Sienna Miller has revealed that fellow actresses warned her that turning 40 once made women 'obsolete' in Hollywood, reigniting the debate about ageism in the industry.
The 44-year-old actress reflected on getting older in an industry where women have long spoken about seeing their opportunities change as they age. She is currently starring alongside Dominic West in Sky's new drama War, but says she has noticed a shift in the roles available to women compared with previous generations.
'We were obsolete when that happened'
“I remember speaking to actresses who were like: ‘You’re so lucky that you’re turning 40 now, because we were obsolete when that happened,’” she told The Guardian.
The comment came as Sienna discussed how she feels about her career now compared with when she was younger. “I feel less like I have to prove something,” she said. "And I’m not sure whether that’s because I don’t have anything to prove, or I just don’t care about proving myself any more.”
Juliet role still out of reach
She also revealed there is one role she still wishes she could have taken on – Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Sienna said she had even asked a theatre heavyweight whether she could still play the character, but was told audiences might struggle to see her as a virgin.
Her comments have reignited the conversation around whether Hollywood really has moved on from the idea that female stars have a limited shelf life. And some of the industry's biggest actresses have spent years challenging that idea.
Witherspoon and Aniston speak out
Reese Witherspoon has been particularly vocal about her experiences. In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, she recalled being told by a financial adviser to start saving because she would no longer be earning as much once she reached 40.
Instead, Witherspoon made more money in her 40s and revealed she fired the adviser who gave her the warning. She also launched production company Hello Sunshine in 2016 with the aim of putting more women’s stories on screen. She has spoken about wanting women to have greater influence over the projects being made, rather than simply waiting for better roles to come along.
Jennifer Aniston, who worked with Witherspoon on The Morning Show, has also been outspoken about ageing in the entertainment industry. In 2025, she rejected the idea that women have an “expiration date” in Hollywood, describing it as an “old ideology”.
“The wisdom older women have to contribute is quite extraordinary,” she said. Jennifer also pointed to Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Sandra Bullock as women who have continued to demonstrate what is possible for actresses later in their careers.
Major role in War
The conversation is particularly relevant to Sienna now, as she takes on one of the biggest roles of her recent career. In War, she plays Carla Duval, one half of a powerful couple whose marriage is breaking down. Dominic plays her estranged husband Morgan Henderson in the Sky drama, which follows rival London law firms battling for a major legal victory.
