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It's no secret that ageism, particularly toward women, is a problem in Hollywood, and plenty of actresses have spoken out about their disheartening experiences trying to land roles as they matured.
Take Maggie Gyllenhaal, for instance. Back when she was 37 years old, a producer told her that she was too old for a role. The real kicker? She would've been playing the love interest of a 55-year-old man!
Even Olivia Wilde, who was only 28 when she went after the role of Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street, received shocking pushback. At first, she was told she was "too sophisticated," and later, she found out they thought she was just "too old." Yet, 39-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio didn't encounter the same resistance despite being over a decade older than Olivia.
The double standards are undeniable. And what's even more infuriating is how, when there are motherly roles literally made for "older" women, young actresses still tend to get cast instead.
Don't believe us? Let's take a walk down memory lane and revisit 10 actresses we think were way too young to get cast as certain mother figures.
1. Kristen Wilson: Twitches
Disney Channel
Released in 2005, Twitches followed twin sisters, played by Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, who were separated at birth and reunited after turning 21 years old to save their kingdom with their magical powers.
Actress Kristen Wilson portrayed the twins' mom, Miranda DuBaer, in both Twitches and Twitches Too. And you probably didn't realize that Kristen is just 9 years older than the Mowry girls, who were 27 at the time of the first film.
2. Brianne Howey: Ginny & Georgia
Netflix
In Ginny & Georgia, Brianne Howey plays Georgia Randolph, the mother of a teenager named Ginny, portrayed by Antonia Gentry. After spending years on the run, Georgia wants to start fresh and give her family a normal life in New England.
We all know that, in Ginny & Georgia, her character is supposed to be a mother on the younger side. Just like Kristen, Brianne is only about 9 years older than Antonia.
3. Amy Poehler: Mean Girls
Paramount Pictures
Everyone knows the "cool mom" from Mean Girls. However, while Amy Poehler did a great job playing Regina George's out-there parental figure, she was also too young for the role.
Get this: Rachel McAdams was 25 years old at the time of filming, and her on-screen mom was just 33. The math isn't adding up.
4. Nicole Kidman: Aquaman
Warner Bros. Pictures
In Aquaman, which came out in 2018, Nicole Kidman was cast as Atlanna, the mother of Arthur Curry, played by Jason Momoa.
In real life, she's just 12 years older than Jason, which is shocking when you consider that's the same age gap between Jason and his ex-wife, Lisa Bonet. Still, Nicole defended the casting choice in an interview with Variety, claiming that "in the context of the superhero world, it all evens out" because "Atlanna doesn't really age."
5. Drew Barrymore: Riding in Cars With Boys
Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Releasing
Drew Barrymore has been a household name ever since her 1982 breakout performance in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but even she's been cast in a motherly role that made absolutely zero sense.
More specifically, in the 2001 film Riding in Cars With Boys, she portrayed Beverly Donofrio, the mother of Jason Hasek, played by Adam Garcia. In reality, Drew was actually two years younger than Adam!
6. Sally Field: Forrest Gump
Paramount Pictures
Ever since Forrest Gump premiered in 1994, it's remained a cultural phenomenon. Nevertheless, it's not without its fair share of problems.
One is that Forrest's mother, Mrs. Gump, was played by Sally Field, who was just 10 years older than Tom Hanks. Not to mention, they'd previously co-starred in the movie Punchline six years prior, where they were love interests. Yuck!
7. Jessie Royce Landis: North by Northwest
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
North by Northwest remains an iconic Alfred Hitchcock film that's packed with hijinks. One fact that might surprise you, though, is the practically nonexistent age gap between Cary Grant, who played Roger Thornhill, and his on-screen mom, Clara Thornhill, portrayed by Jessie Royce Landis.
Jessie was a mere 10 months older than Cary, yet she was cast as his middle-aged character's sarcastic mother.
8. Toni Collette: Little Miss Sunshine
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Debuting in 2006, Little Miss Sunshine was packed with talented stars like Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Steve Carell, and Greg Kinnear. It's considered a cult classic now, but perhaps the role of Sheryl Hoover, played by Toni Collette, could've been cast more age-appropriately.
That's because Toni is only 11 years older than Paul Dano, who portrayed her teenage son, Dwayne Hoover.
9. Jennifer Coolidge: American Pie
Universal Pictures
Once viewed as a raunchily hilarious coming-of-age comedy, American Pie has come under fire in recent years for being problematic. Perhaps Jennifer Coolidge's age versus her role in the film is another notch on that belt.
Jennifer portrayed the mother of Steve Stifler, played by Seann William Scott. The issue? She was just 12 years older than Seann in real life.
10. Winona Ryder: Star Trek
Paramount Pictures
Finally, Star Trek made waves following its release in 2009, earning a high 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, it might come as a shock that Winona Ryder was cast as the mother of Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, despite the two being only five years apart.
In honor of Mother's Day on May 11, here are The 15 Best TV Moms Who ALWAYS Keep It Real.
