Call the Midwife star Jenny Agutter says she still gets given roles in films and TV shows because she didn’t ‘freeze her face in her 40s’.
The actress claims not getting Botox has meant she is in demand for her ‘mature’ face.
And she warns there is a risk that a new generation of actresses who have undergone irreversible cosmetic procedures ‘won’t look the part’ when they are older.
The 66-year-old - who found international fame as a teenager after starring in The Railway Children, suggests people should be proud of their wrinkles.
“The roles I go for now aren’t just because of my maturity,” she says. “The producers want me to look as mature as I do, rather than the ‘not quite sure what age I am’ because I froze my face in my forties.
“There is a risk of there being a new generation of actresses who won’t look the part when they’re older. This is because they’re having cosmetic procedures and making a change they can’t go back on.”
In the interview with Woman & Home magazine, the actress - whose son Jonathan is a doctor - says she is not totally against medical intervention.
“If you told me you could have a muscle-rejuvenating drug I might go for it - but surgery is a major thing.
“If everyone was less fixated by looking younger, people would be allowed to look their age. If you’ve earned some lines on your face, you should show them!”
The actress - who moved to Hollywood after she hit the big time - found herself with an army of infatuated male fans, one of whom was very persistent.
She says: “I used to get fan letters from a young man from South America who said he wanted to marry me. I ignored them until I was sent a latter from US immigration asking for details about my relationship, as he’d told the authorities he was moving to the US so we could be married.”
Jenny, who stars as Sister Julienne in the BBC show, says she believes a Call The Midwife film would work very well ‘especially when you look at all the Christmas specials we’ve done’.
And she reveals herself to be an unlikely fan of rap music.
She says: “I love rap when it’s done well. Eminem is my favourite - I like that it’s thought-provoking and shows clever use of language.”
