It is a truth widely acknowledged that, even as actors approach the age where AARP becomes their aggressive, needy pen pal, their love interests steadfastly remain in the bloom of youth. (Need proof? These hilarious/uncomfortable-making charts don't lie.)
After she collected a BAFTA for her supporting actress role in Boyhood on Sunday, Patricia Arquette detonated some truth bombs about women in the movies and why you never see a man in Tom Cruise's cohort make out with a woman in Tom Cruise's cohort.
"I think men over 40 don't want to be cast with women who are their real age, I guess," she said. "I mean, I find it funny. Sometimes you'll have someone like Harrison Ford in a movie, but the woman cast opposite him isn't three or four years younger than him like in real life.
"That's generally how we mate as a species. But somehow they're 20 years younger—I mean that's the ridiculous thing. We have to call bullshit on that. Come on people, cast appropriate to your leading man's age, at least. Let's start there."
Yes, let's. Add that to your laundry list, Hollywood, right under "strong, complex female leads" and "more roles for mature actresses so Meryl Streep doesn't have to be an exception."
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