15 Actresses Who Scored Meaty Roles At Midlife

When it comes to women and aging in Hollywood, there’s still a lot of work to be done. However, it’s become increasingly clear over the last few years that we’re currently living through a sort of renaissance when it comes to older women in film and television finally getting their dues. These leading ladies landed meaty roles while middle-aged, a feat that used to be rare if not unheard of for many women in the entertainment industry.

Roles Of A Lifetime

For far too long, Hollywood only paid attention to young starlets and left many talented older actresses in the dust. Even when older actresses did get roles, they were often relegated to those of mother or grandmother, where they offered sage advice to the younger stars and served as background characters.

A lot has changed in just the last few decades, with older actresses finally getting their due and the complicated roles they were born to play. We compiled a list of 15 actresses who got the chance to play characters we still can’t forget. With their experience and talent, these roles were no match for this unbelievably skilled group of women.