Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis has spoken out against ageism in Hollywood, revealing she was once denied a role because a male co-star deemed her too old to play his romantic interest — despite being 20 years his junior.
In an interview with the Allison Interviews podcast, the Thelma & Louise star said: 'A certain male actor that was making a movie said that I was too old to be his romantic interest, and I was 20 years younger than him.' She did not name the actor or the film.
Davis highlighted the disparity in how male and female actors are perceived: 'Women peak in their 20s and 30s, and men peak in their 40s and 50s as far as actors go. So the male stars of the movies want to appear to be younger than they are, or they want to appeal to younger people, so they always want a co-star who is really young.'
Citing statistics, she added: 'Characters over 50 are 20% of characters on screen, but women over 50 are only a quarter of those characters. So women over 50% are 5% of characters on screen.'
The actress, who turns 65 next week, has long been an advocate for women in Hollywood. Her comments come amid ongoing debate about ageism and sexism in the entertainment industry.
