In the 1996 film adaptation of *The Crucible*, the oldest cast member at the time of filming was **Tom McDermott**.
### Specific Details:
* **Oldest Cast Member:** Tom McDermott
* **Role:** Francis Nurse
* **Age at Time of Filming:** 83 years old
* **Details of the Role:** McDermott portrayed **Francis Nurse**, a wealthy, influential, and highly respected landowner in Salem. In the film, he is the husband of the saintly **Rebecca Nurse** (played by Elizabeth Lawrence). His character is a pivotal figure in the trial scenes; he famously presents a petition to Judge Danforth with 91 signatures of citizens vouching for the good character of the accused women, only for the court to order the arrest of all those who signed it.
* **Filming Context:** Principal photography for *The Crucible* took place between **September 11 and November 18, 1995**. Born on July 20, 1912, McDermott had turned 83 just before filming began.
* **Final Performance:** This was one of McDermott's final roles. He passed away on **March 6, 1996**, at the age of 83, approximately eight months before the film was theatrically released in the United States in November 1996.
### Other Notable Elderly Cast Members:
While Tom McDermott was the oldest, several other veteran actors in the cast were also in their 70s during production:
* **George Gaynes** (Judge Samuel Sewall): Born May 16, 1917; he was **78** during filming.
* **William Preston** (George Jacobs, Sr.): Born August 26, 1921; he was **74** during filming.
* **Paul Scofield** (Judge Thomas Danforth): Born January 21, 1922; he was **73** during filming.
* **Elizabeth Lawrence** (Rebecca Nurse): Born September 6, 1922; she was **73** during filming.
* **Peter Vaughan** (Giles Corey): Born April 4, 1923; he was **72** during filming.