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Adults 50+ make up about 1 in 4 characters, and that share hasn’t moved. Among them, men outnumber women roughly 4 to 1 in film, and older characters are more often cast as villains. They’re less than half as likely to be shown being affectionate. No woman of color over 50 led a top film or streaming series.
Welcome to our website!
I created this research Institute 20 years ago because when I first saw kids’ shows and movies through my toddler daughter’s eyes, I was stunned by the lack of female characters and diversity. Back in 2004, only 11% of family films had female leads. Our latest data show we’ve reached gender parity for leads in family films and kids’ TV in the U.S.
But urgent attention is needed for race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, older characters, diverse body types, and disability representation. My institute works with creatives all over the world to enhance on-screen diversity and ensure nuanced portrayals.
There’s a lot of inequity in the world, but we have the power to fix representation in media overnight. Tomorrow, take a look at your projects and make sure they reflect the real world.
No more missed opportunities! And give us a shout – we’re here to help!
Spotlight
Being on screen is not the same as being given a story. The Next Fifty Test is a simple standard for whether 50-plus women are written with goals of their own.