: Meryl Streep famously noted that the year after she turned 40, she was offered three different roles to play witches, reflecting a narrow industry view that once women pass "childbearing age," they must be portrayed as grotesque or sexless.
: New industry standards, such as the Ageless Test, challenge films to feature at least one female character over 50 who is essential to the plot and free from ageist stereotypes.
Historically, Hollywood’s preoccupation with youth has created a "cliff" for female actors. Studies indicate that women's careers often peak at 30, while men's peak roughly 15 years later.