She’s enjoyed an enduring career as one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses, both on the small screen and in the movie world.
But Jennifer Aniston, 48, has admitted that if there was one thing she could change about Hollywood, it would be the lack of roles on offer for women over the age of 50.
‘I think we have to change our perspective,’ she told Glamour in a new interview. ‘I don’t think life stops after 50—if anything, it gets more and more exciting. For some reason, we don’t honour or pay respect to ageing.
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Roles: Jennifer Aniston has hit out at the lack of roles available for women over the age of 50
‘It’s something that we look at as a negative, and yet every single person on this planet does it. I don’t understand why it’s not something that’s celebrated, why there’s some sort of an expiration date on who you are as a person worth watching and a story being toldaout you. It makes absolutely no sense.’
Adding that she’s noticed increased conversation about the film and TV industry’s treatment of women of a certain age, the former Friends star went on to point out the accomplishments of screen stars who continue to land interesting roles.
She said: ‘Look at Helen Mirren—rock star, gorgeous, goddess. Meryl Streep, stunning—a rock star, gorgeous, goddess. All of the stories, there’s so many stories that are there to be told.
Speaking out: In an interview with Glamour, the actress stated that women don’t stop getting interesting just because they’ve aged a few years
‘Just because you can’t bounce a penny off your tummy anymore, because you’re not 22 or 32, doesn’t mean that should quantify what makes you relevant and interesting.’
In the same interview, the actress – married to Justin Theroux – also spoke out about constant questions over whether she plans to have children.
‘Having a child, as we know, is no one’s business except the couple or individual that’s going through it,’ she said.
Jennifer stated that a woman’s maternal choices are often equated to her internal happiness, sating: ‘My ideas of what a happy life and fulfilled life are might be different from other people’s. I think it’s to each their own.’
Hurtful: Jennifer, who is married to Justin Theroux, also slammed constant pregnancy rumours
‘It points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they’re not married with children.’
The Horrible Bosses actress also revealed that Hollywood is obsessed with looks which is affecting younger people.
‘Right now, women’s worth is being quantified by how they look and their Instagrams and likes,’ she stated.
‘That’s all so self-created, so why are we trying to add to that? It’s hard enough to be a young woman, or man, growing up and trying to find your identity, rather than having a whole Internet of people weighing in on it.’
Method actor: Jennifer gained weight for her roll in 2015’s Cake, which led to more specualtion about a preganancy
Jennifer has long held the belief that the public’s lens used to see females is out of touch and inherently damaging.
In an open letter to Huffington Post in 2016, the star wrote: ‘The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing,’ before going on to slam the ‘warped standard of beauty’ women are measured against.
She ended the essay with a call to arms, stating: ‘We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies.
‘That decision is ours and ours alone. Let’s make that decision for ourselves and for the young women in this world who look to us as examples.’
Big break: The star got her big break on the classic sitcom Friends, alongside (L-R) David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc
Jennifer Aniston