Geena Davis revealed she once lost a part in a movie role because the male star thought she was too old even though the male actor was much older than her! Davis talked to Allison Kugel about gender bias in Hollywood on the “Allison Interviews” podcast. Davis said, “It’s very strange and so prevalent. A certain male actor that was making a movie said that I was too old to be his romantic interest, and I was 20 years younger than him.” The “Thelma & Louise” star said that in the acting industry, “Women peak in their 20s and 30s, and men peak in their 40s and 50s as far as actors go.”
The “Beetlejuice” star said one of the reasons the Institute has made an impact on Hollywood was because she is in the industry. Davis told Kugel, “I could go in a very friendly way privately with my colleagues and share the information with them. The universal reaction when people first hear it is they are stunned.”
Davis said the creators of children’s entertainment are very shocked by the results. “The combination of seeing the data proved that there is a big problem, and then realizing they want to do right by kids has been the magic formula in creating change, which is very exciting,” she said. Davis’ friendly approach is smart. The 65-year-old Oscar winner is a Mensa member (via Insider), and she’s putting her brain to good use!
