The contemporary entertainment industry continues to grapple with issues of representation, diversity, and inclusion. While there have been notable efforts to increase the presence of women and underrepresented groups, the industry remains far from equitable.
The rise of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Apple TV+ has shattered the box office gatekeeping. Streaming platforms crave content, and they crave variety . Unlike theatrical releases that historically target 18–34-year-old males, streamers need to attract diverse demographics. This has led to greenlighting projects like Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin well into their 70s and 80s) and The Kominsky Method . Streaming platforms crave content, and they crave variety
To appreciate where we are, we must look at where we have been. In classical Hollywood, actresses like Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn fought against the studio system’s ageism, but they were exceptions, not the rule. By the 1980s and 1990s, the "aging actress" trope became a punchline. Movies like Death Becomes Her (1992) satirized the desperate attempts of women (Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn) to cling to youth, while real-life actresses over 40 struggled to find work. To appreciate where we are, we must look
Industry Report: Mature Women in Cinema and Entertainment (2024–2026) To appreciate where we are