Analysis: Hollywood more likely to cast a man named Chris or talking animal than a woman over 60
A recent analysis highlights the underrepresentation of women over 60 in Hollywood films compared to male leads named Chris and talking animals. The Age Without Limits campaign found that only five films in the past three years featured women over 60 in lead roles. Advocates, including Emma Thompson, are calling for more stories that reflect the experiences of older women in cinema.
- ▪Among the top 100 highest-grossing films in the UK, six featured a lead actor named Chris, while only five featured women over 60.
- ▪Films are four times more likely to feature a talking animal in a lead role than a female actor over 60.
- ▪Polling revealed that 33% of respondents believe there are not enough films with female leads over 60.
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A new analysis by a British anti-ageism campaign finds that the film industry’s top-grossing movies are more likely to feature a male lead named Chris — or even a talking animal — than a woman over the age of 60, drawing renewed calls for Hollywood to address what advocates describe as a pervasive culture of age-based discrimination. Among the 100 highest-grossing films at the United Kingdom box office for 2023, 2024, and 2025, six featured a lead actor named Chris, compared to just five featuring women over 60 in a lead role, according to the Age Without Limits campaign, backed by the Centre for Ageing Better. The same analysis found that films are four times more likely to feature a talking animal in the lead role than a female actor over the age of 60.
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