How ‘Old Lady Energy’ Stole the Show at the 2025 Golden Globes!
Step aside, Big Dick Energy—Old Lady Energy is strutting in with style and confidence at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards! Picture this: as the spotlight shines on the winners, actor Fernanda Torres boldly declared in her acceptance speech, “This is such an amazing year for female performances!” But hold on—she could have added that it’s an extraordinary year for women over 50, 60, and even 70 lighting up the stage!
And the proof is in the pudding! We’ve got Demi Moore (62) dazzling audiences in The Substance; Jodie Foster (62) captivating hearts in True Detective: Night Country; Jean Smart (73) making waves in Hacks; and our own Fernanda Torres (the young gun at 59) shining in I’m Still Here. Let’s not forget the honorable mentions of seven other actresses in their 50s—like Pamela Anderson, Nicole Kidman, and Sofia Vergara—along with the talented Tilda Swinton (64), Allison Janney (65), Isabella Rossellini (72), and Kathy Bates (76). Oh, and let’s give a shout-out to the incredible Viola Davis (59), recipient of the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award!
Can we take a moment to appreciate those numbers? Sixteen powerhouse actresses over 50! Finally, the winds of change are blowing through Hollywood. Foster, in a candid interview with People, shared, “This is not my time. I had my time. This is their time,” referring to the rising stars of the younger generation. Talk about a refreshing perspective! Her sentiment of finding greater satisfaction in her 60s is echoed by the winners and nominees who graced the awards show that night.
But what’s behind this phenomenal surge of older women on screen? There are signs awakening a shift in the industry. Before the powerful narrative of Hacks, the groundbreaking series Grace and Frankie tackled the realities of aging with honesty and heart. With social media granting women a platform to share their intricate, thrilling, and often enviable lives as we grow older, there’s no stopping this movement. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me, where she interviews iconic older women, spotlights the invaluable wisdom gained through experience. (And let’s not forget—she’s also known the struggles of aging firsthand, as she humorously highlighted in Amy Schumer’s “Last Fuckable Day” video, which poked fun at the transition from being seen as desirable to just… human.)
It appears that Hollywood might finally be catching on to the idea that middle-aged and older women are still brimming with vitality, creativity, and allure even after menopause. And speaking of aesthetics—our perception of what middle-aged women look like has dramatically evolved over the past decade. Take Demi Moore, a grandmother in real life, who plays a 50-something in The Substance, flaunting a physique that rivals her 20-something co-star. Despite the challenges of reproduction post-menopause, Hollywood seems to be slowly recognizing that some women, like Moore, can still radiate an undeniable allure, making it a little easier for the industry to take a chance on stories featuring older women.
Wouldn’t it stand to reason that the increase in compelling portrayals of older women correlates with more women writing scripts? Unfortunately, recent findings from The Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film revealed that women comprised only 17% of writers for the top 250 films of 2023—a modest rise from 13% in 1998. Just a few years ago, a report highlighted how older women are frequently minimized to supporting roles or depicted as grumpy, frumpy, or senile. It’s high time for a change—and it looks like we’re finally on the brink of it!
