It’s a truism of the movie business that female stars are treated unkindly, and often cruelly, at an age when male careers are often just taking off. And it’s easy enough to find current examples of how this double standard works: Just look at Renée Zellweger, who essentially disappeared from major roles once she turned 40, and then inspired a gross press freak-out when she showed up on the red carpet this year wearing a face that had been obviously reworked.
But the stereotype isn’t destiny. Indeed, several of Hollywood’s most bankable stars at the moment are women for whom turning 40 or even 50 doesn’t seem to have hampered their success. Think of Sandra Bullock, 50, whose last three starring roles grossed almost $700 million domestically between them; think of Meryl Streep, still perpetually sought after at 65. Angelina Jolie will turn 40 next year; she just had her biggest hit ever, with Maleficent. The Belushi or Farley of our moment is a fortysomething comedienne, Melissa McCarthy, whose recent movies (Tammy, Identity Thief) have succeeded on her star power alone.
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