A new study has revealed that only five of the 100 highest-grossing films of the past three years have starred a woman over the age of 60, while five were led by an actor named Chris. The research, conducted by the Centre for Ageing Better's Age Without Limits campaign, highlights a stark disparity in representation for older women on screen.
Among the films led by a Chris are Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (Chris Pratt), The Super Mario Bros Movie (Pratt), and Transformers One (Chris Hemsworth). In contrast, the few female-led films featuring older women include Allelujah (Jennifer Saunders) and The Substance (Demi Moore). The study also found that films were four times more likely to feature a talking animal as its lead than an older woman.
Reacting to the findings, Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, 67, called on filmmakers to better reflect their audiences. 'Women are half the population and we get older,' she said. 'So where are the stories about us? The older we get, the more interesting we are.' Thompson, who has starred in several films since turning 60 including Cruella and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, added that older women are 'overdue for centre stage'.
Dr Carol Easton OBE, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, described the findings as 'absolutely ludicrous'. She noted that one in five UK cinema attendees are aged 55 and above, spending hundreds of millions annually. 'The lack of representation is insulting,' she said, urging cultural gatekeepers to push back against ageism and sexism.
The study, conducted by academics at the University of West London, also found that when older women are portrayed, they are often depicted as passive, pitiable, or irrelevant to the plot. MPs previously described ageism as 'widespread and culturally embedded' in the UK, with discrimination laws failing older people.
