Hollywood celebrities have been shining a light on the harsh realities of ageism in Hollywood lately and how challenging it can be to be seen and heard over the age of 40. Well, Hilary Duff dropped a jaw-dropping revelation about her own career and how she faced age discrimination at an even younger age.
Duff had to deal with coming off an iconic Disney Channel role at the tender age of 18. Lizzie McGuire pegged the actress into the child-star stereotype that was hard to break out of. “‘Oh, she’s too famous. She’s too sweet. We know her as Lizzie McGuire,’” she told Bustle in a recent interview. “I’m like, ‘Why are you giving me the callback then? Don’t f**king waste my time. I’m driving to Venice for this sh*t!’ I was like, ‘I’m me! I’m Hilary, not that person. That’s a made-up person.” While casting directors sometimes don’t think outside the box after a performer comes off a well-known role, Duff was dying “to be seen as a person outside of a character.” She joked, “I was like, ‘If I hear that name [Lizzie McGuire] one more time!’”
In a touching Instagram post, @paulinaporizkov once again challenges the beauty industry and pushes the conversation on ageism. https://t.co/oJBAG5Yith
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) January 14, 2022
And of course, trends in the entertainment industry change over time and now it’s shifted from a young person’s bias to being too old at the age of 30 (what???). “Young people weren’t taken seriously,” the How I Met Your Father star explained. ‘Now it’s like, if you’re not 19, there is no way you’re going to break. If you’re 30, you’re too old. And it’s amazing and I’m so happy for them. But when I was coming up, I was really trying to break the mold… It was a really challenging time.”
It’s frustrating to hear that Hollywood continues to turn its back on ageism, especially when it is female artists who are openly speaking about the issue the most. But the more celebs push the narrative, the more likely that people’s ears will perk up and listen — and realize that women have so much to offer at every age.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrity women who have spoken out about ageism.
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