Older Adults Want Real Representation from Hollywood

New AARP research finds many don’t think portrayals of people 50-plus are accurate

Peter Urban,

AARP

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Published February 07, 2025

actor glenn close sits on the hood of a car, which is parked in the middle of open land

Glenn Close in Montana.

Andy Anderson

Older adults want to see themselves and their lives represented on television and movie screens and believe that the industry falls short of accurately portraying the experience of aging, according to a new report from AARP.

The findings, based on a survey of 1,010 Americans age 50 and older, highlight some of the reasons AARP launched its annual Movies for Grownups Awards in 2002 to spotlight deserving 50-plus actors and encourage more movies made for and starring people over 50. This year’s awards ceremony will be televised Feb. 23 on PBS and will recognize important screen performances by older adults.

Older actors are rarely featured in diverse and dynamic roles. Among those surveyed, only 17 percent say they often see older actors being physically active, and fewer still (11 percent) often see them learning something new. Just 22 percent say they often see older adults on-screen having busy careers.

It makes good business sense to portray older adults more realistically. The 50-plus age group spends over $10 billion a year on Hollywood entertainment, with 61 million attending movies and over 84 million subscribing to streaming services in the last year.

Three out of four people in the AARP survey (73 percent) say they are more likely to watch movies or shows that include characters who are like them.

It’s not just an issue of being represented on screen. Four out of five surveyed believe that male actors (80 percent), female actors (84 percent), and directors, writers, and producers (83 percent) age 50 and older bring unique perspectives and talents that are currently being underrepresented in movies or TV.

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“The 50-plus audience wants to see themselves on the screen,” says Heather Nawrocki, vice president of AARP’s Movies for Grownups program. They also want Hollywood to tap into the unique perspectives and talents that 50-plus actors, writers and producers bring to their work, she says.

“That’s why the work that AARP does to fight ageism in Hollywood through the Movies for Grownups Awards is so important,” Nawrocki says.

Industry change is needed

Most older adults feel there hasn’t been much progress in the past five years when it comes to the entertainment industry. More than half of survey respondents say the portrayal of older adults on screen has remained unchanged in that time. Just 28 percent believe it has improved. Other findings include:

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Nearly seven in 10 adults (69 percent) say it is important to have accurate representation of older adults in both casting and storylines.
Only 7 percent say movies and television often accurately represent the reality of older adults, while a third (33 percent) say it’s rarely or never accurate.
79 percent of older adults want to see more stories and characters that reflect the real-life experiences of older adults like themselves.

The survey was conducted online and by phone from Nov. 14-18 and was designed to be representative of the U.S. household population age 50 or older.

Most older adults say it is essential for Hollywood to offer more positive portrayals of people as they age. By breaking down stereotypes and embracing the diverse experiences of older adults, the movie and TV industry can create richer, more authentic stories.

“Hollywood should avoid perpetuating stereotypes about older people and, instead, grow their content for and about them,” Nawrocki says. “If they do not, they are missing opportunities to grow their audience.”

Through its annual Movies for Grownups Awards, AARP continues efforts to ensure the voices and stories of older adults are recognized. AARP has contributed to the push to move Hollywood away from its focus on youth.

Learn How AARP Is Fighting for You

AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Read more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.

Nearly half of the most recent acting Emmy awards went to grownups 50 and older. There are four times as many grownup nominees for Oscars acting awards this year as there were 30 years ago. Fittingly, AARP’s 2025 Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award will go to the still-in-demand Glenn Close, 77.

Similarly, AARP has had success encouraging the advertising and marketing industry, once rife with stereotypes that cast aging in a negative light, to improve how it represents older adults in its online imagery. In online media and marketing, adults 50 and older are now more likely to be shown working out at the gym or on the pickleball court, using a smartphone or wearing the latest fashions than they were in 2018, according to an AARP study released in 2024.

AARP The Magazine’s Movies for Grownups Awards, will be broadcast by Great Performances on Sunday, February 23 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on PBS; check local listings, pbs.org/moviesforgrownups or the PBS app.

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Peter Urban is a contributing writer and editor who focuses on health news. Urban spent two decades working as a correspondent in Washington, D.C., including a stint as Washington bureau chief for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and for daily newspapers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, California and Arkansas, His freelance work has appeared in Scientific American, Bloomberg Government and CTNewsJunkie.com.