The number of films featuring female leads plummeted from 42% in 2024 to 29% in 2025 . For women over 45, the numbers are even lower; in 2025, not a single top-grossing film featured a woman of color aged 45+ in a leading role.
In recent years, mature women in entertainment have faced a landscape of "cosmetic" progress and persistent stagnation. While high-profile awards for actresses like , Frances McDormand , and Jean Smart suggest a shift toward visibility, data from 2024–2026 reveals deep structural barriers and a recent regression in lead roles for women over 40. The "Midlife Gap" in Film and Television
Research from the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) and the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film highlights a sharp decline in opportunities as women age compared to their male counterparts.
