I'm In Shock After Seeing A Young Sam Elliott — And 20 Other Celebrity Silver Foxes That Have Dramatically Changed Since Their First Roles

Hollywood loves a leading man...especially when they age like fine wine. From silver foxes to Zaddys, there's just something about famous older men that people can't get enough of...

Which is why I decided it was the perfect time to take a stroll down memory lane and compare how well these celeb guys have aged since their first roles. So, without further ado, let's see just how much some of our favorite male celebs have changed throughout their careers:

1. Patrick Dempsey , at 20 years old, for his role in the Fast Times at Ridgemont High TV adaption (1986):

Patrick Dempsey now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

James Gourley / Getty Images

2. Sir Ian McKellen playing the poet John Keats in the TV show Solo when he was 31 years old (1970):

Sir Ian McKellen now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Radio Times / Getty Images, Dave Benett / Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Wolseley Hospitality Group

3. Mark Harmon, in his first movie role, for the film Comes a Horseman (1978), when he was 27 years old:

Mark Harmon now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

United Artists / ©United Artists/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection, Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

4. Steve Martin in his first feature film, The Jerk (1979), at 34 years old:

Steve Martin now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

5. James Earl Jones in his second-ever movie role in the film The Comedians (1967), when he was 36 years old:

James Earl Jones in 2019:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Courtesy Everett Collection

6. Christopher Meloni in one of his first movie roles for the film, Bound (1996), when he was 35 years old:

Christopher Meloni now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

7. Timothy Olyphant in one of his first roles for the TV show High Incidence (1996-1997) when he was 28 years old:

Timothy Olyphant in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Abc / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection, Michael Kovac / Getty Images for Ghetto Film School

8. Morgan Freeman, in his first significant TV role on The Electric Company (1971-1977), when was in his thirties:

Morgan Freeman now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

/ Courtesy Everett Collection, Arnold Jerocki / WireImage

9. Clint Eastwood in a promo shot for the TV show, Rawhide , which he starred in from 1959 to 1966:

Clint Eastwood in 2020:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Courtesy Everett Collection, Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

10. Jeff Goldblum, at 27 years old, in the disco flick, Thank God It's Friday (1978):

Jeff Goldblum now:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Courtesy Everett Collection, Mike Marsland / Mike Marsland/WireImage

11. Tommy Lee Jones in the 1977 made for TV movie, The Amazing Howard Hughes , at 31 years old:

Tommy Lee Jones in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Rodin Eckenroth / WireImage

12. Colin Firth, in a promo shot for his first film Another Country (1984), when he was 24 years old:

Colin Firth in 2022:

Here's a side-by-side-comparison:

Orion Pictures Corp / ©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection, Axelle / FilmMagic

13. Anthony Hopkins as Richard the Lionheart in the 1968 film The Lion in Winter , when he was 31 years old:

Anthony Hopkins in 2022:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Screen Archives / Getty Images, Karwai Tang / Getty Images

14. Idris Elba, in one of his first movies, The Gospel (2005), when he was 33 years old:

Idris Elba in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

15. Sam Elliott in a promo shot for the TV show Mission Impossible , in 1970 when he was 26 years old:

Sam Elliott in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images, Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

16. Robert Redford on the set of one his first films Inside Daisy Clover (1965), when he was 29 years old:

Robert Redford in 2021:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images, Valery Hache / AFP via Getty Images

17. Stanley Tucci in a promo shot for the short-lived TV show, Wiseguy (1988-1990), when he was 28 years old:

Stanley Tucci in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

CBS via Getty Images, Nbc / Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

18. Anderson Cooper, in a promo shot for ABC News in 1997, when he was 30 years old:

Anderson Cooper in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Abc Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images, Bravo / Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images

19. Don Cheadle at 28 years old in a promo shot for The Golden Girl's sequel, The Golden Palace (1992):

Don Cheadle in 2016:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

CBS via Getty Images, Matthias Nareyek / WireImage

20. Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter (1978), his first major movie role at 35 years old:

Christopher Walken in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection, Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images

21. Kurt Russell in the TV show Love, American Style (1969) when he was 18 years old:

Kurt Russell in 2023:

Here's a side-by-side comparison:

Cbs Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images, Rodin Eckenroth / WireImage

Which silver fox do you think has changed the most? Are there any other celebs who are aging like fine wine? Let us know in the comments!