Actresses, age, and anxiety: A study of midlife women in the film and television industry

Scholars agree that cinematic images of women influence cultural attitudes about gender and aging. However until now, actresses themselves have not been included in this important academic conversation. Based upon analysis of oral histories with actresses and industry professionals, this dissertation re-considers plastic surgery, other disguises of youth, and altered images of midlife women in filmed performance from the point of view of the actresses who embody those images. They offer a refreshingly practical perspective on the manner in which gender and aging are performed.; American popular culture's current fixation with the young, sexy female body is putting midlife actresses out of work. Unprecedented profits realized by recent films that target younger male audiences have created a hostile professional environment for aging actresses. In order for a midlife actress to stay employed in the business today, she must consider strategies designed to maintain an illusion of youth. There are a variety of disguises available to aging actresses including plastic surgery, Botox, or those a cinematographer might employ on her behalf. However, these methods are becoming "old-school" as advancing digital technologies make it possible to youth an aging actress's image in postproduction. But this raises several questions: does erasing the signs of age on the female face undermine an actress's work and challenge the autonomy of her performance? How does an actress's projection of youth affect her audience, particularly those who are female and midlife? What does an actress do to survive in this climate?; This study answers such questions by examining the words of fifteen prominent actresses in Hollywood and New York who participated in this oral history project. These actresses, who agreed to be interviewed only under the protection of anonymity, say they experience a "menopausal blackout," a lack of employment at midlife that suggests gendered ageism. However, they worry that the strategies they use to stay employed, and the stereotypes they are frequently forced to play when employed, adversely affect the health of their midlife female audience. This dissertation analyzes, the cultural discomfort surrounding midlife female sexuality, and invites film, gender, and gerontological scholars who study images of women to go behind the scenes to hear what actresses have to say about the roles they play and the strategies they deploy.