The New Era of Age-Independent Casting

Geraldine James was en route to portray a grandmother in the BBC drama “This Town” when her agent sent her a message. The 74-year-old actress recalls, “I was on the train to Birmingham and received a text saying, ‘The RSC have offered you Rosalind at Stratford,’ — you know, from ‘As You Like It’. I thought, ‘That’s insane. What are they thinking?’”

Rosalind is one of Shakespeare’s most cherished female characters. She is traditionally portrayed as a young woman, possibly a teenager, which made James’s role in last year’s production so astonishing. “I remember thinking during rehearsals, ‘How will the audience relate to this? What will a teenager think of a 70-year-old pretending to be 20?’” she wondered.

Director Omar Elerian’s staging, featuring older actors, received positive feedback from both audiences and critics, hinting at a growing trend. While color- and gender-blind casting has become more common, casting older women in younger roles remains relatively rare. However, this trend is slowly gaining traction. Joan Chen has recently garnered early Oscar buzz for her role in “Didi”, where she portrays the mother of a 13-year-old, despite being 63 in reality. Chen needed significant persuading from director Sean Wang that she wasn’t too old for the part.

Imelda Staunton is another example, delighting audiences at the London Palladium in “Hello Dolly”. Although the musical describes Dolly Gallagher Levi as “a widow in her middle years”, Staunton is nearing 70. Similarly, in an upcoming production of “Twelfth Night”, Jane Asher, 78, has been cast as Maria, a role typically given to someone in their 20s or 30s.

Director Tom Littler of the Orange Tree in London recently cast older actors in a production of Somerset Maugham’s “The Circle” to much acclaim. “Jane and co-stars Clive Francis and Nick Provost were all a bit older than the characters are written, who are supposed to be about 60,” Littler said. However, he “couldn’t resist” casting three of the finest light comedy performers, noting, “They are probably the most theatrically skilled generation we will ever see, as they are the final generation to come through the rep system.”

They are the most theatrically skilled generation we will ever see – the final generation to come through the rep system.

For James, age-blind casting offers exciting new opportunities. She thoroughly enjoyed her experience in “As You Like It” and is considering more Shakespearean roles with co-star Malcolm Sinclair. “I’d like to do Juliet!” she exclaims. Notably, Sîan Phillips played Juliet in a Bristol Old Vic production in 2010 at an advanced age.

James emphasizes that more roles are being created for older women, though she has a longstanding gripe: “Leading men on television often have inappropriately young wives. But I think audiences are now more discerning. They want to see believable portrayals.” This perspective was echoed when last year’s BAFTA shortlist for Best Leading Actress included Imelda Staunton, Sarah Lancashire, Kate Winslet, and Maxine Peake, being dubbed a “victory for mature women”.

Sophie Hallett of the Casting Directors’ Guild notes that age-blind casting is a topic they plan to discuss with their membership. She emphasizes their openness to all aspects of inclusion and fair representation within their projects. Historically, men have been granted more leeway than women to play younger roles. Last year, 49-year-old Joaquin Phoenix portrayed Napoleon from his 20s onward in Ridley Scott’s epic, while Josephine, who was six years older than the real Napoleon, was played by an actress 13 years Phoenix’s junior.

“Diversity goes in every direction,” James asserts. “We must continue creating roles for older actresses because they represent an increasing portion of society.” Littler highlights that older women also make up a significant part of the theatre-going audience. He recalls his production of “The Circle”, noting, “All we did was take the play seriously. It’s rare for the elderly audience to see themselves properly represented on stage, not patronized, and shown as people with desires, grudges, ambitions, and all the complexity of being human.”

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at older women taking on younger roles. When Ian McKellen, aged 82, played Hamlet three years ago, it made headlines, but it was nothing new. Sarah Bernhardt famously played Hamlet at 55 in 1900, and Peggy Ashcroft took on Rosalind at 50 for the RSC. Littler concludes, “I’m not sure there’s a definite pattern yet, but it should certainly change, as there’s a significant wealth of talent among older female actors.”

Source: The Guardian, BBC