Netflix's latest film, "The Dig," has come under fire for casting a 35-year-old actress to play the role of a 56-year-old woman. In the historical drama, actress Carey Mulligan plays the role of Edith Pretty, a Suffolk landowner who in 1939 enlisted the help of an archaeologist to excavate her estate after discovering several small archaeological artifacts.
The film, which was released Jan. 29, focuses on the time period between 1939 and 1942, when Pretty died at age 59.
Celebrities and viewers were quick to call producers out for the massive age gap.
"Is it true the real life woman in The Dig, Edith Pretty, was 56 years old?. They just won't allow women over 40 on the screen will they? #ageism #middleagedwomen," tweeted "Poldark" star Beatie Edney.
"I totally agree.. somehow over the age of 40 or so in the eyes of certain producers.. you are finished which is absolutely not true.. it is so demeaning and sad for actors who know they can still give of their best!" one viewer replied.
"I'm 56, I don't want to see someone much younger playing someone my age, it's not true to the story. I want to see older actresses in roles which are empowering, strong older women can still be a role model for us to look up to. #middleagedwomen #ageism," another added.
Actress Catherine Russell also weighed in on the matter.
"I don't blame Ms Mulligan, we all need the work, but please, if the part requires a woman of a certain age - FFS - give it to us!!!" she wrote on Twitter.
Nicole Kidman, 53, was initially slated to play Pretty but dropped out of the film.
Responding to the criticism, Mulligan defended her casting in an interview with BBC.
"I suppose there is an age disparity between me and the real-life character, but then the sense of her I think was the most important thing," she said.
"I was aged-up slightly with make-up to try and split the difference a little bit," she continues. "But it was more important to honor Edith's character and the humble, generous, extraordinary woman she was."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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