The Next Act: At 78, Ellen Michaels Isn't Done Dreaming

Some dreams don't disappear with age. They simply wait for us to give them another chance.

At 78, Ellen Michaels has a particular acting role she'd love to play.

Not another sweet, traditional grandmother, although she's grateful when those opportunities come along.

No, Ellen has something a little more colorful in mind: a retired, successful madam. A woman who's seen the best and worst of life, gained wisdom through experience, and fiercely protects the people she cares about.

A tough blonde with a heart of gold.

"I'm serious!" she says.

And if you know Ellen, you probably aren't surprised.

Because at an age when many people begin talking about slowing down, Ellen is talking about auditions, scripts, movie sets, and the characters she hasn't had the opportunity to play.

She's not looking back at the life she once imagined. She's still busy creating it.

A Dream That Started With Her Mother

Ellen's love of acting began long before she ever stepped in front of a camera.

Her mother was active in community theater, and young Ellen loved watching her perform. She was equally fascinated by the friendships, laughter, and sense of belonging that surrounded the theater community.

Acting became a natural part of her own life. From grade school plays to local on-camera projects and college productions, Ellen kept performing.

Then, in her early twenties, she packed up and moved to Los Angeles.

She had an agent, auditions, ambition, and a rather specific goal: winning an Oscar before turning 40.

And she was getting noticed.

Ellen recalls receiving callbacks for almost every audition. But somehow, those callbacks never turned into roles.

It wasn't until years later that she began to understand what might have been happening.

She remembers walking into callbacks thinking, "Don't they know I can't do this? I'm just a nobody from Kirkwood, MO and I can't be a star."

Looking back, she believes that insecurity came through on camera.

It's a remarkably honest admission from someone who has spent much of her life performing.

And perhaps even more remarkable?

That little voice hasn't entirely disappeared.

Even today, after returning to acting and finding success, Ellen admits there's still a trace of I'm not good enough somewhere inside.

She once thought getting a few roles would silence it.

Not yet.

But here's the beautiful part of Ellen's story: she isn't waiting for that voice to disappear before continuing to pursue what she loves.

The Dream That Wouldn't Go Away

Over the years, Ellen continued participating in local theater wherever she lived. Eventually, however, she stopped acting altogether.

For approximately 20 years, the stage was absent from her life.

But the desire to perform never really left.

About three years ago, Ellen decided she'd gone long enough without acting. She auditioned for a play.

She got the part.

Then she approached an agent, who agreed to represent her.

Since then, she's performed in plays, independent films, and even what she enthusiastically describes as a "real live TV commercial."

At 78, Ellen is working again.

She jokes that being older has one advantage in the acting business: there are fewer actresses competing for certain roles.

But something else has changed, too.

She's no longer measuring her success against becoming a movie star.

She's having fun.

And perhaps that's what makes this chapter of her life especially meaningful.

It's About More Than Being on Stage

Ask Ellen what she loves most about acting, and her answer reveals something much deeper than applause or recognition.

"I know acting on stage is my gift."

She describes the extraordinary feeling of hearing an audience laugh, watching them reconsider something, or knowing a performance has stirred an emotion they might not otherwise have experienced.

For Ellen, performing is a way of connecting with other people.

"In a way it gives me meaning. It means I shared something."

And then comes the enthusiasm that makes you smile just reading her words:

"Oh my god, I love it!"

That sense of purpose matters.

So does the camaraderie of working with a cast, the opportunity to learn, and the excitement of stepping into another character's world.

Ellen knows firsthand how difficult the acting profession can be. She remembers extraordinarily talented people leaving Los Angeles when their careers didn't unfold as hoped.

She hopes they eventually discovered another way to enjoy their talent, whether through local theater, community productions, or simply reconnecting with the joy that brought them to acting in the first place.

It's a perspective that comes with experience.

The dream doesn't necessarily have to look the way we imagined it at 25 to be deeply fulfilling at 78.

Staying Strong Enough to Say Yes

There's another important part of Ellen's story.

She's been part of the Evolution Fitness & Wellness family since 2016, one of our original clients.

And she'll be the first to tell you that exercise isn't her favorite activity.

In fact, she says, "Oh how I hate exercising."

But Ellen understands something that is central to our Stronger Longer philosophy.

Maintaining strength isn't just about what you can do in the gym. It's about what that strength allows you to keep doing outside of it.

For Ellen, that means being able to stand tall, tolerate long rehearsals and performances, remember her lines and cues, and keep up with the demands of working on a production.

She doesn't need to be the strongest person in the room.

She needs to be strong enough to participate fully in the life she wants.

As Ellen explains, "I have to remain emotionally and physically strong. Not 'ripped' strong, but let-me-stand-up-straight strong."

She knows that dreaming about opportunities isn't enough. She wants to be physically and mentally prepared when those opportunities arrive.

She also values the friendships, coaching, and understanding she gains at EFW.

And in true Ellen fashion, she sums up the bigger picture beautifully:

"It's not magic. It's putting one foot in front of the other and actively participating in the reality of being alive as an older person."

That's what Stronger Longer is really about.

Not exercising for the sake of exercising.

Not chasing a number on a scale.

But maintaining the ability to keep saying yes to the things that give our lives meaning.

The Best Part? There's Still More to Come.

Ellen isn't finished dreaming.

There are still characters she'd like to play, experiences she'd like to have, and opportunities she hopes will come her way.

She isn't pretending aging doesn't bring changes or challenges.

She simply refuses to let those changes define the limits of her life.

And maybe that's the most important part of her story.

We spend so much of our younger years building careers, raising families, managing responsibilities, and doing what's expected of us.

Somewhere along the way, our own dreams can get pushed aside.

But what if getting older isn't the time to give up on those dreams?

What if it's the time to revisit them, with more experience, greater perspective, and a little less concern about what success is supposed to look like?

Ellen reminds us that a meaningful future doesn't have an expiration date.

And when asked to finish the sentence, "At 78, I'm still..." she gave us an answer worth remembering:

"I'm 78 and I'm still acting, dreaming, planning, participating, laughing, and looking forward. Gotta love it!"

We couldn't agree more, Ellen.

Stronger Longer isn't simply about adding years to your life. It's about having the strength, confidence, and freedom to keep living the life you wantwhatever your next act may be.

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