Linda Hamilton is perfectly happy with how she looks — no makeovers required.
The 69-year-old actor, who became an action icon thanks to her role opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films, is stepping back into the spotlight with a major part in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things. In a conversation with AARP’s Movies for Grownups about her character Dr. Kay — a government agent tracking Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven — Hamilton shared why she refuses to chase Hollywood’s youth-obsessed ideals.
“I don’t spend any time trying to look younger, in any way,” she said, explaining that she’s “completely surrendered” to the face she has now. “This is the face that I’ve earned, and it tells me so much,” she added. Rather than cosmetic procedures, her focus is on strength and health. While shooting Stranger Things, she committed to working out three times a week.
Her routine mixed Pilates, yoga, free weights, machines and cables. What she really enjoys, she said, is going into the gym and asking herself, “What do you need to loosen up and stretch out today?” instead of following a rigid chest-and-back type schedule.
Hamilton was thrilled when the Stranger Things offer came through, especially as someone who already loved the show. “I couldn’t wait to tell people,” she recalled. “I just couldn’t wait.” But when it comes to plot details, she’s careful not to say too much. She describes Dr. Kay only as a senior military scientist working inside quarantined Hawkins, continuing the research started by Dr. Brenner, played by Matthew Modine.
Away from set, Hamilton leads a slower, more grounded life in New Orleans, far from Hollywood’s chaos. “I’ve found a great balance between work and life. I really feel like everything is a blessing right now,” she said. She keeps her lifestyle intentionally simple — right down to having just one credit card — so she can stay organized and avoid unnecessary stress. “I’m a bit of a minimalist that way,” she admitted.
In the full AARP’s Movies for Grownups interview, she also talks about doing stunts and coping with the loss of her twin sister.
Season five of Stranger Things will roll out in three parts: Volume 1 on Nov. 26 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes) and The Finale on New Year’s Eve. Find everything we know about Stranger Things’ final season here.
