What is it about aging that scares some of us? Is it the influx of age defying facial lotions advertised between sitcoms like Cougartown or the commercials of a dapper silver-haired fox driving through the desert in a truck for Viagra? Whatever the case, age isn’t something society is accustomed to embracing in a positive and quite frankly, age shouldn’t matter unless you’re cheese. If you are cheese, well that’s a pity because in most cases, you would smell like feet.
I had the honour of interviewing one of my favourite actors a few years ago and we stumbled upon the discussion of aging in the industry quite briefly. He told me that disclosing his age factors into some of the roles he wants and it does make sense, sadly. I think it has for many decades. Look at Hitchcock’s Vertigo for example with a then 25 year-old Kim Novak lip locking with a nearly double her age, Jimmy Stewart or The Misfits starring a 60 year-old Clark Gable with a 35 year-old Marilyn Monroe. Sure, it was downright hot but there were plenty of other actresses with sex appeal and talent who could have played those roles and been older. The thing is, young is sexy in some twisted way and cinema has shown that spectrum throughout the years.
