Actors who win Oscars outlive Oscar nominees

Want to live longer? Here’s all you need to do. Star in a movie and win an Oscar.

According to a study conducted by Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, actors who win Oscars outlive Oscar nominees by nearly four years, on average.

Even better: win a best-director Oscar. That group tends to outlive non-winning directors AND actors.

But whatever you do, try to avoid winning an Oscar for best screenplay. Screenwriters who are nominated for an Academy Award and lose outlive winning screenwriters by more than three years.

The Canadian researchers say that, aside from screenwriters, these results confirm previous studies that found an association between high social status and longevity.

Oscar winners who lived long and prospered include Maureen Stapleton (who passed away earlier this week at age 80), Jimmy Stewart (lived to 89), Helen Hayes (lived to 92), and George Burns who completely threw off the curve by living to 100.

Sources:
“Oscar Winners Live Longer” Ivanhoe Newswire, 3/8/06, Ivanhoe.com