A picture is worth a thousand words, but an infographic speaks for itself. A new series of graphs demonstrates a point we already knew, but hadn’t thought to illustrate: In Hollywood, it’s fine and dandy for leading men to grow older, but not leading ladies. There is a huge bias towards older men/younger women in casting.
Although there are a few exceptions to the rule, (like Geena Davis and Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise or Katherine Keener and Steve Carell in The 40 Year Old Virgin) most of the graphs show a much younger woman being paired with an older man. Some of the actors began as the younger counterpart in earlier films (Tom Cruise, for example), but Hollywood sexism and ageism has taken over as time has progressed. Most all of the men have remained with a much younger female co-star as the male celeb has gained more than a grey hair or two. Vulture points out that certain men, like Steve Carell and Tom Hanks, have mostly been matched with women closer to their own age. But out of ten examples, it’s clear that this occurrence is few and far between.
Head over to Vulture to read the full article and view all ten graphs!
Photos via Vulture
