Michael Cimino Plastic Surgery. How old is director Michael Cimino? If you looked at the picture above and thought that he’s in his late thirties or in his 40s you would not be the only one to think that. And you would not be the only one who would be very very wrong. In fact, the Academy Award-winning director is 73 years old.

He’s looking great for a septuagenarian, no? No wonder some Gawker writer is calling him a real-life Benjamin Button. Twenty seven years from now, when he is a true-blue centenarian, he’d be as sprightly as Zac Efron is now.

So what’s the secret behind Michael Cimino’s youthful wrinkle-free face? Good genes or good plastic surgeons? We are gonna pick the latter because, a few years ago, he actually looked older than how he looks now.

Certainly, there’s no gene that makes one grow young, right? Oh wait, maybe there is, that’s actually what Benjamin Button is all about. [Speaking of Benjamin Button, go check out Brad Pitt’s leather jacket in said movie.]

Anyhoo, whether he’s been blessed with good genes or good docs, here are some photos of Michael Cimino over time. Michael in 1979 at the height of his directorial career. This photo is from around the time he won his Oscar Award for directing.

Here’s Michael in 2001. Still looking like a dude, so maybe there’s no Michael Cimino plastic surgery at this time yet.

Michael six years later in 2007. He’s now starting like he wants to be included to that blog called Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians (which is endorsed by sometimes-lesbian-looking hunks Kevin Bacon and Craig Ferguson).

Micahel Cimino in 2010.

And, finally, Michael in 2012. So, are these photos evidence of some Michael Cimino plastic surgery?

The above photos and similar ones like them may have prompted the gossip mills to spread the rumor that he has undergone a sex-change operation. He denied the rumors and told Gore Vidal in a 2002 interview, “Oh, really? My doctors are going to be very surprised when I go to take a physical for the next movie. It’s going to be a big shock.”

So, there! He didn’t have a s*x change. For famous people who did, check out our posts on Transgender Celebrities.

Anyhoo, Michael is back in the media spotlight this days because his controversial film, Heaven’s Gate, is being screened at the Venice International Film Festival following its restoration. The movie was severely criticized when it was released in the 1980s but, this time around, its been receiving a warmer reception according to the New York Times. We haven’t seen the movie yet but we’re happy for Michael.