Beverly D'Angelo From National Lampoon's Vacation Is Aging Like Fine Wine

"National Lampoon's Vacation" fans will no doubt remember Beverly D'Angelo as Chevy Chase's stunning screen wife, Ellen Griswold, in the '80s, and decades since the first film premiered, she's still gorgeous. From those icy blue eyes to her sharp cheekbones, we dare say D'Angelo has actually become even more striking over time. 

D'Angelo was 29 in the first "National Lampoon's Vacation" film, and speaking to ET in early 2026, she quipped that she hadn't really understood the magnitude of that opportunity back then. "I didn't quite get it," she said. Even so, at the suggestion of her then-husband, she took the job and would go on to become an '80s icon. More than that, though, she's become a screen mom for the ages, with "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" becoming a major part of many families' annual holiday traditions. 

Phillip Faraone/Getty

Fast-forward more than 40 years since the first "National Lampoon's Vacation" film, and like we said, D'Angelo is still incredibly beautiful. Now, however, her blond locks have been replaced with silvery strands. While that's led to some saying the actor is unrecognizable with gray hair, we beg to differ. Granted, it's tough to say D'Angelo looks even better gray hair, simply because she's always looked incredible and probably would with rainbow streaks and shaved sides, too. That said, having heard the actor's philosophy on external beauty, there's a very good chance she's unfazed either way. 

Of course, in addition to being an iconic screen mom thanks to her past work (because she's joked about being a mom in multiple projects outside of "National Lampoon's Vacation"), Beverly D'Angelo has also long been considered a sex symbol. That said, though she admitted to Fox News Digital that there were times she felt pressure because of it, for the most part, it's never been a major deal in her life.

Speaking to Yahoo! Life about where her mind was at when she left home at 17, she explained, "I didn't place value on a person's given looks, wealth or achievements. I was very adamant about that. ... So when I started in films, which was when I was like 23, I didn't have that value system of being looks-oriented and achievement-oriented." That's not to say the actor looked down on anyone who did, though. On the contrary, she made a point of telling the outlet, "I don't have a problem with anybody whose priority is looking beautiful. Whatever you want to do, that's great. I'm just saying that my value system doesn't really lend me to making that a priority."

As for what is a priority for D'Angelo, she's long said that her and ex-partner Al Pacino's kids became the most important part of her life. The actor gave birth at the age of 49, and she's said there have been times it's only clicked for her that she was an older mom when hanging out with other moms. "I go to a birthday party or something [and] I go, 'Oh wow ... she's 47,'" she laughed in an interview with "Growing Bolder" when her kids were 14 and she was in her mid-60s. Even so, D'Angelo added, "It sounds like a cliché, but for me, age is a number." Well, even in her 70s at the time of, D'Angelo has got it going on.