A new survey conducted by the UK's Centre for Ageing Better has revealed rather stark information. The data claims that there is more likely to be a lead actor called Chris than there is a leading woman who is 60 or older, with an added extra that it is four-times more likely that a talking animal leads a movie over a female older than 60.
The information comes as the organisation ramps up its efforts against ageism in the film industry, with the survey backing up its call to increase the representation of older women in leading roles in Hollywood.
The survey claims that when looking at the 100 highest-grossing films of 2023, 2024, and 2025, only five featured a leading woman 60 or older, while six featured a 'Chris'. To build on this point, actress Emma Thompson has shared a statement where she calls for better representation of aging women in film, further sharing her support for the movement.
"Women are half the population and we get older. So where are the stories about us? The older we get, the more interesting we are. I want to see more films centre ageing women, we are compelling, relatable, and overdue for centre stage. Older women don't need permission to exist on screen. They already exist in the world, cinema just needs to catch up."
If you're curious about the 'Chris' films and the films featuring female leads over 60, they can be seen below.
The films featuring a female lead actor over the age of 60 in the past three years are:
Jennifer Saunders, Allelujah (2023)
Nia Vardalos, My big Fat Greek Wedding (2023)
Diane Keaton, Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)
Demi Moore, The Substance (2024)
Jamie Lee Curtis, Freakier Friday (2025)
The films featuring a Chris as a lead actor in the past three years are:
Chris Pratt, The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)
Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023)
Chris Pine, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Chris Pratt, the Garfield Movie (2024)
Chris Hemsworth, Transformers One (2024)
Christian Friedel, The Zone of Interest (2024)