The entertainment industry has finally stopped listening to the "anybody." It is listening to the women. And the show, for the first time in history, is just getting started for the leading ladies over 50. About the author: This article is part of a series on evolving demographics in global cinema. Follow for more analysis on representation, the business of Hollywood, and the streaming revolution.
Furthermore, the beauty industry is shifting. "Anti-aging" is becoming a dirty word, replaced by "pro-aging." Cosmetics brands like L’Oréal and Pat McGrath are casting women like Helen Mirren and Andie MacDowell as faces of their brands, normalizing grey hair and wrinkles on billboards. The mature woman in entertainment is no longer a niche category or a charity case. She is the anchor. She is the Oscar winner. She is the streaming smash.
What has changed is not the talent of the actresses—that was always there. What has changed is the to see them. Audiences have realized that stories of a 25-year-old’s first heartbreak are cute, but stories of a 60-year-old rebuilding her life after a divorce, facing mortality, falling into a second great love, or learning kung fu to save her daughter are electric.