale. "I also would never want to go back to them. I’m very proud of the empire I’ve built with my band, and have always been bent on moving forward."
18. Cheryl
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Singer and TV personality, Cheryl, shared some of her wellness secrets in an interview with Marie Claire. She shared her favorite workouts in the interview. “I like yoga. I like Bikram, and I like it to be hot as I feel like my heart's pounding and I've done something. You feel like you've been stretched from head-to-toe. There are millions of different types of yoga. I also love Pilates - I haven't been doing any the jumping around stuff, put it that way.”
19. Summer Rae
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WWE star, Summer Rae, shared her training secrets with Iron Man Magazine. “The first thing I do after traveling is Google the nearest gym. I get in a good workout, then I get to the arena and have my match. Sometimes we don’t get to the next city until four a.m. but I’m up at nine a.m. to hit the gym. This year I started ordering my food from ICON Meals and having them deliver it to me on the road. I can customize my meals to my personal plan. Bringing my food on the road has changed everything for me.”
20. Amber Rose
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Amber Rose shared her diet and workout secrets with OK! Magazine. She says that she believes in moderation when it comes to food. “I kind of just eat whatever I want. I’m a Philly girl so I grew up eating cheesesteaks and cheese fires and all this fattening, good tasting food. I still kind of do that, but in moderation. But I work out and try to drink a lot of water.”
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