Hollywood’s Ageism Crisis: The Struggle of Veteran Actors Like Robert De Niro

POLICY WIRE — City, Country — Robert De Niro, renowned for his iconic roles, is grappling with a scarcity of quality scripts in his later years, mirroring a broader issue in the film industry.

The star of ‘Taxi Driver’ has encountered difficulties in securing significant roles recently, a challenge shared by many of his peers. Louis Chilton highlights the industry’s apparent disregard for a generation of distinguished actors.

De Niro’s career, once synonymous with excellence, has seen a decline with roles in films like ‘The Whisper Man’, a Netflix thriller that fails to engage either the actor or the audience.

This trend is not isolated to De Niro. Fellow actors such as Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Tommy Lee Jones are also finding it hard to secure roles that match their caliber.

The situation is even more pronounced for older female actors, who face a more intense version of this ageism. Stars like Helen Mirren and Sigourney Weaver are often relegated to franchise sequels or lesser projects.

The issue of ageism in Hollywood, though more acknowledged in female actors, is a silent yet significant problem for male actors as well. it is time the industry addresses this overlooked prejudice.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)