For decades, there was an unspoken expiration date on actresses in Hollywood. Once a woman hit 40, the scripts dried up. She was either relegated to playing the "nagging wife," the "eccentric aunt," or the "wise grandmother"—if she was lucky. The ingénue was celebrated; the woman was shelved.
But if you’ve been paying attention to the cinema of the last five years, you know that something has shifted. The "cougar" jokes are fading. The ageist tropes are being flipped. And at the center of the most compelling, risky, and profitable films and series today, you’ll find mature women. BadMilfs - Kat Marie - Curiosity Gets You Spitr...
Hollywood is finally realizing what we’ve known all along: For decades, there was an unspoken expiration date
These roles aren't side dishes. They are the main course. The ingénue was celebrated; the woman was shelved
Or consider Michelle Yeoh. Hollywood spent years trying to make her a supporting player. At 60, she finally got the leading role she deserved in the same film, proving that an Asian woman of a "certain age" could carry a box office hit and win Best Actress.
Where are the stories of working-class women over 70? Where are the queer rom-coms starring women in their 60s? Where are the action heroes with gray roots and knee braces?