Once upon a time in Hollywood, as soon as women over the age of 40 showed a flicker of grey hair they were sent back to their dressing room and only wheeled out again for the role of an aging grandma.
Having covered the Golden Globes for almost two decades, it was such a life-affirming moment to watch the 2026 awards season kick off with Second Act women being celebrated for their starring roles, rather than waiting for someone to notice them in the wings.
Instead of being bland, boring and beige, these over 45s showed ‘badass’ vibes as Harrison Ford described the iconic Helen Mirren as she collected her Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award – true forces to be reckoned with.
There is a popular narrative that women over the age of 40 have talked about for decades – of their characters becoming invisible and ignored as they hit the midpart of their lives.
Yet watching the likes of 56-year-old J-Lo sashaying the red-carpet in a sheer lace gown, a relaxed Julia Roberts, 58, effortlessly commanding a standing ovation, Pamela Anderson, 58, redefining beauty expectations and mum-of-three Kate Hudson, 46 on a rare date night, should inspire us all that this doesn’t need to be the case for women over 45 – we can be bolder and more fearless in following our dreams than ever before.
Stars in their second act who scooped awards for their services to the industry played gritty, vital roles of stories that would have been passed over in previous years, speaking to a generation of perimenopausal women facing the juggle of being in a sandwich generation between their family lives, elderly parents and career.
© GettyThey included former Dawson’s Creek turned global superstar Michelle Williams, 45, in Dying for Sex, Rose Byrne, 46, who played a stressed out career-woman juggling family life and a breakdown, and 74-year-old Jean Smart for Hacks. While she ‘hates being the poster woman for aging actresses’ Jean bounced back from the devastating sudden death of her husband of 32 years to reignite her career and wipe the board with her younger counterparts – proving it is never too late to start again.
Talking backstage at the Beverley Hills Ballroom, Jean opened up about ageism in Hollywood. “Somebody told me, years and years ago when I first got to LA, that there was one role for a woman for every 20 roles per man, which was really depressing. They also said that the average age difference between a husband and a wife in the United States is a little hair over two years, and on the screen, it’s 20….I think a lot has changed.” Thank god for that.
Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn, 53, scooped the Best Actress in TV Drama award in a category dominated by five out of six nominees aged over 40 that included Helen Mirren, Britt Lower, Kathy Bates and Keri Russell.
Amy Poehler’s pivot from a comedy actress to podcast host, proved changing careers in your 50s can pay off as the 54-year-old won an award for her new show The Good Hang where she interviews celebrity friends such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Olivia Colman.
I had feared after honouring midlife stars Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman at last year’s ceremony, the celebration of older women may have been a one off special.
But if the Golden Globes is anything to go by, I’m already looking forward to the next instalment of the 2026 awards season, celebrating the cast of second act women who are helping a whole generation feel seen and inspired. Cheers to that!
Read the full article here
