High-end television has become a primary vehicle for complex mature roles. Series like Hacks (starring Jean Smart ), The White Lotus (featuring Jennifer Coolidge ), and Griselda (led by Sofia Vergara ) have proven that stories centered on experienced women are massive hits.
The next frontier is intersectionality. While white actresses are enjoying a resurgence, mature actresses of color—Angela Bassett (65), Viola Davis (58), and Michelle Yeoh—are leading the charge, but still fighting for the same volume of complex roles as their white peers.
For decades, the Hollywood formula was cruel in its simplicity: once an actress hit 40, she was offered one of three roles—the nagging wife, the quirky grandmother, or a mystical judge on a legal drama. The love interest went to the 25-year-old; the complex arc belonged to the man.
High-end television has become a primary vehicle for complex mature roles. Series like Hacks (starring Jean Smart ), The White Lotus (featuring Jennifer Coolidge ), and Griselda (led by Sofia Vergara ) have proven that stories centered on experienced women are massive hits.
The next frontier is intersectionality. While white actresses are enjoying a resurgence, mature actresses of color—Angela Bassett (65), Viola Davis (58), and Michelle Yeoh—are leading the charge, but still fighting for the same volume of complex roles as their white peers.
For decades, the Hollywood formula was cruel in its simplicity: once an actress hit 40, she was offered one of three roles—the nagging wife, the quirky grandmother, or a mystical judge on a legal drama. The love interest went to the 25-year-old; the complex arc belonged to the man.