Candice Bergen Gets Real about Aging: ‘Turning 80 Is Not What It Used to be’
The ‘Murphy Brown’ star shares her thoughts on aging, family and what truly matters at this milestone
Candice Bergen is opening up about turning 80. In a recent interview with AARP, the five-time Emmy-winning actress revealed,“turning 80 is not what it used to be,” and noting her top priority these days is her grandchildren. To learn more about what the actress has to say about aging and her family, keep scrolling.
Candice Bergen opens up about turning 80
On May 9, Bergen will turn 80—and she can’t believe it herself.
“I’m just in total denial. I don’t even want to talk about it. Being 80 is just unfathomable to me,” Bergen told AARP. “I have to get over the denial thing. Also, turning 80 is not what it used to be. My father [Edgar Bergen] died at 75, and at the time, I remember thinking, Well, that’s a full life. I’m 79, and it is not a full life. I count on being there for my grandson’s graduation from high school. Hopefully, my granddaughter. Well, that would make me almost historic.”
Aside from her children, Bergen said that when she hits 80 she might finally write a memoir. What she won’t do is work on another TV series.
“I’m 80, there’s not a lot of work I want to do. I don’t want to do a series again.” Bergen said. “Although I loved doing Murphy Brown, that was a lot of work. [It was also] such a gift. And I just always made the effort to insist that she [Murphy] not be too tough and to be kind at the end of the night.”
Candice Bergen shares her fitness routine
As for how she remains healthy, the actress relies on exercise. “I work out with a trainer five days a week. My building has a gym. I’ve known him for years, and he worked with my husband when he was ill, and he’s just very savvy and knows his stuff. It’s very little cardio; I barely break a sweat,” Bergen explained. “I said today, ‘You’re just trying to keep me alive, right?’ It’s just to remember how to move stuff, keep your joints … to get the blood pumping a little bit. “
Candice Bergen talks about her late husbands
Bergen has been married twice. First, to Louis Malle from 1980 until his death in 1995. Then, she was married to Marshall Rose from 2000 until his death in 2025 from Parkinson’s. With both husbands passing after serious illness, Bergen knows how demanding caregiving can be. When asked her advice for other caregivers, she said: “Take tiny breaks for yourself from time to time—short lunches with good old friends that you’ve lost touch with. Do things for yourself to keep yourself normal.”
Candice Bergen discusses her family
In 1985, Bergen and Louis welcomed their daughter Chloe Malle into the world. She’s now 40 years old, has two kids and was recently named Vogue’s Head of Editorial Content.
“I’m so impressed. I also think of her being now the [head of editorial content at] American Vogue, which is no small thing. She’s been at Vogue for 14 years, so she didn’t just talk her way into it. She worked up to it,” Bergen said. “I think she’s wonderful with her kids, and she’s very lucky because she chose a great husband [Graham Albert], who is a fantastic father.”
“My grandchildren. They call me Toto. They just came up with it, and now everyone in my family calls me Toto. They are the lights of my life. I love sitting on my couch watching movies with them,” the actress continued. “Grandkids are good. And just the grace of getting older is something to be grateful for. It’s a gift. It’s not always the purest gift, but it’s important to be grateful for it.”
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
