We've come to know that Dame Helen Mirren is not afraid to speak her mind ... and one surefire way to get her riled up is to talk about the double standard when it comes to aging in Hollywood.
Mirren was being interviewed at an event hosted by The Wrap Tuesday when she was asked about actress Maggie Gyllenhaal's recent revelation that she -- at age 37 -- was told she's too old to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man.
"I'm sure that's true," Mirren said, without batting an eye. "Fucking outrageous. It's ridiculous," she continued. Mirren went on to point out the blatant double standard when it comes to actors and the heroines starring opposite them. "We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. It’s so annoying," Mirren said.
Other actresses have also pointed out the problem with the pressure on women to stay young. Isabella Rossellini has talked about how her modeling career was cut short after she reached 40. And Meryl Streep said once she hit 40 she was offered several roles -- to play witches. Even Antonio Banderas branded Hollywood's treatment of older women "cruel," noting that men are able to age without scrutiny.
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