32.9% Believe “Nostalgic Appeal” Is Why Older Men Are Loved In The Box Office

As per the current trends in Hollywood, Real Research observed that there was a growing pattern wherein senior actors (aged 60+) are paired opposite younger female leads. In this interesting light of the change in the casting culture, Real Research set out to gauge the public’s reaction with a Survey on Hollywood’s Casting of Older Men as Action Heroes.

Highlights:

• 53.23% strongly support Hollywood casting older actors in action movies
• 48.22% somewhat agree that Hollywood depends on older actors to produce movies with mass appeal.
• 54.22% think that casting older actors in action movies has become a cliche.

Older Men As Action Heroes In Hollywood:

The online survey app asked the public if they were familiar with Hollywood movies that feature aging men in glamorous heroic roles opposite significantly younger women. Around 53% of the respondents were very familiar, 38.06% were vaguely familiar, and 8.94% were unfamiliar.

A recent study revealed a remarkable increase in senior actors (aged 60+) in Hollywood movies. In 2000, they were featured in 14% of bestselling films; in 2021, the number rose to 56%. Real Research asked the public what their stance was on casting older actors in action movies. 53.23% were strongly in support, 36.79% were somewhat in support, 7.94% somewhat opposed, and 2.04% strongly opposed.

Tom Cruise. Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone are among today’s leading Hollywood action heroes. The online survey app asked the respondents if they thought Hollywood depends on older actors like these to produce movies with mass appeal. 3.58% of the respondents strongly agreed, 48.22% somewhat agreed, 14.80% somewhat disagreed, and 2.4% strongly disagreed.

Read Also: A Majority (47%) Would Like To See Another Ant-Man Movie

Were Older Men Preferred in Hollywood?

Real Research asked the public which actors they preferred to watch as the protagonist action hero, in action-packed movies. 47.53% voted for capable actors, irrespective of their age, 29.40% voted for younger actors, and 23.07% voted for big-name actors over 60.

To understand why this particular trend was growing successfully, we asked our respondents why they thought that these older actors are still loved and accepted at the box office. 32.90% thought it was due to nostalgic appeal: they evoke a sense of nostalgia, 36.88% believed it was because of assuring representation: they demonstrate that age is just a number, 15.64% felt it was due to their loyal fan base: they have built a dedicated fan following over the year, 11.77% felt it experience and actin skills: their experience and acting skills resonate with the roles they portray, and 2.80% thought there were other reasons.

Real Research asked the public if in their view, casting older men in such roles contributes to a lack of representation and diversity in the film industry. 37.04% replied, “Yes, it does”, 42.47% said, “Sometimes, depending on the film’s plot and the role”, and 20.49% responded, “No, it doesn’t”.

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Hollywood Pairing Older Actors with a Younger Actress

Since Hollywood pairing older actors with a younger actress, Real Research asked the respondents if they believed that male actors have longer shelf lives than female actors, especially in leading roles. 28.73% said, “Yes, absolutely”, 39.89% replied “yes, sometimes”, 23.07% remarked “they have equal shelf lives”, and 8.31% responded, “not at all”.

We followed up on the question by asking them how justified they thought Hollywood pairing older actors with a younger actress. 31.17% felt it was completely justified, 46.69% felt it was somewhat justified, 19.21% believed it was somewhat unjustified, and 2.93% completely unjustified.

The tendency of Hollywood pairing older actors with a younger actress is becoming more prevalent. We asked the respondents for their views on this. 35.15% strongly supported the opinion, 41.84% somewhat supported it, 18.42% somewhat opposed it, and 4.59% strongly opposed it.

There has been a historical bias of Hollywood casting older men opposite younger women in starring roles. Films like “Phantom Thread,” “Casablanca,” “Pretty Woman,” and “Gone with the Wind” exemplify this trend. Real Research asked the public if, in their opinion, the practice of casting older actors in these roles became a cliche. 54.22% replied, “Absolutely”, 37.93% said, “somewhat”, and 7.85% said, “Not at all”.