On Sunday, Michelle Yeoh won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” making history as the first Asian actress to do so in the show’s 95 years.
In her acceptance speech, the Malaysia-born 60-year-old made a point to call out gendered ageism and encourage those who want to follow in her path.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” she said in her acceptance speech. “This is proof that dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”
Throughout this awards season, Yeoh has used her platform to speak up about how she and other Asian actors have faced stereotypes and societal barriers in their careers. In a GQ interview, she called the role of Evelyn in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” “something I’ve been waiting for, for a long time.”
The facts back up how gendered ageism is ever-present in Hollywood. In 2017, USC published a report that found that only two leading characters over 60 were featured in the 25 films nominated for Best Picture over the previous three years — and they were both played by the same white man, Michael Keaton.
When older people were featured in Best Picture-nominated movies, men were playing leaders, while older women, and older people of color in particular, rarely got to wield power on screen, according to the report.
“Occupational prestige is the province of male seniors,” the study stated. “The consistent portrayal of male leaders in film means that audiences across the life span do not see a portrait of authority and achievement that reflects reality by including females and people of color.”
But it’s not just actors who face gendered ageism. Very few of us will ever become Oscar-winners, but unfortunately the harmful societal assumption that women have a fleeting “prime” working age is still…
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