Actress, 37, is too old to play the love interest of a 55-year-old actor, according to Maggie Gyllenhaal. In a recent interview, Gyllenhaal revealed that she was turned away for a role because the lead male character was 55.
A Dangerous Woman actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, 37, is too old to be a 55-year-old’s love interest. The Won’t Back Down star recently did an interview with TheWrap where she put the spotlight on ageism and sexism in Hollywood.
Like wine, male actors only get better in the movie industry, whereas women are deemed old and ugly as they reach a certain age bracket, and Gyllenhaal learned that 37 is where the bracket begins.
While Gyllenhaal is not interested in fighting with Hollywood execs because she needs them to earn a living, she is speaking out about her recent disastrous audition, according to The Inquisitr. Gyllenhaal revealed:
“There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time. I’m 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.”
Gyllenhaal would not say which film, but did add:
“A lot of actresses are doing incredible work right now, playing real women, complicated women. I don’t feel despairing at all. And I’m more looking with hope for something fascinating.”
A recent study by Vocativ, which looked at the top 25 grossing films between 2010 and 2014, concluded that Gyllenhaal is correct, Hollywood insists on casting much younger actresses as the love interests of older leading males.
The data does not show a blanket ban on women Gyllenhaal’s age (37) playing the love interests of men in their 50s, however. Kelly Reilly was 35 to Washington’s 57 in Flight, and Mary-Louise Parker was 46 with the 55-year-old Bruce Willis in RED. But the age gap still persisted, with exceptions made for only the biggest female stars, like Oprah Winfrey, Sally Field, and Bette Midler.
Richard Gere, 63, starred in Arbitrage with Laetitia Casta, 34. Tom Cruise, 50, was in Oblivion with Olga Kurylenko, 33. In Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks was 37 years old, while his co-star, Robin Wright, was just 28.
Sarah Silverman was less diplomatic about what is going on in the entertainment industry. The 44-year-old comedian said:
“As soon as a woman gets to an age where she has opinions and she’s vital and she’s strong, she’s systematically shamed into hiding under a rock.”
What are your thoughts on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s comments?
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