Hollywood ageism sees talking animals get more roles than older women

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleResearch by The Age Without Limits campaign reveals that only five of the 100 highest-grossing films over the past three years featured a woman over 60 in a leading role, highlighting a significant underrepresentation. The study found that films were four times more likely to star a talking animal as a lead character than an older woman, contrasting with five films led by actors named Chris during the same period. Actress Emma Thompson, 67, criticised the findings, stating that older women are "compelling, relatable and overdue for centre stage" and that cinema needs to catch up with their real-world existence. Dr Carol Easton OBE, chief executive of The Centre for Ageing Better, described the lack of representation as "absolutely ludicrous" and "insulting," especially given that up to one in five UK cinema attendees are aged 55 and above. Academics also noted that when older women are depicted on screen, they are often portrayed as passive, pitiable, or irrelevant to the plot, reflecting a broader issue of ageism and sexism prevalent in UK culture. In fullEmma Thompson calls for change after new study finds more hit films star a man called Chris than a woman over 60Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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