Julia Duffy: Hollywood's Aging Narrative for Women is 'Awkward' and 'Disappointing'

Julia Duffy was candid when recently talking openly about how disappointed she was when it came to how Hollywood treated actresses as they age.

"It's awkward," says Duffy. "It's very disappointing how older women are written. We're either the crazy mother-in-law, the bitter aunt, or the invisible background character."

Duffy is now in her sixties but has been a household face in Hollywood for a long time. She is a woman who has acted in so many movies and series, receiving acclamation for her acting. At the same time, she has also had to endure the cruel realities of ageism prevalent among film industry stakeholders.

Duffy writes that there is a heavy role deficit of older women in Hollywood. According to her, most studios and networks would opt to use the newer face so that they achieve maximum marketability. Older actresses, therefore, end up relegated to minor roles or forced into retirement.

"It's a pity," Duffy said. "There are so many beautiful, accomplished older women out there who have so much to contribute. We deserve to be noticed and heard."

But there's also the way older women are seen on film. According to Duffy, too many roles feature older women as fragile, pitiful, or out of touch. Those stereotypes are not only untrue but crushing, she says.

"It is important to see older women in different roles," Duffy said. "We are all not the same. We have different experiences, different perspectives, and different stories to tell."

In contemporary Hollywood, the musings of Duffy are a much-needed reminder of the struggles that older women face in the world of entertainment. The continuously changing nature of the entertainment industry demands that we see more complex and diversified roles for older actresses, and hence we may help and encourage the busting of those stereotypical images for women once again.