Remember that time Russell Crowe blamed the lack of roles for older women in Hollywood on the fact that they refuse to play parts their age? Well in case you needed any more proof that his statement is absolute crap, look no further than the latest example of egregious Hollywood sexism.
Indie darling Maggie Gyllenhaal recently told The Wrap that although she’s only 37 she was deemed “too old” to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man in an upcoming project:
There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time. I’m 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.
With a grace that could easily fail others exposed to such blatant sexism, Gyllenhaal added:
A lot of actresses are doing incredible work right now, playing real women, complicated women. I don’t feel despairing at all. And I’m more looking with hope for something fascinating.
And Gyllenhaal’s experience isn’t a fluke. Last year Vulture released these startling graphs that prove that while leading men age, their love interests don’t. Variety reported that female stars see their wages start to drop after age 34, while men don’t see a decrease until 51. Not to mention the fact that at the Oscars the average age of Best Actress winners is 36, while the average age for Best Actor winners is 44.