Film industry and women 50-plus discrimination

Author Moonshot.news

Published on: 01/04/2025

The 95-year history of the film industry’s Oscars awards has persistent and sizable gender gaps in 50-plus actors being nominated for and winning Academy Awards. “While the 50-plus gender gap is shrinking among winners of Best Actor/Best Actress, it has grown among winners of Best Supporting Actor/Best Supporting Actress”, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media says in a report. The Institute concludes that the industry needs more stories that centre on the lives of women 50-plus. 

“The analysis uncovers gender gaps among 50-plus nominees and winners. However, the gaps likely reflect that 50-plus women have fewer film roles in the first place. This aligns with broader industry trends where older women have fewer leading roles than older men, limiting their chances of being nominated.”

Key findings:

• Among 50-plus nominees in all acting categories, there is a 14-percentage-point gender gap
• Among 50-plus winners in all acting categories, there is a 15-point gender gap:
  • Since 1930, 34% of winners in the male categories have been 50-plus, compared with 19% of winners in the female categories, a gender gap of 15 points. Therefore, 50-plus women and men are a similar share of the winners as they are the nominees.
• The gender gaps differ when comparing Best Actor/Best Actress with Best Supporting Actor/Best Supporting Actress categories:
  • Among Best Actor/Best Actress nominees, 27% of male nominees and 13% of female nominees have been 50-plus, a 14-point gender gap.
  • Among Best Supporting Actor/Best Supporting Actress nominees, 40% of male nominees and 26% of female nominees have been 50-plus, a 14-point gender gap.
  • Among Best Actor/Best Actress winners, 25% of male winners and 15% of female winners have been 50-plus, a 10-point gender gap.
  • Among Best Supporting Actor/Best Supporting Actress winners, 43% of male winners and 24% of female winners have been 50-plus, a 19-point gender gap.
• The gender gap among 50-plus male and female actors has ebbed and flowed over the decades, but the gap is steadily widening:
  • In the 1930s, the gender gap in 50-plus nominees was just 3 points (12% of female nominees, 15% of male nominees); in the 2020s, the gender gap in 50-plus nominees was 17 points (50% of male nominees, 33% of female nominees).
  • The 50-plus gender gap among nominees was largest in the 1980s, when 44% of male nominees were 50-plus but just 16% of female nominees were. But that decade, 40% of male winners were 50-plus, while 30% of female winners were 50-plus

The Institute’s recommendations:

• Prioritize Age-Inclusive Casting. Write and cast more complex roles for female actors ages 50 and older, particularly in supporting roles where the gender gap has widened.
• Expand Visibility During Awards Season. In films with 50-plus characters, prominently feature 50-plus female actors in campaigns and marketing efforts to boost their recognition and increase awards consideration.
• Recognize Age and Gender Equity. Spotlight age and gender equity in filmmaking, and invest in efforts to develop best practices for addressing these gaps.
• Tell More Stories That Centre on the Lives of Women 50-Plus. Tell stories that authentically represent the experiences of women 50-plus to challenge ageist and gendered stereotypes in film narratives.