Julie Christie: Tough, delicate, iconic

Actresses come and go, but Julie Christie continues to defy expectations. Still beautiful and vibrant at 66, the British veteran stands poised to receive a best actress Oscar nomination for her haunting performance as a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s in “Away From Her.”

If she wins on Feb. 24, she will set a record for the longest time between Oscars for a performer. She won as best actress at the beginning of her career, for John Schlesinger’s 1965 movie, “Darling."

A reluctant star, Christie has always been picky about her roles, deciding if and when she wants to work. For the last 30 years she’s lived on a farm in Wales. With her long hair, short skirts and je ne sais quoi attitude, she was the epitome of Swinging London in the '60s. Jaws dropped during the 1966 Oscar ceremony when she went on stage to accept her honor wearing the tiniest of miniskirts. But like all true poetic performers, she has matured as a person and actress, and defied the moniker “senior citizen.”

Here’s a look at Christie over the years: