Joanna Cassidy Celebrates 80th Birthday in Sexy Beach Shoot Weeks After Revealing Romance with Alan Hamel (Exclusive)
Joanna Cassidy, the actress known for roles in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Blade Runner, celebrates her 80th birthday on Aug. 2
The actress tells PEOPLE about the milestone birthday, which comes on the heels of her exciting new relationship with Alan Hamel
Cassidy and Hamel talk about getting older, staying in shape and what's next for the actress in the latest stage of her careerJoanna Cassidy is feeling fabulous at 80!
The Blade Runner actress celebrates her 80th birthday on Aug. 2, sharing photos from a Malibu beach photoshoot marking the milestone. In a chat with PEOPLE about the special milestone, she admits she feels "no different than when I was 30, quite honestly."
"Time is an illusion! I'm very aware of the fact that it's passing very quickly, but it's sort of nothing. I just say, 'Go day by day.' "
Cassidy admits that she "can't say I'm excited about the number," but assures, "otherwise it's just another adventure, another decade."
"I know I'll make it through beautifully and come out the other side of that one. Who knows what'll happen after that? Just a decade. I think that when I turned 50, that was sort of the hard one, but this is just icing on the cake. I feel like I'm 35 and I think I look pretty good."
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Cassidy says that part of keeping herself young is nurturing her mind, body and spirit.
"I think the most important thing that I do, which I've been learning how important it is, is to give back. I'm not on that trajectory anymore, where I have to accomplish things. The only things I have to accomplish are taking care of myself and working out and being a kind, loving person," she says.
"My mind is still open to learning how to be a good person. And every time I find another instance where I can be that, I just feel better. I know that has to do with your DNA, your all-around cellular health."
She continues, "I have animals. I love animals. I love to walk. I love to exercise. It's important to me to interact with people and hear them and listen and see what kind of exchange we can make. It was sort of miraculous to run into Alan. I hadn't even seen him in 30 years."
Cassidy and boyfriend Alan Hamel made their unofficial debut as a couple earlier this summer. Hamel agrees that what brought them together was "a miracle."
"We met over 50 years ago. Joanna was a guest on my show in Canada, and that was in the late '70s, I think. The next time I saw her, she was doing a major mini-series with Suzanne and Anthony Hopkins. And then I didn't see her again until a few months ago," he tells PEOPLE.
"We connected, and I'm happy that we connected. She's a great woman. The thing is that she will help anybody to do anything. She's amazing that way," Hamel continues.
Laughing, he adds, "I don't have that DNA. She does. It's amazing. It's admirable. Next to her, I feel like there's more I should be doing for the world."
The two look forward to celebrating Joanna's birthday throughout August, getting outside and making memories together.
"The aging process is great. People think that it's not, but it's great. You get a lot more out of each birthday, especially when you're celebrating after five years or 10 years," Hamel says.
Cassidy is also looking for more out of her career. In addition to three projects already in the works, she's looking for the next big role, preferably an action-packed one.
"Well, having been in the original Blade Runner, my sense of physicality [is important]. Before we did this interview, I just did a class that was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. I came back, and my legs were shaking. Everything's shaking on me. And so that's a really important part of my life, is to be in the gym and work out and push myself physically," she says.
"I love to do that. And I want to be in another adventure movie. I want to be in a movie where I can show those attributes that I have. That's what I want to do."
Hamel agrees, celebrating his partner as "perfect to be an action hero."
"The reality is, she's taller than most women and in great physical condition," he says, adding to Cassidy, "You could probably do all your own stunts as well. And I think there's room for a female action hero out there."
"Don't get me wrong, I played a lot of grannies too. I was a granny in Six Feet Under, and I enjoyed the heck out of that. I love to play women who are kind of badass emotionally and physically," she says. "I like it. I'd like to play Charlize Theron's mother. That's what I'd love to do."
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