Ageism And... Acting: The Silent Killer Of Talent, Opportunity and Visibility

Age is the silent killer of talent, opportunity and visibility for actors, and no more so than for women.  For most female actors, jobs dry up as soon as they are perceived to be ‘ageing’ or ‘old’ which, according to a recent report by the Geena Davis Institute, is a much younger age for women than their male counterparts. The report found that earnings per film of female actors increasing  until the age of 34 but decrease rapidly thereafter, compared to the average earnings per film for male actors reaching their peak at age 51 and then stabilising.  Moreover, not only are there far fewer roles for over 50s than under, only a fraction of these are for women. Between 2010 and 2020, only 1 in 4 characters of those over 50 in film were women, and in themselves these roles were commonly supporting or minor, and more likely to portray stereotypical traits such as being senile, feeble, or frumpy. So is it any wonder that ageing is perceived as curse for women in the entertainment industry? Now you might ask, why does this matter to me? But aside from the fact it employs millions of jobs globally and contributes billions to economies, accurate, authentic representation in tv and film can break down barriers, open us to new ideas, create powerful role models, and even be a source of inspiration. So Episode 2 of 'Ageism Is Never In Style - The Podcast' explores the entertainment's industry role in fuelling, perpetuating and encouraging ageism in acting. Together, host Jacynth and special guest, tv, film and stage actress and writer Julie Graham discuss why age representation and parity in acting is so important for all of us, why the 'gatekeepers' aren't commissioning more stories of women in midlife and beyond, and why and how we can - and should - all support and be advocates for actresses who's careers are increasingly waning or disappearing simply because of their age... Along with much more. And, of course, Julie also shares juicy stories and insights from her illustrious career (and how it has evolved) to date! 

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