'80s screen icon Bernadette Peters, 78, has barely aged a day in head-turning red carpet appearance


Legendary theater and film actress Bernadette Peters made a very youthful appearance at 78 at the New York premiere of Last Train to Fortune on September 17


Bernadette Peters wearing a low-cut black dress in 1979© Getty Images
Jenni McKnight
Jenni McKnightUS Lifestyle Editor
1 hour ago

Bernadette Peters has been a star for decades, but she looked to have barely aged a day during her recent red carpet appearance.

The 78-year-old attended the New York City premiere of Last Train to Fortune on September 17 and looked incredibly youthful.

Bernadette wore a shirred red-and-green floral dress that hugged her figure and complemented her signature red curly hair.

Her porcelain complexion appeared very smooth, and she highlighted her prominent bone structure with pale blush and rosy lips.

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The actress began her career on Broadway before transitioning to TV in The Muppet Show and The Carol Burnett Show. She later became a film sensation with roles in Annie and The Jerk.

Bernadette's appearance comes after she paid tribute to legendary designer Bob Mackie, who died at 87 on September 14.

Bernadette Peters wearing a floral dress on the red carpet© Getty Images
Bernadette has barely aged a day

Remembering Bob Mackie

The duo became close when he worked as the in-house costume designer on The Carol Burnett Show.

"Bob was one of the most talented people you'd ever want to meet," she told People. "He could take something, you could do a run-through of something, and he would get an idea and take it to the nth degree."

Bernadette Peters with Bob Mackie© Getty Images
Bernadette paid tribute to Bob Mackie

She added: "I mean, he was just brilliant, just brilliant. And lovely and kind."

Bob's death was announced via an official statement released on social media which read: "It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. 

"He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world."

Renowned for his rhinestone-encrusted gowns, theatrical silhouettes and showgirl-inspired glamour, the American designer enjoyed a lengthy career spanning television, film, theater and fashion.

Bernadette Peters wearing a sparkling dress© Getty Images
Bernadette looking incredibly youthful in 2024

Some of his most famous designs include Cher's feathered, semi-sheer gown worn to the 1986 Academy Awards, Tina Turner's firebird dress, Elton John's bedazzled LA Dodgers jumpsuit and Ann-Margaret's one-shouldered bejewelled gown, re-worn by Sabrina Carpenter in October last year. 

The California native started his career working under costume designer Edith Head, who received a record-breaking 35 Academy Award nominations for her work in Hollywood. 

Drawing inspiration from the dress codes of dancers and strippers as a young designer, Bob fashioned his soon-to-be signature glitzy aesthetic, looking to sequins, embellishments, sheer panels and fringed fabrics.

Bernadette Peters with blonde hair 1979© Getty Images
Bernadette is a star of the stage and screen

Speaking to H! Fashion back in October 2025, the ever-playful designer said of his process: "Tune into the performer and you'll see every little thing they do. You try to help them along. 

"Say if they are in a straight play, you see how they sit, how they walk and how they do the love scene. You know what you have to involve – and you make the audience say, 'Oh yeah, that's her. That's the girl that I came to see.'"

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