Representation in Film

Actress Emma Thompson is one of many older women being shut out of leading roles in films - in favor of talking animals and men named Chris, a new study finds. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons) Representation for women in film is a global problem, especially as they get older – and a British research effort examining onscreen roles proves it. The new study comes from Age Without Limits, a UK-based organization that works to combat ageism found in a variety of industries. It reveals that the highest-grossing films released in the UK over the past three years were more likely to center a talking dog or other animal, or an actor whose name is Chris, than a woman over the age of 60. Looking at the top 100 films in 2023, 2024 and 2025, researchers found that six of them featured a man named Chris – in particular, Chris Pratt, who starred in “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3” and was the voice lead of “The Super Mario Bros Movie,” among others – while five featured any women over 60. Looking at the same group, movies centering talking animals were four times more present than films with older women at the heart of them. Oscar winner Emma Thompson, who is 67, noted to Age Without Limits in a statement on the findings that “women are half the population – and we get older.” So, she adds, “where are the stories about us?” It’s not as though there aren’t rich themes to explore by telling older women’s stories, Thompson added. “The older we get, the more interesting we are. I want to see more films that center aging women," she said. "We are compelling, relatable and overdue for center stage.” Dr. Carole Easton, chief executive of Age Without Limits’ parent organization, Centre for Ageing Better, backed Thompson’s assertion, adding that such a shift would also cater to those most likely to head to theaters. “Up to one in five UK cinema attendees are aged 55 and above – this age group spends hundreds of millions of pounds every year on cinema. The representation of older actors in major film roles is so disproportionate to the proportion of older women in the cinema-going audience, the lack of representation is insulting, frankly.” The study further found that there is an appetite among the broader movie-going populace for stories featuring older women, with a third (33%) of study respondents across all age groups stating they’d want more of such movies to be made. And just under a fifth of them (16%) said they’d be more likely to head to theaters for a film if an older woman were the lead. Even if that weren’t the case, however, women above the age of 60 should have their stories told more frequently, added Thompson – even if that means fewer chatting dogs at the forefront of movies. “Older women don’t need permission to exist on screen. They already exist in the world. Cinema just needs to catch up.”

Representation in Film

Talking Dogs, Dudes Named ‘Chris’ Get More Lead Roles Than Women Over 60, Study Finds

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Representation in Film

Talking Dogs, Dudes Named ‘Chris’ Get More Lead Roles Than Women Over 60, Study Finds

New ‘Star Wars’ Director Will Bring Balance, Representation to The Force

The Story Exchange

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