The Thorn Birds actress Rachel Ward has thanked her followers for the "generosity that poured forth" after she received hurtful comments regarding her appearance. The former actress, who now runs a regenerative beef farm in New South Wales in Australia, shared a post at the end of 2025 in which she recorded a selfie-style video to detail the farm's Christmas openings and offer her gratitude for the past year.
But the comments focused on her "rather unkempt appearance" instead of the work, and on January 16 Rachel returned to the platform to share that she was "overwhelmed" by the comments that had championed her right to age however she felt best. "Overwhelmed by the generosity that poured forth after a few fearful trolls went on the attack of my rather unkempt appearance before Christmas. I’m a farmer now but really should do my hair and apply some lippy before I go on social media," Rachel quipped. Watch her video above.
© Rachel Ward
© Rachel Ward"Apologies for frightening a few of you," she continued, adding: "I would crawl under a rock but very keen to promote my new initiative @Farmthru_ where you can buy Delicious regen steaks, chooks, eggs, pork and lamb at a curb side hub in the Northern Beaches."
In the video, Rachel told viewers to "not fear aging," calling her 60s a "wonderful time" of life.
"I am more fulfilled than ever, and I have no regrets," she added.
© Disney General Entertainment ConSarah Jessica Parker, Sharon Stone, and Naomi Watts are among those who liked the post, with Sharon commenting: "Btw u r the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen And I’ve seen them all Then Now Always."
"You are beautiful," added Joely Richardson.
© Getty ImagesRachel was born in 1958 in England, and her grandfathers were William Ward, 3rd Earl of Dudley, and the cricketer Giles Baring. She left school at the age of 16 and became a model, appearing on the covers of Vogue, Harper's & Queen, and Cosmopolitan.
She moved to America in 1977 and made her film debut alongside Burt Reynolds and later starred with the likes of Jeff Bridges, and Steve Martin.
But her big break came in 1983 when she landed the role of Meggie Cleary in the television miniseries The Thorn Birds, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
© Getty ImagesShe retired from the screen to study acting properly before returning to work alongside her husband Bryan Brown. She worked steadily across the 1990s and was nominated for her second Golden Globe for the 2000 miniseries On the Beach.
Her final on-screen role was in the 2016 film The Death and Life of Otto Bloom alongside her daughter Matilda Brown, and she also voiced Josephine Rabbit in the 2018 animation Peter Rabbit, and appeared in the 2020 documentary I Am Burt Reynolds.
