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The goal of this current movement is to render the "comeback" irrelevant. The goal is a continuum. We are seeing the first generation of actresses who are building careers that span 50 years without a dip— produces four films a year; Margot Martindale steals every scene regardless of age; Tilda Swinton becomes more alien and fascinating as the decades pass.
Jean Smart ( Hacks ) has become the patron saint of the mature woman in comedy. Her character, Deborah Vance, is a legendary Las Vegas comedian who refuses to be retired. The show’s genius lies in its honesty: Smart plays the fatigue, the jealousy of younger stars, the loneliness, and the razor-sharp wit that only 50 years of surviving the industry can provide. The Unfinished Business (Obstacles Remain) Despite the progress, we cannot uncork the champagne just yet. The revolution is focused largely on white women. For mature women of color , the double bind of ageism and racism remains a brutal filter. While Viola Davis and Regina King are breaking glass ceilings (with King directing at 50, Davis achieving EGOT status), the volume of roles for a 60-year-old Black or Latina actress is still a fraction of that for a 60-year-old white actress.
Hollywood is finally, begrudgingly, learning to listen. The second act isn't an epilogue. For many of these women, it is the climax. And we are all lucky to have a seat in the theater.
The goal of this current movement is to render the "comeback" irrelevant. The goal is a continuum. We are seeing the first generation of actresses who are building careers that span 50 years without a dip— produces four films a year; Margot Martindale steals every scene regardless of age; Tilda Swinton becomes more alien and fascinating as the decades pass.
Jean Smart ( Hacks ) has become the patron saint of the mature woman in comedy. Her character, Deborah Vance, is a legendary Las Vegas comedian who refuses to be retired. The show’s genius lies in its honesty: Smart plays the fatigue, the jealousy of younger stars, the loneliness, and the razor-sharp wit that only 50 years of surviving the industry can provide. The Unfinished Business (Obstacles Remain) Despite the progress, we cannot uncork the champagne just yet. The revolution is focused largely on white women. For mature women of color , the double bind of ageism and racism remains a brutal filter. While Viola Davis and Regina King are breaking glass ceilings (with King directing at 50, Davis achieving EGOT status), the volume of roles for a 60-year-old Black or Latina actress is still a fraction of that for a 60-year-old white actress. milfs like it big
Hollywood is finally, begrudgingly, learning to listen. The second act isn't an epilogue. For many of these women, it is the climax. And we are all lucky to have a seat in the theater. The goal of this current movement is to