To see the disparity, look abroad. French and Italian cinema routinely casts 50+ women as romantic leads. Juliette Binoche (60) and Isabelle Huppert (70) play adulterers, CEOs, and detectives without the script winking at their age. In the U.S., however, the industry commits a quiet purge. Consider the data: According to a 2022 San Diego State University study, of the top 100 grossing films, only 8% of protagonists were women over 45. Meanwhile, 24% of male protagonists were over 45.
The streaming era has offered a lifeline, but a flawed one. Series like The Crown (Imelda Staunton), Mare of Easttown (Kate Winslet), or Hacks (Jean Smart) are brilliant, but they often trap mature women in prestige "trauma dramas." Where is the female John Wick? Where is the rom-com where a 55-year-old woman gets the guy without it being about menopause medication?
Meryl Streep once noted that after 40, roles became "mythical beasts." But a recent, troubling trend is the digital de-aging of mature actresses. Rather than write a compelling role for a 65-year-old woman, studios would rather spend millions to make her look 35 via CGI (see: The Irishman’s awkward de-aging of Pesci and De Niro—but imagine that imposed on a woman). The message is clear: An audience can handle a male face with liver spots. It cannot handle a female one. To see the disparity, look abroad
For decades, the narrative arc for actresses in Hollywood was brutally simple and depressingly short. A woman could be a romantic lead in her twenties, a mother in her thirties, and by her forties, she was often relegated to playing the "withered hag," the comedic neighbor, or fading into the background entirely. The adage regarding actresses—that their careers end at 40 while their male counterparts’ careers were just entering their prime—was not a myth; it was industry policy.
However, the last decade has witnessed a profound cultural shift. We are currently living through a golden age for mature women in entertainment. From the arthouse to the multiplex, women over 50 are no longer just visible; they are powerful, complex, sexual, and bankable. In the U
Perhaps the most radical shift is the re-integration of mature women into the romantic and erotic sphere. For years, the "cougar" trope was played for laughs—a punchline about desperation. Today, the landscape is different.
The internet exploded with discourse over the show The Other Two, which featured a storyline where a septuagenarian becomes a gay icon and sex symbol. While played for satire, it highlighted a genuine cultural moment: the "fifth base" or "GILF" phenomenon. We are seeing a mass cultural re-evaluation of women like Jennifer Coolidge, who has transcended her character-actor status to become a bona fide sex symbol and icon in her sixties. The streaming era has offered a lifeline, but a flawed one
This isn't just about "looking good for your age." It is about acknowledging that desire and allure do not expire with fertility. Movies like Book Club and shows like Hacks treat the romantic lives of older women with dignity and humor, rather than derision.
For decades, the Hollywood timeline for a woman looked something like this: At 25, you are the "Ingénue." At 35, you are the "Love Interest." At 45, you are the "Detective’s Grieving Partner." And at 55? You are the "Sassy Grandma" or the "Ghost."
But if you’ve been paying attention to the big screen (and the small screen) lately, you know that script has been ripped up and thrown out the window.
We are living in a golden age for mature women in entertainment. And no, we aren’t just talking about The Golden Bachelor. We are talking about raw, visceral, sexy, complicated, and powerful cinema that refuses to put women out to pasture once their "leading lady" years are technically over.