Nicole Kidman Slams Hollywood For Ageism, Then Shares Sexy Photoshoot Pics
Nicole Kidman wants you to know ageism is not okay.,
This article is more than 2 years old
Nicole Kidman isn’t here for ageism in Hollywood and she’s planning to let everyone who will listen know. The actress, 54, has been having a second wave of her career thanks to television shows like Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers. Prior to that, she was most famous as a film actress with hits like Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Cold Mountain and more. Now, Nicole Kidman notes that ageism in Hollywood is what made her gravitate toward TV as a middle-age woman in the industry.
Nicole Kidman sat down for an interview, as well as a gorgeous photoshoot, with Dujour where she discussed ageism in Hollywood and how it affected a person very near to her heart right now, Lucille Ball. Nicole Kidman plays the I Love Lucy star in the film Being The Ricardos. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and co-starring Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz, the movie deals with a particularly eventful time in the married couple’s life while working on their hit, groundbreaking sitcom.
Nicole Kidman explained in a previous interview on the “Today” show that Lucille Ball was told at the time, and in a scene in the movie, that 39 is kind of the cut-off for women in Hollywood. As a result, the famous funny woman turned to TV and found a way to become even more famous and beloved by the public.
“There’s a consensus in the industry that as a female actor, at about 40, you’re done,” Nicole Kidman told Dujour. The star went on to explain that she was never told that specifically, but that she’s faced countless bouts of reflection for roles she was good for but considered too old to play. Although Kidman admitted that the situation for a new generation of women is changing in show business, it still has great strides to go — strides that began back in the 1950s with Lucille Ball.
This isn’t the first time that Nicole Kidman has spoken out against ageism in Hollywood. In 2018, she made headlines on the topic when she dedicated a portion of her Screen Actors Guild Awards speech to praise the industry for becoming more accepting of middle-aged women. The actress used her time to call out the industry for only hiring young women, even if what they need is a character who is older. She commended stars like Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep and Judi Dench for their “trailblazing performances,” according to Refinery29. Nicole Kidman concluded by calling on writers, directors and all other kinds of artists and storytellers to remember to tell the stories of older women in an honest, realistic way.
Ageism is definitely a problem in Hollywood and it’s not just Nicole Kidman who has noticed. USA Today reports that, according to a new study, although speaking roles for women ticked up significantly in 2019 and 2020, anyone older than their 20s or 30s was largely left out. Meanwhile, the study found that male actors were most popular in their 30s and 40s, presenting a clear picture of the diversity conversation missing age. Hopefully, more stars like Nicole Kidman being vocal will create space for more actresses like her, Meryl Streep and Frances McDormand to thrive.
