Emma Thompson is 59 and she couldn’t be happier.
In a career spanning 36 years, the actress and screenwriter has won 2 Academy Awards (making her the only person to do so for both acting and writing), and dozens of BAFTA Awards.
But the 59-year-old knows all too well about the Hollywood machine and she is none too happy.
Speaking to Vulture, the star of The Children Act said, “It’s fantastic being this age. I’m old. We’re constantly watching films where older men have wonderful roles and older women really don’t. But I’m a character actor, don’t forget. If you’ve got form and you’re a character actor, you’re much better off because you’re not fighting the way you once looked.”
The actress also shared her frustration regarding the types of films being made.
“I was angry about the lies and fairy tales that were sold to young women—that romance was the be-all and end-all,” she said whilst at the Toronto International Film Festival. “It’s so annoying to be female and consistently going, ‘Have I got to see a f**king story again about a guy who does things that I’ve already seen a guy do a million times?’ So I’m bored.’”
But there is hope.
“I find it incredibly exciting at the moment because this new generation of girls — Generation Z, I believe — are challenging me all the time. I’m learning new things,” she explained.
If there’s anyone who could change the dynamic — it’s Emma Thompson.
