Hollywood has long favoured younger women for leading roles. In the past, actresses in their 20s and 30s often won Oscars. Older women were rarely recognized, even if they had decades of experience. Male actors, by contrast, had longer careers and often kept winning awards well into their 40s, 50s, and 60s.
Things are changing. Recent years have seen older actresses taking centre stage. In 2023, Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress Oscar at age 60 for Everything Everywhere All at Once. She encouraged women everywhere, saying, “Never let anybody tell you you are past your prime.”
Yeoh is one of only seven women over 60 to win Best Actress. Others include Frances McDormand, who won at 63 for Nomadland, and Renée Zellweger, who won at 50. Only Katharine Hepburn and Jessica Tandy have won in their 70s or 80s.
The trend shows a clear shift. BBC research shows that the average age of Best Actress nominees has risen steadily. In the 1940s, nominees averaged 27 years old. By the 1970s, it rose to 37. By the 2000s, it was 40. Today, in the 2020s, nominees average 47 years old.
Experts say several factors are behind this change. Dr. Stacy L. Smith from USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative says “prestige films” now provide richer roles for older women. These are films made to win awards rather than just make money. They value acting skill and experience over glamour or youth.
Elizabeth Kaiden, co-founder of The Writers Lab, says veteran actresses can now attract roles built for them. She mentions stars like Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, and Nicole Kidman. These women have decades of experience and can carry complex roles that younger actresses may not suit.
Female directors and writers also help. When a woman leads a film behind the camera, older women are more likely to play leading roles. Films like Nomadland and The Substance feature women in their 60s as central characters. Fifty years ago, such films might never have been made.
International perspectives matter too. The Oscars now include more voters from around the world. World cinema, which often celebrates older actresses, has gained more recognition. For example, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres was nominated at 59. French actress Isabelle Huppert was nominated at 63 for Elle.
However, challenges remain. Data from Hollywood’s top 100 grossing films in 2025 shows that only four women over 45 were lead or co-lead characters. By contrast, there were 31 men in the same age group. Female screenwriters over 40 are also rare, accounting for only 12% of US films.
Dr. Martha Lauzen warns that most older women in Hollywood are still underrepresented. She says opportunities decline sharply after women reach their late 30s and 40s. By the time women reach 60, they are nearly invisible on screen.
