Andie MacDowell, nominated three times for ‘best actress’ at the Golden Globes, has spoken forcefully about the age discrimination that many actresses suffer when they reach a certain age. Historically, there have been several cases of women who are rejected to play roles because they understand that some are too old, when in the case of actors it does not become a determining factor. For her part, the actress, who turns 65 this April, has shown that she does not mind that her passing of the years is visible.
The protagonist of films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral or Marriage of Convenience ensures that age discrimination is still a very present reality in Hollywood. In recent years, the model has also had no qualms about being happy with her appearance and with wearing her hair without dyeing, something that is not very common in her sector. A decision that she made during the pandemic and that, in addition, she does not intend to change.
This decision has created great curiosity in the media, which is why the actress was asked about it during an interview published this week on YouTube by journalist Katie Couric. Her words have gone viral, as the actress explains that with the change she feels better, both because she believes her eyes stand out more and because she sees her skin better. “As my undyed hair grew, I felt more powerful, more authentic, and more myself,” she told the reporter.
During the interview, the actress is blunt with all those who consider that her change of look does not suit her well. “How old do I look? Does she look like she’s 75 just because I don’t dye anymore?” she asks the reporter. “I don’t care. I want to be old. I’m sick of trying to look young, I don’t want to be young,” she continues in the interview, in which she remarks that “trying to look young is very tiring, I don’t feel like it anymore.”
The actress, who has returned to the present thanks to her role in the series The Assistant – which can be played on Netflix – acknowledges that with age it becomes more difficult to get a role on the big screen. “Castings are easier when you’re thirty years old. Then everything is more complicated,” she expresses to Katie Couric. In addition, MacDowell assures that as an actress, but also an actor, gets older in Hollywood, “they don’t know what to do with us.”
As an example of this ageism, she recalls that just after turning 40, during an interview, a younger journalist asked her how she felt “getting old and losing beauty.” “I felt sad for her, because I thought that one day she would be in my place,” she comments on the unpleasant question she had to face.
Thus, the actress launched a claim during the interview. “It’s important to see beauty at all ages and not be limited to a certain age,” Andie said. “Why is there so much shame associated with getting older? You don’t have to waste time feeling ashamed,” says the actress. MacDowell rose to fame after becoming the model for the cosmetics and hair care brand L’Oréal, which widely publicized her image. Currently, Ella MacDowell still maintains a professional relationship with this firm, and she is also one of the most respected and veteran actresses in Hollywood.
