Jimmi Simpson is aiming for a more laidback approach to his acting career after reaching age 50, choosing to slow down and focus on authenticity rather than constantly proving himself.
The House of Cards and Westworld star, who has spent 26 years in film and television, has shared in a new interview that turning 50 helped him reflect on how he wants to spend his time moving forward.
“I’m giving myself permission to slow the hustle down,” Simpson told People. “There’s less of a desire to prove yourself. And there’s more of an anxiety, a desire to be your authentic self, which doesn’t require anyone’s thumbs up.”
Instead, the 50-year-old actor wants to enjoy life more fully while still being able to.
“It wasn’t until turning this age that I was like, ‘Oh, right. What do I wanna do?’” Simpson said of the shift that came into focus after celebrating his milestone birthday last November. “You don’t need to constantly be working. You can just relax and enjoy this existence while you still have it.”
These days, Simpson said he’s become more selective about the projects he takes on, preferring roles that challenge him creatively rather than ones that feel familiar or easy.
“I only do projects that I love. If I read a project and I know I can do it, I know I’ve done it before, at this point, it’s less interesting to me,” the Black Mirror actor said. “If I read a project and think, ‘Oh, s***, [I’m] not sure what I would do here,’ that’s probably the job I’m going to take.”
Recently, Simpson has taken on new roles, including a character in AMC’s The Walking Dead: Dead City, which reunited him with a former co-star, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 60, from earlier in his career.
He also returned to a fan-favourite role in the latest season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Looking ahead, Simpson has additional projects lined up, including The Simpsons and voice work in an upcoming second season of animated series Haunted Hotel, out this October.
He also shared his interest in potentially starring in future adaptations of stories by Stephen King, an author whose work has long inspired him.
Despite his ongoing work, Simpson said he’s most focused these days on appreciating what he’s already accomplished.
“The older you get, the more finite you appear,” he added. “With that comes this wisdom to just be. That’s one of the beautiful things about turning this age …. I’m really just grateful for all of it.”
