Scarlett Johansson made her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, starring 95-year-old June Squibb. Many films that focus on elderly characters use their age as a joke, pointing out how they don’t mesh well with modern times. Johansson and writer Tory Kamen mostly eschew that kind of storytelling, instead allowing Eleanor to be a full human being. Squibb, who earned an Oscar nomination for Nebraska in 2013 at the age of 84, proves that a late-career renaissance is not only possible but can be one of the most exciting chapters in an actor’s life.
Despite this undeniable progress, the industry cannot afford complacency. While high-profile, elite actresses are breaking barriers, systemic disparities persist for mid-career and older women who lack production power.
This systemic erasure created a cinematic vacuum. Complex human experiences unique to later stages of life—such as mid-life reinvention, shifting marital dynamics, grandmotherhood divorced from stereotype, and late-career ambition—were rarely explored with depth or nuance. Actresses were frequently cast to play women significantly older than their actual biological age, further reinforcing the idea that a woman’s vibrant, multi-faceted life ends at menopause. Catalyst for Change: The Streaming Boom and Prestige TV neighbours milf free
: Top streaming platforms have become a primary venue for more visible and diverse older characters, including those from LGBTQIA+ communities. Shifting Roles and Tropes
Against this grim backdrop, a remarkable counter-narrative has emerged. The 2025 awards season marked a watershed moment. At the Oscars, Demi Moore (62), Karla Sofía Gascón (52), and Fernanda Torres (59) were three of the five nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role—the first time since 2007 that three women over 50 had received that honor. Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet, both 49, were the youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Drama at the Golden Globes, among a cohort that included Pamela Anderson, Nicole Kidman, and Tilda Swinton. Moore won Best Actress in a Comedy. The recently concluded Golden Globes saw seven of the coveted Best Actress awards go to women over the age of 40. Scarlett Johansson made her directorial debut with Eleanor
In 2025, women aged 60 and older accounted for just 2% of major female characters in top-grossing films, compared to 8% for men in the same bracket.
Global populations are aging, and the demographic of women over 40 represents one of the most affluent, loyal, and media-consuming audiences in the world. This demographic seeks reflection, not erasure. When studios invest in high-quality narratives led by mature women, the financial returns are significant. Squibb, who earned an Oscar nomination for Nebraska
Streaming platforms have become unexpected champions for complex, mature stories. Freed from the constraints of traditional theatrical releases, platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Hulu are increasingly investing in narratives that center on older women.
The recent awards seasons have served as a powerful referendum on the industry's changing tastes. The 2025 Academy Awards, for instance, saw a historic wave of nominations for women over 50. Demi Moore, at 62, alongside Karla Sofía Gascón (52) and Fernanda Torres (59), comprised three of the five nominees for Best Actress, marking a seismic shift from a time when such a statistic was almost inconceivable. This trend was mirrored at the Golden Globes, where Nicole Kidman and Pamela Anderson, among others, joined the ranks of nominees in a year where the "obsession with youth" appeared to be finally waning.
: Soft, supportive characters existing solely to anchor a younger protagonist's emotional arc.
The trajectory is neither linear nor guaranteed. For every triumphant moment like Demi Moore’s Golden Globe win, there is a countervailing statistic that reminds us how far we still have to go. The percentage of top-grossing films with female protagonists actually declined from 42% to 29% between 2024 and 2025—a dramatic reversal that should serve as a warning against complacency. Progress, when it comes, can be undone.