: In 2025, only 4 women over 45 played leads in Hollywood's top 100 films, compared to 31 men in the same age bracket.
: A 2025 USC Annenberg study found that not a single top-100 film featured a woman of color aged 45 or older in a leading role. mature art milfs
: Mature women are frequently relegated to being mothers or grandmothers, with their personal ambitions and sexual identities erased. : In 2025, only 4 women over 45
: The share of female leads in top-grossing films dropped from a historic high of 55% in 2024 to just 39% in 2025. The "Ageless Test" and Narrative Stereotypes : The share of female leads in top-grossing
On the surface, mature actresses appear to be flourishing. In early 2025, nearly half of acting Emmy awards went to performers over 50. High-profile wins for (60) and Demi Moore (62)—who won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination for The Substance —have been hailed as signs that talent has no expiration date. However, broader industry data tells a different story:
: Stories that do feature older women often focus on them "reclaiming youth" through romance rather than existing as complex individuals in their own right. Beyond the Stereotypes: The Reality of Aging Women in Films