Naomi Watts has reflected on the changing opportunities for older women in Hollywood, saying the recognition received by actresses in their 50s and beyond at the recent Emmy Awards was an encouraging sign that long-standing industry attitudes towards ageing were beginning to shift.
Watts, 57, said women had historically faced a sharp decline in opportunities as they grew older, recalling that she was once warned her career could effectively be over by the age of 40. More than a decade later, she believes the landscape has changed significantly, even though ageism has not disappeared altogether.
‘Heartening to see’
Speaking about the position of older women in the entertainment industry, Watts pointed to the latest Emmy Awards as evidence that performers were increasingly being recognised for substantial roles later in their careers.
“Look at the Emmys last week... that’s heartening to see,” she said, referring to the visibility and success of established female performers at the ceremony.
Watts said the industry had traditionally operated on the assumption that women became less commercially valuable as they aged, an attitude that shaped both the roles they were offered and perceptions about how long their careers could last. She recalled being told at the age of 33 that she should make the most of her career because “it’s all over at 40”. Watts said she was surprised by the comment at the time and questioned why women should suddenly lose their professional value at that age.
Opportunities changing
The actor said the emergence of stronger roles for women in their 50s, 60s and beyond demonstrated that those assumptions were gradually being challenged.
Watts argued that audiences wanted to see authentic stories about women at different stages of life rather than having female characters disappear from leading roles once they reached a certain age.
She said the change was also being driven by women within the industry who were increasingly creating, producing and championing their own stories.
The actor has herself continued to take on prominent film and television roles well beyond the age at which she had once been warned her opportunities would diminish.
Ageing in the spotlight
Watts has previously spoken publicly about ageing, menopause and the pressures women face to maintain youthful appearances, particularly in industries where physical appearance has traditionally played an outsized role in casting decisions.
She has argued for more open conversations about menopause and other aspects of ageing that have often been treated as uncomfortable or taboo subjects.
For Watts, the growing visibility of older female actors does not mean Hollywood has completely overcome ageism. But she said recent changes indicated that women no longer necessarily faced the same rigid career limits that once shaped the industry.
The recognition of older performers at major awards ceremonies, she suggested, offered tangible evidence that perceptions were moving in a different direction.