Actress, 37, Gyllenhaal: 55 Is Too Old Of A Man For Maggie Gyllenhaal To Romance In Film

Actress 37-year-old Maggie Gyllenhaal was recently told that she is too old to romance a 55-year-old on screen. Evidently, movie execs want younger women to romance older men — and that’s something that Maggie learned unexpectedly.

According to CNN, this has become the going thing in filmmaking in recent years. Once an actress turns 40 (or, in Maggie’s case, approaches 40), getting a leading role becomes harder. Evidently casting younger women — even those young enough to be the daughter of the leading male in a film — is what has become the new normal.

“There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time. I’m 37, and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.”

An actress at 37, says Gyllenhaal, is too old for a 55-year-old actor in movies, which means that George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Johnny Depp will more than likely either play dads, or be hooked up with a 20-something in most feature films. Ageism and sexism has long been a topic of discussion, and many actresses have taken on the topic at various points in their careers.

For instance, actress Patricia Arquette brought it up during her Academy Awards’ speech.

“To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”

Actress Cate Blanchett talked about it during her Oscar’s speech.

“Those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not. Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people.”

According to the Huffington Post, Maggie Gyllenhaal isn’t completely turned off by the industry standards, as she says there are positives to being a female actor — and that’s something she’s happy to be a part of.

“A lot of actresses are doing incredible work right now, playing real women, complicated women. I don’t feel despairing at all. And I’m more looking with hope for something fascinating.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Maggie won a Golden Globe in January for her role in The Honourable Woman.

[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]