Dame Joanna Lumley has described turning 80 as 'extraordinary' as she prepares to celebrate her milestone birthday on May 1. The Absolutely Fabulous star, who turns 80 this year, admitted she has been telling people she was 80 for the past two or three years because she thought she was.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the actress said: 'It's extraordinary, isn't it? I've been saying I'm 80 for the last two or three years because I thought I was, but I wasn't. People are making a big hoo-ha about this 80, as if I'm somehow going to be different, as if some huge precipice is reached.'
Lumley, who was born in India in 1946 and travelled to Britain on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1954, revealed she will likely be working on her birthday. 'I'll be working on my birthday. I'm thrilled and I'm touched that people have remembered and think about it more than I do,' she said.
The actress, who has starred in productions including The Wolf of Wall Street, James and the Giant Peach, and Coronation Street, also shared her philosophy on ageing. She told The i that she admires a quote from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie: 'To die rich is to die disgraced.' She added: 'Having no certainty keeps you vibrant and engaged. If you're always trying something new.'
Lumley continues to work actively, with upcoming appearances on Channel 4's Car SOS and a Sky travel series exploring Caribbean destinations including Cuba and Haiti.
