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7 Milestone Celebrity Birthdays in September

Cheers to Idris Elba, Gwyneth Paltrow and other stars celebrating big ones this month

spinner image Gwyneth Paltrow and Idris Elba
(Left to right) Gwyneth Paltrow and Idris Elba
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images; Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Sept. 2: Jimmy Connors, 70

spinner image Jimmy Connors waves while appearing onstage at the One 805 Kick Ash Bash benefitting First Responders
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

One of the most dominant players of the Open Era, tennis great Jimmy Connors still holds many men’s singles records: career titles (109), finals appearances (164), matches won (1,274) and matches played (1,557). In other words, he knows a thing or two about the sport, which comes in handy with his latest endeavor: Advantage Connors, a podcast he hosts with his son, Brett.

Sept. 6: Justina Machado, 50

spinner image Actress Justina Machado at the IMDb Exclusive Portraits studio during The 2021 Outfest Legacy Awards Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb

Following her SAG Award–winning turn as Vanessa Diaz on Six Feet Under, the Chicago-born actress took center stage as Penelope Alvarez, an Army veteran living with PTSD, in the Cuban American reboot of One Day at a Time (2017–20). These days, she’s lending her voice to the Peacock/Hulu animated series DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms, which returned for its third season in August.

Sept. 6: Idris Elba, 50

spinner image Idris Elba attends the world premiere of Beast at The Museum of Modern Art in New York
Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images

A 21st-century Renaissance man, People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2018 acts, raps, sings and DJs, and he’s had an absurdly busy 2022 to ring in his fifth decade. After releasing an EP with Australian pop-rock group Lime Cordiale in January, he voiced Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, made a cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder, and starred in the dark fantasy Three Thousand Years of Longing and the thriller Beast (where he and his family are stalked by a killer lion), both in theaters now. And if you were a fan of his star-making BBC crime drama Luther, you’re in luck: A feature film version is coming out soon.

Sept. 11: Kristy McNichol, 60

spinner image Kristy McNichol posing for a photo at the Love Boat Cast Christening Of Regal Princess Cruise Ship at Port Everglades
Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

A two-time Emmy winner for her role as the teenage daughter Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence on the ABC drama Family (1976–80), McNichol went on to star in the Neil Simon comedy Only When I Laugh and the Golden Girls spin-off Empty Nest. She announced her retirement from acting in 2001, and these days she’s mostly staying out of the spotlight, spending lots of quality time with her partner, Martie Allen, and their miniature dachshunds.

Sept. 16: Mickey Rourke, 70

spinner image Mickey Rourke attends the TEATRO Even Summer White Affair at Skybar in West Hollywood, California
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

One of the most promising young actors of his generation, the Actors Studio–trained performer (Diner9 1/2 Weeks) was out of the public eye for a few years before emerging with celebrated turns in Sin City and The Wrestler, for which he received his first Oscar nomination. Earlier this year, he starred in the World War II–set WarHunt, which he’ll follow up with a role in the upcoming Roman Polanski-directed black comedy The Palace.

Sept. 19: Cheri Oteri, 60

spinner image Actress Cheri Oteri makes a guest appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The sketch-comedy firecracker spent five seasons on Saturday Night Live, where she showed a penchant for wild-eyed original characters and celebrity impersonations like Barbara Walters. Following roles in films such as Scary Movie and Liar Liar, Oteri appeared in this year’s LGBTQ comedy Give or Take as Patty King, the Queen of Cape Cod Real Estate. Next up, she’ll join the cast of the workplace comedy Out of Office alongside her fellow SNL alums Leslie Jones and Jay Pharoah.

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Sept. 27: Gwyneth Paltrow, 50

spinner image Gwyneth Paltrow smiles while taking part in a panel at the 2022 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit
Brian Stukes/Getty Images

The Oscar winner (for Shakespeare in Love) has largely stepped back from acting in recent years to focus on her wellness and lifestyle brand Goop. In 2020, following a stint on Ryan Murphy’s The Politician, Paltrow hosted and executive-produced the docuseries The Goop Lab, covering such topics as psychedelics, antiaging treatments and female sexuality. This month, she’s taking her brand to the high seas with a themed nine-night itinerary on Celebrity Cruises, where she’ll sail around the Italian Riviera and France with a few thousand of her fans.