Veteran actress Susan Hampshire, who will turn 90 in May, has expressed a candid perspective on aging and its impact on younger generations. Speaking at a VIP event for the play Abigail’s Party at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, Hampshire suggested that her generation may be overstaying its welcome and limiting opportunities for the young.

Hampshire, renowned for her roles in the 1960s BBC drama The Forsyte Saga and Monarch of the Glen, remarked that older individuals like herself are “taking the oxygen from the young.” She expressed the view that people her age have had their time in the spotlight and should make way for younger generations amid what she described as an increasingly crowded world.

Challenging the assumption that wisdom naturally accompanies age, the three-time Emmy Award winner noted that experience does not always guarantee insight. She said some older individuals might believe they are wise but could be “talking a lot of rubbish.” Hampshire, who has never used drugs and only began drinking alcohol in her 30s, credited her personal discipline as part of her life journey.

Hampshire’s recent years have been marked by personal hardship, including caring for her late husband, Sir Eddie Kulukundis, through his 14-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. The couple, married for 40 years, remained close until his death in 2021. Since his passing, Hampshire has neither considered remarriage nor distanced herself from his memory, describing him as “so sweet” and “very kind.” She has one son, Christopher Granier-Deferre, a film producer from her previous marriage to French director Pierre Granier-Deferre.

Despite her reservations about longevity, Hampshire continues to work as an actress. She is slated to return as Lady Carteret in the forthcoming second season of Channel 5’s remake of The Forsytes. She acknowledged that offers to perform are "a nice surprise," adding that many people mistakenly believe she is no longer active.