Women Over 40 Rock!

Our production company, In The Trenches Productions, is dedicated to creating and supporting films with female characters over 40. But after reading the May 14, Los Angeles Times article by Rachel Abramowitz, “Even the ‘It” Girls Hit a Glass Ceiling,” I have to wonder - should our company reach out to include actresses who are 35? Is 35 the new 50? Ms. Abramowitz cites evidence that the career death knell is hitting actresses as young as 35. In her article she cites that, “Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow is relegated to a little-played second fiddle in ‘Iron-Man’.” In the romantic comedy “What Happens in Vegas”, comparing Ashton Kutcher to Cameron Diaz, it’s noted that, “..she gets to be a shrew which is inherently more unlikable.” Uh-oh, shrews are standard fare for older actresses.
The realization that a woman has a much shorter career than a man will influence career decisions for young actresses. Just the other day a friend of mine told me that her daughter had dropped out of high school to pursue her acting career. The thinking was that you can never recapture your youth but you can always go back to school. Unfortunately, that thinking may be right. In today’s climate, a young film actress can look forward to about a 10 year career.
So, in order to plan a career, a woman needs a more accurate way of calibrating her age in Hollywood years. When a woman is 18, her biological years and Hollywood years are in sync. But as she grows old the disparity between the 2 rapidly grows. So, that by the time an actress celebrates her 35 birthday, she’s actually 50 in Hollywood years. Knowing your Hollywood age, not only helps in planning but also in expectations. I’m an actress over 60, so that means in Hollywood years I’m well over 100. Well, for goodness sakes, no wonder I’m not working.
Jan Bina, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Entertainment Network for Women Over 40