Is Ageism Still a Problem in the Film Industry?
With the release of the most recent Bond film title: No Time To Die, I thought it’d be a good idea to take a look at the recent fear of ageism in the film industry. Given the franchise’s history of casting older men in the leading role and the infamous young attractive Bond girl (Honey Ryder and Pussy Galore are probably the most comical ones that come to mind), there is an obvious preference towards older men staying in roles over women who can just be replaced each time by another younger actress. Roger Moore, portrayed Bond into what one could argue was far too old an age for an action star. This isn’t just an issue confined to the Bond franchise. In recent years, prominent young actresses such as Anne Hathaway, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Zoe Saldana have all condemned high up executives for enabling ageism.
So what exactly is the issue nowadays in Hollywood? It appears older male roles are abundant with ageing stars such as Clint Eastwood and Robert De Niro never short of a job in Hollywood. Most recently De Niro appears to reprise his role as the King of Comedy in Joker and Clint Eastwood has starred in a whole host of films. It also appears that Hollywood has no shortage of jobs for stars from the 80s as well, remaking both Terminator and Indiana Jones films with their male stars securing substantial paychecks. Even Marlon Brando was able to breathe new life into his career in Apocalypse Now (a great film by the way) despite being overweight and in need of a few dimly lit shots.
Most recently, Kelly McGillis was left out of the ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ sequel despite Tom Cruise returning for his role. Yet again, Tom Cruise has been paired with different young female co-star continually proving that Mission Impossible films often lack a recurring female star except for Michelle Monaghan who plays Julia, Ethan Hunt’s wife. In 2010, Helen Mirren’s made a comment explaining that she resented having “witnessed… the survival of some very mediocre male actors and the professional demise of some very brilliant female ones”, a tale that still resonates with many of the high up decisions made in Hollywood today.
Despite this, there have been a few recent box office successes which have appeared to revitalise the film industry’s interest in casting older female stars in leading roles. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel grossed $130 million worldwide upon its release and starred Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, both 77 at the time. 2017 also saw Glenn Close in her early 70s shine as another great example of success when nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars for her role as Joan Castleman. When the opportunities are presented to women over a certain age (which is not often enough), they are clearly ready to take them and excel. A counterpoint to this argument could be the frequent use of de-ageing technology in films to manipulate the appearance of male actors. When you take one look at Patrick Stewart in X-Men: The Last Stand, it makes you shudder. With CGI de-ageing technology being used and sometimes abused since 2006, it appears that Hollywood has yet another weapon to eliminate old age, while casting aside perfectly suited actors in the process, and continues to pursue its search for the fountain of youth in the ever-increasingly digitised age of cinema.
Image Credit: LA Times
