Emma Thompson<\/a> says “cinema just needs to catch up” after damning statistics on older women in film.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Dame Emma Thompson has called out Hollywood ageism<\/p>\n
New research from the Centre For Aging Better as part of the UK’s first anti-ageism campaign has found that, across 2023, 2024 and 2025, a woman over the age of 60 is less likely to appear in a movie than an actor named Chris, or a talking animal in a lead role.<\/p>\n
In a statement supporting the campaign, Dame Emma, 67, said: “Women are half the population and we get older. So where are the stories about us?<\/p>\n
“The older we get, the more interesting we are. I want to see more films centre aging women; we are compelling, relatable, and overdue for centere stage.<\/p>\n
“Older women don\u2019t need permission to exist on screen. They already exist in the world; cinema just needs to catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIn a study of the 100 highest-earning films of the three year period, six films featured someone named Chris, compared to just five focused on older women.<\/p>\n
\nMeanwhile, the study found that films are far more likely to include a talking animal as a lead character than an actress over the age of 60.<\/p>\n
\nAcross 2023, 2024 and 2025, the only five films starring an older women to make the top 100 list were Allelujah with Jennifer Saunders, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 with Nia Vardalos, and Book Club: The Next Chapter with the late Diane Keaton, which were all released in 2023.<\/p>\n
\n2024’s The Substance with Demi Moore also made the list, as did last year’s Freakier Friday, which saw Jamie Lee Curtis back for the Disney sequel.<\/p>\n
\nIn a contrast, Chris Pratt alone had half of the six top-grossing films of the period, which included 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and 2024’s The Garfield Movie.<\/p>\n
\nThe other films in the top six featured Chris Pine (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Chris Hemsworth (Transformers One), and Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest).<\/p>\n
\nDame Emma, who grew up with actor parents Eric Thompson and Phyllida Law, previously admitted she never actually intended to follow in their footsteps.<\/p>\n
\nThe Oscar winner told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor at all. It always seemed like a rather precarious job to me \u2013 and it is! I remember wanting to be a hospital administrator at one point.<\/p>\n
\n“But then, somehow, I became a comedian. Acting came to me from that, rather by accident. I never intended to be doing this for a living, but it’s worked out rather well.”<\/p>\n
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