How Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, and Pamela Anderson are challenging ‘ageist’ Hollywood with meaty roles and award show nods

For decades, celebrities have called out the ageism that has forced Hollywood’s leading ladies into the shadows after they turn 40.

A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Helen Mirren, and Jamie Lee Curtis have repeatedly and publicly called on the entertainment industry to recognise that talent doesn’t have a ‘sell-by’ date and star power transcends youthfulness.

Despite their efforts though, it’s largely been the case that leading lady roles go to younger women, while those in their forties are demoted to frumpy supporting parts that turn into frivolous cameos. 

Even in films where it appears that an older woman is the star, this is not always the case – the classic example being 1967’s The Graduate, in which which a young graduate called Benjamin – played by Dustin Hoffman- has an affair with older woman Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft.

While Benjamin’s age in the film was 21, the actor’s actual age was 29. Meanwhile, Anne Bancroft was 35 – some 10 years or so younger than the age of the character she was playing.

However, the most recent Golden Globe Awards suggest the tide is starting to turn -with middle-aged thespians being rewarded for their bold, stigma-defying, and nuanced performances in some of the year’s biggest hits. 

The recently concluded ceremony saw Hollywood’s older leading ladies reclaim the spotlight, with seven of the coveted Best Actress awards going to women over the age of 40. 

This list notably included Demi Moore who, at the age of 62, scooped her first ever acting prize after years of being dismissed as a ‘popcorn actress’. 

Moreover, this year’s nominations also comprised stars like Tilda Swinton, Kidman, and Pamela Anderson, who are either in – or pushing – their sixties and have starred in films that have been both critically and commercially well-received. 

Here, FEMAIL looks at the actresses leading the charge for a more inclusive Hollywood. 

Michelle Yeoh 

Michelle Yeoh, 62, is raring to go two years after she made history by becoming the first Asian actress to win the Academy Award for a lead role for her performance in the mind-bending movie Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. 

The golden Oscars statuette rounded out the Malaysian-born actress’ collection of trophies nicely that year; prior to collecting Hollywood’s most prized award, Michelle took home an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild Award. 

In the movie, Michelle plays laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang, who was tasked with saving the universe after an interdimensional rupture unraveled reality.

It has since been revealed the lead role was originally meant to be for Jackie Chan, but as filmmaking duo, the Daniels, started to wonder who could play the star’s wife the idea of making the woman the lead come forth.

Daniel Kwan admitted to The Hollywood Reporter: ‘We were having trouble figuring out the casting for the father figure, and one of us started wondering what happens if we take Michelle’s character and flop (sic) it and she becomes the protagonist. And the film just opened up in a completely different way.’

Michelle emerged the perfect person to lead the action-packed movie, with the prolific martial arts artist’s record of performing daring stunts in films such as Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), and the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). 

While the former Miss Malaysia has acted in over 50 titles since making her debut in 1983, she didn’t win any major awards until the Golden Globes 2023 – at the age of 61. 

Accepting her Best Actress award, Michelle reflected on her ‘incredible fight’ to make it in Hollywood as an Asian immigrant – calling out both the industry’s racism and ageism in one fell swoop. 

‘I think all of you women understand this as the days, the years, and the numbers get bigger, it seems like opportunities start to get smaller as well,’ she said, before expressing gratitude for ‘the best gift’ Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, that has now become a career-defining landmark. 

Two years later, Michelle – once dubbed the ‘female James Bond’ by 007 Pierce Brosnan himself – is busier than ever. 

She is set to reprise one of her most famous roles as commanding officer Philippa Georgiou in the Star Trek universe, with the release of Star Trek: Section 31 at the end of the month. 

Michelle will also return to screens as Madame Morrible in director and Crazy Rich Asians collaborator Jon M Chu’s Wicked part two, as well as the third installment of James Cameron’s Oscar-winning epic Avatar. 

Nicole Kidman 

Nicole Kidman, 57, has had a prolific year when it comes to her career, notably starring in the risque erotic thriller Babygirl, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

While she didn’t pick up the gong, which she has been nominated for 16 times previously (it went instead to Fernanda Torres, for her part in I’m Still Here) Kidman was still one of the main attractions on the red carpet.

The glamorous Australian-born actress looked stunning as she posed for snappers, donning a one-shouldered silver Balenciaga gown which was backless. She pulled her copper locks into a high ponytail.

Babygirl, which was written and directed by Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn, stars Kidman playing Romy, a high-flying New York CEO who risks her staid marriage to a theatre director (played by Antonio Banderas) by engaging in a steamy affair with a young intern Samuel (portrayed by Harris Dickinson).

It followed an earlier age-gap relationship Kidman starred in – A Family Affair – in which her character engaged in a fling with her daughter’s daughter’s boyfriend (played by Zac Efron) – a man some 21 years her junior.

While Kidman has worked consistently over the last four decades, her recent roles mark a major move forward when it comes to representing the sexuality of middle-aged women.

The writer and director of Babygirl, Halina Reijn discussed one explicit scene – in which Kidman’s character is seen masturbating after having unfulfilling sex with her husband.

For Reijn, it was important to see the character have a realistic orgasm. She told Vanity Fair: ‘In movies, you still so often see a woman have an orgasm onscreen that is anatomically not possible.’

Demi Moore 

If this year’s Golden Globes ceremony belonged to a single person, it was undoubtedly Demi Moore. 

Until the event, Demi, 62, had never won a major acting award – despite being one of the world’s most recognisable stars, with a slew of iconic Nineties films under her belt.

However, her performance in the critically-acclaimed body horror film The Substance helped the mother-of-two break through the glass ceiling that had limited her to the confines of a ‘popcorn actress’ for most of her career. 

During her moving acceptance speech, which went viral on social media, the mother-of-three revealed the impact of being labelled a commercial heroine by a film producer in the early years of her career. 

‘I believed that and that corroded me over time to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it. Maybe I was complete, maybe I’ve done what I was supposed to do.’

But during a particularly ‘low point’ in her life, Demi explained how the ‘magical, bold, courageous, out of the box’ script landed on her desk – and added: ‘The universe told me that you’re not done.’

Following the success of the The Substance, in which Demi poignantly plays an aging Hollywood actress on the brink of obscurity, the actress has been catapulted back into the big leagues. 

Not only has The Substance been a dazzling critical success, it reinforced Demi’s star power as a bankable movie star after the movie reportedly grossed $77m at the box office worldwide. 

And while the same cannot be said for Elizabeth Banks, the washed-up Hollywood star Demi played to perfection in The Substance, the actress is now firmly in her comeback era. 

Jennifer Coolidge 

Alongside Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett, Jennifer Coolidge also won big at the Golden Globes in 2023 when she was recognised for her deliciously unhinged performance as a lonely socialite in The White Lotus.

In the HBO series, Coolidge starred as Tanya McQuoid, who was vacationing at a fancy resort in Italy with her husband – where chaos ensued after an unidentified body washed up ashore in the idyllic seaside town.

While Coolidge has been acting since 1993 – when she made her first on-screen appearance in one episode of American sitcom Seinfeld – it wasn’t until 2022, that the 60-year-old started taking home awards for her work.

Her other big roles include the American Pie film series, Legally Blonde, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, A Cinderella Story, Click, Date Movie, The Secret Life of the American teenage, 2 Broke Girls, and The Watcher.

The actress won her first major award in 2022 when she was earned an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance in White Lotus, followed by her more recent wins.

In her acceptance speech, Coolidge shed her comedic persona and broke down while thanking those who ‘kept me going for 20 years’ with little cameos – until her breakout role in The White Lotus earned her widespread fame. 

Pamela Anderson 

For many, Canadian actress and model Pamela Anderson, 57, is best known for her role in 90s drama Baywatch.

However, in recent years, she has appeared in various productions, as well as using her profile to be an active advocate for animals.

Despite her decades-long career, 2025 marked her first Golden Globe nomination, as Pamela was recognised in the Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance in The Last Showgirls.

Directed by Gia Coppola, Pamela played the role of 57-year-old Shelley, a Las Vegas dancer whose show stops abruptly, leaving her future uncertain.

While the honour went to Fernanda Torres, for her part in I’m Still Here, Pamela still made major headlines following her appearance at the event.

The actress, who has opted to go make-up free since 2023, looked fresh-faced as she beamed for photographs in her black Oscar de la Renta gown.

After learning she was up for the award last month, she released a statement to People, saying: ‘I share this beautiful nomination with The Last Showgirl Family, my family, and my hard working companions on this interesting journey.

‘It is never too late to dream, to start again, to stay open to possibilities – we are not all so lucky. I wish everyone my love and thanks while I navigate this new exciting chapter.’

Jodie Foster 

Jodie Foster, 62, is a veteran of the film industry, starting at just two-years-old, starring in commercials.

Her big break came when she was 15-years-old and offered a part in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver, playing prostitute Iris Steensma alongside Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle.

She earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work on the movie.

After studying at Yale University, where she took English and graduated magna cum laude in 1985, Jodie returned to acting – despite never taking any acting classes.

Many plaudits followed, with the thespian winning two Oscars in her twenties – for playing Sarah Tobias in The Accused (1988) and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

And she showed that getting older is no barrier to success, picking up the Golden Globe for Best Female Actor in a Limited Series for her part in True Detective: Night Country. 

She even spoke about how becoming older while working in the world of show business has made her more confident while at the event.

Jodie said: ‘It feels like there’s a hormone that happens [when you age] where suddenly you go, “Oh, I don’t really care about all the stupid things anymore, and I’m not going to compete with myself”.

‘I’m excited about what’s left of my life and who I become, the wisdom that I can bring to the table. So, for me, this is the most contented moment of my career.

‘And I never would have known that. I just never would have known that, but something happened the day I turned 60.’ 

Angela Bassett

While not the recipient of a nomination this year, Angela Bassett, 66, had all eyes on her as she presented the Supporting Female Actor award with Jared Leto.

Donning an off-the-shoulder full-length black gown, and statement earrings, the stunning actress was among the most glamorous on the Golden Globes red carpet.

The talented performer has previously won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, in 2023, for playing Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Her win marked a milestone, making her the first performer to win a major individual acting gong for a Marvel Comics film.

Angela scooped her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – in 1994, for her role as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It.

Bookended by those trophies is a career that boasts incredible range, with Angela’s resume spanning film and TV hits like How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Boyz n The Hood, American Horror Story, and The Rosa Parks Story.

Beyond her Golden Globes, Angela has a trophy cabinet that any thespian would be proud of – including an Academy Honorary Award (2024), a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Narrator for Queens: African Queens, and many others.

Off-camera, she has remained a fierce advocate for a more egalitarian entertainment industry for women of all ages.

‘In Hollywood, there was a time when people believed that once an actress turns 40, it’s over,’ she told InStyle. ‘But no, those things that make us who we are – our sensuality, sexuality, compassion, and intelligence—that doesn’t come to an end. It deepens and ripens, you know? It’s all in the attitude.’