Charlize Theron Rejects Hollywood Ageism, Embraces Wisdom

Charlize Theron would like very much to fight against the perceived ageism in Hollywood. She would like women around the world to realize their own self-worth, particularly while thinking about aging. "The time has come for women to realize that the way we look outside is not the most important thing and it's not true we are worth less when we age," she told Vanity Fair Italy. "Now that I'm 41 I work much more than 20 years ago, and I enjoy it even more. And all the women I know say the same thing, so it's time to stop this cliché." Of course, it would be silly to judge Theron even by Hollywood standards. She's had an extremely long career that's only gaining power and prestige at an age at which many actresses struggle to get roles. But she says that Hollywood's ageism is only symptomatic of a much larger problem. She bristled at the interviewer's suggestion that her view was uncommon among women in Hollywood. "I don't agree with that, and I'm not happy to hear people talking like that about Hollywood," Theron told Vanity Fair Italy. "Movies are just the mirror of society; the real problem is there. Hollywood's gender problem is nothing compared to the society's problem."