7 Actresses Who Claim Getting Older Has Ruined Their Careers
Published on October 15, 2014. Updated April 5, 2017It’s no secret that Hollywood favors young actresses. Most of the roles available for women are geared toward the young ones. Once these ladies hit the big 4-0, many of them simply disappear. After reading a number of interviews with older actresses, one thing has become abundantly clear – as women age in Hollywood, the roles dry up. Even younger actresses like Jessica Chastain have said the same thing. Hollywood is still very much a man’s world and these men would rather not see older women in their films. Here are 9 actresses who have said aging has negatively affected their careers!
7. Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields has complained that there aren’t a lot of roles in Hollywood for women who are over the age of 30, which may be a bit of exaggeration, but we understand where she is going with this. “There aren’t a lot of movies out there for my age,” she said. “They’re still stopping at the mid-30s. Then you’re Diane Keaton or Glenn Close.” Or Meryl Streep – you can’t forgot her!
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com6. Julie Walters
Julie Walters has criticized the film and theatre industries for their lack of roles for older actresses. “We have this thing in this country of constantly trying to appeal to the young in everything, especially with our drama. There is this idea that appealing to youth is the only way forward,” she said. Walters is right – Hollywood really needs to stop with the age discrimination.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com5. Kathleen Turner
According to Kathleen Turner, there are interesting roles for older women; however, they are not in Hollywood. “I always knew as I got older that the more exciting women’s roles would be on stage. Film simply doesn’t take the time to build the complexity of characters that you have in theatre. That’s why I kept doing theatre throughout the years when I had a very, very hot film career going. I would always come back to stage because I knew this is where I would want to be later on,” Turner said.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com4. Annabelle Gurwitch
In her new book “I See You Made an Effort,” Annabelle Gurwitch contends that women over 50 are invisible in Hollywood. “I’m 52, which is actually 82 in actress years,” she said. “Being a woman over 50 in Hollywood I could commit any crime with impunity, because I’m completely invisible.” Gurwitch actually began her career as an actress; however, these days, she considers herself primarily a writer.
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com3. Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette has complained that Hollywood is obsessed with youth. According to her, young, gorgeous women are featured in films and roles for older women dry up after they get a few wrinkles and their bodies lose their perkiness. “[Movie executives] treat aging like cancer, like a disease,” she said. “It’s so painful.” Arquette even filmed a documentary called “Searching for Debra Winger,” which is all about how Hollywood treats aging actresses.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com2. Kim Cattrall
Kim Cattrall is so convinced of Hollywood’s age theory that she has gone on record claiming that Hollywood is against aging actresses altogether. She claims that women over 50 are denied challenging roles because Hollywood filmmakers favor young starlets. “There aren’t enough roles for women over 50. Directors here [in the US] aren’t interested in us. We have to go out there and make them for ourselves, which is what I did with Monica Velour,” she said. Maybe that’s the solution – women making roles for women!
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com1. Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon acknowledges that, as women age in Hollywood, it becomes more and more difficult for them to find jobs. “You’re so punished in this business. When people say, ‘Do you think you’ve lost work because of your politics?’ I say, ‘No, you lose work because you get old and fat!’ That’s when they write you off in Hollywood,” she said. Sarandon also claims that this leads women to try and retain any physical beauty that is left with plastic surgery.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com