No one, no matter how well-known they are, can escape the passage of time. No matter how much we despise it, our favorite stars and most adored celebrities are getting older, just like the rest of us. On the screen and on the stage, however, they usually appear to be their younger selves, as they did when they were a part of the shaping of our childhoods and adolescent years in our imaginations.
A new perspective on how celebrities change over time is provided by Dutch graphic designer Ard Gelinck, who creates natural-looking photoshopped images of them posing with their younger selves. Ard’s ‘Then and Now’ picture series has become extremely popular, earning him a following of more than 301k people on Instagram as a result. Ard’s work is so good, in fact, that celebrities have expressed their appreciation for his photoshops.
He told us that the cast of the hit television show Friends is the most well-liked by his fans, and we agreed. “They were and continue to be extremely popular throughout the world as a result of this show being broadcast all over the world.” He went on to say that his recent post with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez was also very successful because the couple rekindled their relationship, which was widely reported in the media. Ard also stated that he needed to find a “respectful and lovely way to honor” Betty White, who had recently passed away, and that he was working on it.
Bored Panda also reached out to celebrity expert Mike Sington, also known as “Hollywood’s Ultimate Insider,” for his thoughts on the matter. “The prospect of watching our favorite celebrities who we grew up with become more and more old alongside us can be overwhelming, but with the right frame of mind, it can also be comforting. Recognize that stars are no different from you or me in that we are all growing older and older at the same rate, and that we are all growing older and older together “he explained. Continue reading for the full transcripts of our interviews with Ard and Mike.
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#1
Betty White
A great deal of interest and positive feedback is also received when images of beloved stars who have passed away are displayed, according to Ard. Amy Winehouse, George Michael, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant (of the NBA), Betty White (of the ABC sitcom Betty White), and Bob Saget, to name a few of the stars who “remain extremely popular among fans,” according to him in an interview with Bored Panda.
It was Ard who came up with the idea to pay tribute to Betty White by reuniting her with her other ‘Golden Girls’ friends “on the clouds in the sky, just as they are reunited in heaven,” as he put it.
#2
Morgan Freeman
#3
Pink
Also of interest to Bored Panda were Ard’s favorite celebrities, who he believes have gotten better at what they do as a result of their years on the planet.
“There are a handful,” he admitted. “For example, I believe Harry Styles has undergone a significant amount of development in both his musical style and his vocal range.
This holds true for Miley Cyrus, who has progressed from being a child star to becoming a major global star. Lady Gaga took me by surprise, and it was a good surprise. She was excellent in the film ‘A Star Is Born,’ but there are a slew of others…”
According to celebrity expert Mike, when celebrities age naturally, it alleviates the stress associated with the process of growing older. “Because of the internet, everyone knows how old you are at any given time.
“Contrary to popular belief, aging naturally can actually help you get more work in the entertainment industry. Once a celebrity’s face appears to have been altered or ‘worked on,’ they are no longer employed. Attempting to fight aging can lead to the end of a career.”
#4
Jason Momoa
#5
Paul Rudd
#6
Bill Murray
An expert on celebrities, Mike, told Bored Panda that Meryl Streep is the gold standard. She has unquestionably gotten better and better over the course of a lifetime of hard work.
“This is the most important part: she has wisely accepted her age and has never attempted to defy her circumstances. As a result, we, the audience, accept it as well. Consequently, her work has been embraced and honored throughout her life, as well her and our lives.”
#7
Kate Winslet
#8
Harrison Ford
#9
Robert Downey
According to Ard, who previously told Bored Panda that he will not run out of ideas anytime soon, “there are millions of photos from those celebs so the combinations are endless, you just have to see it.”
The way he chooses which project to work on is “sometimes, I react to news items, celebrate birthdays, or commemorate days of death and then post an edit of that celeb as an honor or celebration,” he explained to us in an interview.next.
#10
Sophia Loren
#11
Bon Jovi
#12
John Cleese
Approximately one hour is spent working on the majority of images, according to the graphic designer. More complex photographs, on the other hand, will take significantly longer to complete, possibly as long as two or three hours. The time it takes to photoshop a particular ‘Then and Now’ image can be reduced to less than half an hour if the poses are more easily aligned and coordinated. Ard confessed that the search for the best possible photos can sometimes take longer to complete than the actual editing process.
#13
Ricky Gervais
#14
Sean Connery
#15
Angelina Jolie
The graphic designer recommends that those aspiring to a career in his field begin by purchasing Adobe Photoshop and becoming familiar with its features. It is impossible to know what impact you can have on the world until you give it a shot and put your work out there, he said. As he put it, “Just start and try and practice a lot until, in my case, you have the luck that a lot of people like it,” he said, adding that until you put your work out into the world, you’ll never know what impact you can have.
#16
Christina Applegate
#17
Will Smith
#18
Jennifer Aniston
“I enjoy seeing and reading about people’s reactions from all over the world, and seeing and reading how it can make them smile and even cry at times.” In addition, the list of celebrities who have endorsed my work is growing longer by the day. “Some of the biggest stars in the world, including Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Jones, Michael Douglas, Tina Turner, Rob Lowe, Gary Barlow, Rick Gervais, and Snoop Dogg, have all shared my creations, which keeps me excited and gives me the energy to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said.
#19
Charlize Theron
#20
Britney Spears
