I wasn’t afraid of getting old, because I was never a great beauty.

MacLaine frames aging as less threatening when one’s identity and social value have not been built primarily on conventional physical beauty. The remark is both self-deprecating and critical of a culture—especially in film and celebrity life—that ties women’s worth to youthful attractiveness. By implying she had less to “lose,” she highlights how fear of aging often stems from external validation and the precarious status of beauty as a form of capital. The line also suggests a pragmatic resilience: if your confidence rests on craft, personality, or experience, time can feel like accumulation rather than decline.