Is the film industry ageist/sexist?

['Conor]

I was chatting with my mam today about you know "who's your favourite actress" and all that and she said one actress (can't remember her name and i would ask her but she's not here) and i was like I never see her in any recent films? And she said that once actresses get to a certain age they are not cast in films anymore because they are "too old" and want younger, more attractive females and I thought about it and I think she is right, there is loads of amazing Oscar-award winning actresses that are never cast in films anymore, some came to mind:

Jodie Foster
Geena Davis
Susan Sarandon
Helen Hunt
Mary McDonnell
Winona Ryder
Jamie Lee Curtis
Michelle Pfeiffer
Meg Ryan

I am sure there are plenty others that i just haven't thought of!

But what is your opinion? Do you think the film industry has become ageist/sexist? And you may list other actresses if you want.

[Locke.]

Don't know about females but it isn't really with males, most of the great older actors still get roles in loads of films.

[Callum]

Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren both older actresses who have been in big recent movies. I think it's sometimes just a case of doing less work when you get older, they require a lot of your time and some actresses prefer to not have a heavy workload.

[Lewis.]

They've all made so much money I doubt they need to pile themselves up with work.

['Conor]

Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren both older actresses who have been in big recent movies. I think it's sometimes just a case of doing less work when you get older, they require a lot of your time and some actresses prefer to not have a heavy workload.

Well Meryl & Helen are an exception :joker: but actresses like Helen Hunt or Geena Davis or Winona Ryder, all in their late 40's, early 50's, I wouldn't call them "old" and they have only been in a handful of films in the 00's, while all being major filmstars in the 90's

[Mac Hiavellian]

Yes, particularly for women.

Go see Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve and Nip/Tuck season 5

['Conor]

Yes, particularly for women.

Go see Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve and Nip/Tuck season 5

why should I go see them?

['Conor]

Jamie Lee Curtis or Michelle Pfeiffer are other examples.

[Mac Hiavellian]

why should I go see them?

Shows the effects of aging and fame.

Sunset Boulevard is about a middle aged actress who's desperate for a comeback, ends up obsessed over a young writer staying with her

All About Eve shows an actress leeching off the fame of her favourite star and end up becoming more famous than her

And the 2 villains of Nip/Tuck season 5 show the effects fame has on a young woman (90210's Annalyne McCord - slut) and on an older woman (Sharon Gless - psycho)

['Conor]

Shows the effects of aging and fame.

Sunset Boulevard is about a middle aged actress who's desperate for a comeback, ends up obsessed over a young writer staying with her

All About Eve shows an actress leeching off the fame of her favourite star and end up becoming more famous than her

And the 2 villains of Nip/Tuck season 5 show the effects fame has on a young woman (90210's Annalyne McCord - slut) and on an older woman (Sharon Gless - psycho)

Ooh i see, sounds interesing :love:

[MeMyselfAndI]

I dont like old people anyway

[Mac Hiavellian]

Ooh i see, sounds interesing :love:

First 2 are a bit dated but you know I love my Nip/Tuckage :D

Also, Death becomes Her - Meryl Streep's obsession with aging and losing her looks leads her to immortality lol

And, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? 2 sisters who both used to be famous now live alone. One's in a wheelchair and the other's trying to kill her

[Patrick]

Obviously, they aren't going to ask for a 60 year old actor who was big in her day, to come and star in Mean Girls or something, are they?

If they're needed for a role of some old woman - then they'll call them.

Simple as that really.

[Patrick]

I dont like old people anyway

Yes, same.

I was on a Double Decker Bus this morning, stood up infront of the window at the top of the stairs.

And there was just me, my mate and this other person on the bus at that time.

So I stood up at the front and you know when the windows get all steamed up from the cold air?
I started drawing the BB12 Eye on the front of the bus, like a massive eye - it was sexy.

I went to sit down again, turn around and see some old guy is sitting where I was sitting, I even had my bag down and he moved it.

There was LOADS of seats on the bus, he was just a cheeky ******ing wanker who thought because he's going to die in a few years, he has the right to sit where he wants.

['Conor]

Obviously, they aren't going to ask for a 60 year old actor who was big in her day, to come and star in Mean Girls or something, are they?

If they're needed for a role of some old woman - then they'll call them.

Simple as that really.

none of the people i mentioned above are even 60..

[Patrick]

none of the people i mentioned above are even 60..

How was I meant to know?

The fact still stands, when you get older you are not going to be casted for new movies - if they are looking for a certain role to be fulfilled.

[Wildcat!]

I think its ageist mainly for actors, or actresses, that made their name with their looks.
So you will see less roles as they are older, for guys like Robert Redford, Denzel Washington, or Brad Pitt. Or for females, sex symbols, like Elizabeth Taylor, Megan Fox, or Sophia Lauren. BUt I do not think its ageist in general. Depends on the story. SOme stories, require, a big role for an older actor, so I really dont see it.

[Mac Hiavellian]

MEkgofezDes

[Tom]

You need a certain person for certain roles. If someone doesn't look the part then it won't work

There just aren't enough old characters, thats why it seems to be ageist. Could you really imagine Helen Mirren or Maggie Smith playing Lara Croft in Tomb Raider? theres also a point to consider that people get bored of the same faces popping up so eventually the careers of most actors dry out, its the same right across the entertainment industry

Every industry has some sort of bias towards the people they employ

['Conor]

I ment mainly towards women, actors like Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Denzel Washington are still making movies , but women..

['Conor]

Meg Ryan, another example

[Z]

The entertainment industry is fickle, people get bored easily (or that's the logic anyway) so new faces emerge all the time to replace the old ones. It's the same with music - you're only as relevant as you make yourself - some artists have longevity and others are a flash in the pan; some actors have longevity and others are a flash in the pan. I think it can be ageist towards younger women, if anything, I'm sure there have been countless times where an actress has been snubbed in favour of someone younger for certain roles, but the age range would be much closer, e.g. a 40 something year old actress wouldn't be auditioning to star as the female lead in a slasher flick; but someone who's 18 maybe stands a better chance than a 24 year old for getting that role because they're younger...

[arista]

Is the film industry ageist/sexist?


Yes





Life In The City

[InOne]

Meg Ryan, another example

Meg Ryan is a bitch, she doesn't deserve any more films

['Conor]

Meg Ryan is a bitch, she doesn't deserve any more films

if this is about the Parkinson thing he was a total nob in that interview :joker:

[MTVN]

Don't know about females but it isn't really with males, most of the great older actors still get roles in loads of films.

Yeah it does seem to be more of a female thing, people like Al Pacino, De Niro & Harrison Ford are/were still making films when they're older

[lostalex]

I noticed that all of the actresses you mentioned are American, and i think you hit on another disturbing trend, American Actresses are being replaced by foreigners in American movies because they will work for less. How many British and Australian actresses are filling roles that could be played by those American actresses you mentioned?

[MTVN]

I noticed that all of the actresses you mentioned are American, and i think you hit on another disturbing trend, American Actresses are being replaced by foreigners in American movies because they will work for less. How many British and Australian actresses are filling roles that could be played by those American actresses you mentioned?

I don't think that's true at all, acting is a very prestigious job, Hollywood just wants the best person for the role and has the bucks to get whatever actress they want

[Livia]

It is very different for women in movies than it is for men. Much fewer good roles for older women are written, and if they are they're the first roles cut when they need to shave some time off in the edit. As Goldie Hawn's character in The First Wives Club said... there are 3 ages of women in Hollywood: Babe, District Attorney and Driving Miss Daisy.

Shame. I'm surprised more younger people in the film industry don't wise up and try to even things out. Maybe they would if they woke up to the fact that in a few years, that'll be them.

On the plus side, Women "of a certain age" rule the serious stage. But then, lots of "film stars" can't act well enough to hold the attention a theatre full of people.

[Livia]

I don't think that's true at all, acting is a very prestigious job, Hollywood just wants the best person for the role and has the bucks to get whatever actress they want

Except it's not always the best person for the job, it's the biggest box office pull at the time, and it doesn't always work out. How many appalling attempts at British accents are we going to have to put up with so that an American actress can be in a British film? Or even play a Brit in an American film. Rene Zellwegger, Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johanssen, Winona Ryder, and who could forget possibly the world's worst actress, Andie McDowell in Greystoke, where her accent was so bad they had to bring in a older actress - Glen Close - to voice over her part. They're supposed to be actresses and they can't do an accent? That's like being a secretary and not being able to type. Oh well love, never mind, just slip your top off instead...