Keeley Hawes, Richard E Grant and Zawe Ashton and more call for better on-screen representation of women over 45
Acting Your Age Campaign (AYAC), which was founded four years ago by Nicky Clark, is calling for equal representation in the UK between men and women aged over 45.Women in the UK only have a “shelf life” on screen while their male colleagues have a “whole life”, the letter claims while outlining the campaign’s wishes for a “parity pledge” to help tackle “entrenched” ageism in the entertainment industry.Juliet Stevenson, Meera Syal, David Tennant, Lesley Manville and Sanjeev Bhaskar are also among the letter’s 100+ signatories.“Today’s in-demand young actress is tomorrow’s unemployed middle-aged actress,” part of the letter reads. “We are fighting to ensure that our generation of excluded women is the last generation of excluded women.“Ageism targeting women is an entrenched industry staple that is outdated, harmful and neglects the millions of audience members who appreciate seeing women over 45 telling the stories of our lives.AYAC has laid out multiple recommendations for broadcast and production company commissioners, as well as for those working in news and current affairs.