Golden girls gone wild! The 15 most badass grandmas in TV and film

Forget the stereotype of an apron-clad grandma baking treats and playing bingo — today's grandmas are looking for a little more excitement! And, on TV and in movies, they're virtually unstoppable. Whether inventing the perfect sex toy for seniors like the eponymous best friends on Grace and Frankie, going on a Mission: Impossible-lite errand like the titular grandmother in Thelma (2024), or poisoning an enemy as Lady Olenna did on Game of Thrones, there's no telling what your favorite onscreen family matriarch is capable of.

Ahead, here are some pop culture grandmas who are tough cookies.

Thelma Post: Thelma (2024)

Ninety-three-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) is fed up with being dismissed and infantilized by those around her. So when she discovers that the $10,000 she mailed out to her allegedly imprisoned grandson was a phone scam, Thelma — believing that any mission is possible — is hellbent on demonstrating how useful she can be by reclaiming her money.

With the help of an old friend (Richard Roundtree), Thelma dashes off to complete the errand of a lifetime; one that requires borrowing a two-person scooter, hiding her medical alert bracelet, and carrying a stolen gun. Plus, nonagenarian Squibb performed all of the stunts herself for the film. How much more badass can you get? —James Mercadante

Related: June Squibb earns action-star status with Thelma, her first lead film role at 94 years old

Laurie Strode: Halloween (2018)

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is not your average granny. It may have been decades since she survived the murderous clutches of Michael Myers on Halloween, but one thing hasn't changed over the years: She's still a fighter. And, in Halloween (2018), when the infamous serial killer escapes the mental institution where he's being held and comes for her, she's ready for him.

As Laurie, Curtis sinks her teeth into a fierce character who gets to take some very cathartic stabs at Michael (pun intended), and the film's denouement calls on three generations of Strode women to band together to end Michael's tyranny. And if there's one thing better than a badass woman, it's three badass women, all working together. —Lauren Huff

Madea Simmons: The Madea films (2005–present)

Tyler Perry's signature creation, Mabel "Madea" Simmons is perhaps the definitive "badass grandma." Since her screen debut in Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Madea continuously dispenses life lessons along with her own personal brand of (often violent) justice.

Perry created the character as "a cross between my mother and my aunt and watching Eddie Murphy do the Klumps," explaining to NPR in October 2012, "[My mother] would beat the hell out of you but make sure the ambulance got there in time to make sure they could set your arm back."

Lady Olenna Tyrell: Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

Game of Thrones' Tyrell matriarch (Diana Rigg) never sat on the Iron Throne, but she had her own crown: Queen of Shade. The "tart-tongued" Lady Olenna dished out quips the way Game of Thrones dished out death — only she could get away with calling Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) "the famous tart." But her most memorably badass moment came just before her death, when she looked Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) straight in the eye and told him she killed his son, Joffrey (Jack Gleeson).

Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham: Downton Abbey (2010–2015)

Of course, if anyone could match Lady Olenna in the snark department, it would be Maggie Smith's witty Dowager Countess Violet Crawley on Downton Abbey and in the spinoff films. The Countess' zingers are a constant highlight of the British drama ("I'll take that as a compliment." "I must've said it wrong."), and she can still offer a bit of actual wisdom every now and again, always delivered in her typical stiff-upper-lip fashion.

Related: All of Maggie Smith's best moments in Downton Abbey

Aggie Cromwell: The Halloweentown film franchise (1998, 2001, 2004, 2006)

Sure, some grandmothers can bake a mean cookie, crochet blankets that could swaddle a small country, or know their way around a jigsaw puzzle. But how many kids can say their grandma has magic powers?

Well, there's only one Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds), a centuries-old witch who not only introduces her grandchildren to the mystical realm of Halloweentown but also teaches them the art of broom-flying, spell-casting, fancy microwaves, potion-brewing, and more. And with someone as iconic as Reynolds in the role across all four Halloweentown films, Aggie is not like the other run-of-the-mill grannies, as she believes that "being normal is vastly overrated." —J.M.

Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein: Grace and Frankie (2015–2022)

The hit Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie featured not one but two badass grandmas played by screen legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. It follows the titular ladies, unlikely friends brought together by the revelation that their husbands were leaving them because they'd fallen in love with each other. Forced to live together in their gorgeous beach house, the duo hilariously navigates their new lives, new friendships, and new love interests, firmly reminding us that age is just a number and life is what you make of it.

Grandma Annie: The Proposal (2009)

You didn't need another reason to love Betty White, but we'll give you one anyway. As the mischievous grandma, or "Gammy" Annie, the actress was a scene stealer in The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Annie isn't your typical grandma — unless your grandma also takes you to see male strippers or fakes heart attacks as a strategy to quash family beef. And, while this scene would not fly today, we have to thank White for giving us this hilarious moment featuring Bullock's rendition of Lil Jon's "Get Low."

Sophia Petrillo: The Golden Girls (1985–1992)

If we're spotlighting Betty White, we also have to give a shout-out to her former castmate, Estelle Getty, as Sophia, Dorothy's (Bea Arthur) snarky mother and arguably the funniest of The Golden Girls. Well into her 80s, Sophia was still as sharp as a tack.

Her deadpan one-liners were so savage, they made you ask, "Did this tiny older woman really just say that?" — before promptly writing them down so you can use them on your nemeses. Sophia has so many classic quotes, but we're particularly fond of "Your heart's in the right place, but I don't know where the hell your brain is" and "Jealousy is a very ugly thing, Dorothy! And so are you, in anything backless." Zing!

Marie O’Neill: Euphoria (2019–present)

No, Euphoria's Marie O'Neill (Brynda Mattox) may not win any awards for being the most nurturing or ethical grandmother. She teaches her grandson Fez the ropes of drug dealing at an alarmingly young age; she names her other toddler grandson "Ashtray" after he tries to eat her cigarettes. But watching Marie go into full mama bear mode is a sight to behold.

Exhibit A: When she learns Fez got a black eye from his father, she drives to the man's job and shoots him twice in the thighs, deciding to raise the child herself. With the younger version of Marie being played by Kathrine Narducci — a frequent star of crime and gangster projects like A Bronx Tale (1993), The Sopranos, and The Irishman (2019) — there was no chance in hell we'd exclude a boss like her. —J.M.

Mary Luckett: Cocoon (1985)

Thanks to her exposure to the mysterious alien life force of the Antareans, Mary Luckett (Maureen Stapleton) is a retirement home resident who has youthful energy in spades, can climb trees at will, and has no fear of aliens. And when she and her husband, Ben (Wilford Brimley), are confronted with the choice to go with the aliens to Antarea — where they will no longer age and live forever — she takes control of her own destiny fearlessly, like the badass grandma that she is. —L.H.

Lydia Alvarez: One Day at a Time (2017–2020)

There is so much to love about Lydia on One Day at a Time — she is hilarious, tough (she literally turns down death in season 2), and she's played by the incomparable Rita Moreno. But what we love about her the most, and what makes her an absolute badass, is her refusal to change her boisterous self for anyone, while also being one of the most loyal, open-minded matriarchs on television.

When granddaughter Elena (Isabella Gomez) comes out to Lydia, the devout Catholic overcomes her homophobia in 30 seconds flat with impressive Bible logic ("Although God did make us in His image...and the Pope did say 'Who am I to judge?' And the Pope represents God. So, what? Am I going to go against the Pope and God? Who the hell do I think I am?"). If only we could all be as much fun as the salsa-dancing, rum-swigging Lydia when we grow up.

Aurora Greenway: Terms of Endearment (1983)

It takes a badass mom to be a badass grandma, as the eccentric Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) demonstrates in Terms of Endearment. The film follows Aurora's tumultuous relationship with her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), over a 30-year period. Though Aurora often drives her daughter wild with her overbearing personality and judgmental ways, it's clear Aurora loves her daughter more than anything in the world and always has her back.

Whether she's warning Emma against marrying loser Flap (Jeff Daniels) or staying by her side as she faces terminal cancer — screaming at the nurses to "give my daughter the [pain] shot!" — Aurora is a strong-willed woman who always stays true to who she is…even when she finally gives into a romance with her cocky next-door neighbor, Garrett (Jack Nicholson). In the ultimate act of selflessness, Aurora agrees to raise her three grandchildren after Emma dies. Now that's badass. So was MacLaine's performance, which earned her the Academy Award in a Leading Role in 1984.

Tala Waialiki: Moana (2016)

She may be called "the village crazy lady" who dances with the ocean, but Gramma Tala (voiced by Rachel House) — mother of Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison) — is the indispensable guide in her granddaughter Moana's (Auli'i Cravalho) sea-bound quest to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Proudly calling herself the "keeper of the ancient stories," Tala unveils Motunui's storied history to Moana, hoping to unlock her wayward spirit. Like her granddaughter, she shares a deep connection with the ocean and visits Moana on her journey post-death, reborn as a manta ray. —J.M.

Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance: Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

In the film adaptation of J.D. Vance's best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Glenn Close expertly portrays a real-life badass grandma, Mamaw, who steps in to take care of her two grandchildren when her daughter — Bev (Amy Adams), struggling with a drug problem — can no longer properly do so. Mamaw's version of grandmotherly love is more the tough kind than hugs and baked goods, but her love for her family is fierce. She'll give you the shirt off her back or the food off her plate, but, cross her or anyone in her family, and she'll come after you faster than you can say "yeehaw!"

Related: Glenn Close transforms once again in Hillbilly Elegy. But it's no caricature

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