Over 40 movies and TV shows that star a female lead over 40
In many movies that are bad because that don't give female characters enough agency or personality, "They're the girlfriend, the mother or the wife. Their value is determined in relation to who they bed, marry or birth." I learned a long time ago that women should not be defined by their age or the men in their life, so I decided to track down 40 different titles with a not-young female lead at the front to remind us all to knock the ageism barrier in Hollywood, which is helped by middle-aged female writers and directors who are more likely to write stories about lead characters their age that would call for women over 40. Rules for this list:
1. Every title on this list must have at least 100,000 user votes to prove that they are in the public eye and didn't just lose popularity or a chance at distribution for having a female lead that few wanted to see. I apologize for the lack of recognition for those films and TV programs that came before imdb in 1990. (note to self: wait a long time to add The Fall from 2013 at 83%, Eye in the Sky from 2013 at 79%, Sisters at 63%, Star Trek Voyager from 1995 at 60%, The Middle from 2009 at 45%, Cougar Town from 2009 at 40%, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life from 2016 at 33%.)
2. The titles can not just be a female co-lead when a male character gets a bit more focus - like Holly Hunter next to Craig T. Nelson in The Incredibles, or Ming-Na Wen next to Clark Gregg in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. However, if a sequel like Finding Dory or The Incredibles 2 focuses more on the female character from before, then it can be counted.
3. Animated titles with a 40-year old voice actress in the lead role can apply if the character is also over 40, but not if the lead is a kid or male.*
4. A female lead who is someone else's girlfriend, mom or wife CAN be counted IF they get more focus than their boyfriend, children or spouse, so we know their value is not determined by their relation to the boys in their life.
5. If the lead actress turns 40 in the middle of a series, then it can be counted if the majority of the series was made after they turned 40, such as Amy Poehler turning 40 early in the 4th season of the 7-season series, Parks and Recreation.
6. Ensembles like Desperate Housewives and Ocean's 8 can count if the one with first billing and most of the ensemble are over 40.
*Up, Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman are all titles over 100,000 votes that I know to have a male lead character over 40 when it is not just the voice actor's age. Maybe someday we will have a female lead character over 40 in an animated title!
Heads-up! On November 14, 2020, this user started writing a movie that will end up on imdb one day. In 2025, I will put out a movie called Trappings on a $1,000,000 budget. It is a one-person movie like Locke, in which the star was Tom Hardy in his 30s, only this time the star is Stephanie Beatriz in her 40s. It is going to be great.
1. Every title on this list must have at least 100,000 user votes to prove that they are in the public eye and didn't just lose popularity or a chance at distribution for having a female lead that few wanted to see. I apologize for the lack of recognition for those films and TV programs that came before imdb in 1990. (note to self: wait a long time to add The Fall from 2013 at 83%, Eye in the Sky from 2013 at 79%, Sisters at 63%, Star Trek Voyager from 1995 at 60%, The Middle from 2009 at 45%, Cougar Town from 2009 at 40%, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life from 2016 at 33%.)
2. The titles can not just be a female co-lead when a male character gets a bit more focus - like Holly Hunter next to Craig T. Nelson in The Incredibles, or Ming-Na Wen next to Clark Gregg in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. However, if a sequel like Finding Dory or The Incredibles 2 focuses more on the female character from before, then it can be counted.
3. Animated titles with a 40-year old voice actress in the lead role can apply if the character is also over 40, but not if the lead is a kid or male.*
4. A female lead who is someone else's girlfriend, mom or wife CAN be counted IF they get more focus than their boyfriend, children or spouse, so we know their value is not determined by their relation to the boys in their life.
5. If the lead actress turns 40 in the middle of a series, then it can be counted if the majority of the series was made after they turned 40, such as Amy Poehler turning 40 early in the 4th season of the 7-season series, Parks and Recreation.
6. Ensembles like Desperate Housewives and Ocean's 8 can count if the one with first billing and most of the ensemble are over 40.
*Up, Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman are all titles over 100,000 votes that I know to have a male lead character over 40 when it is not just the voice actor's age. Maybe someday we will have a female lead character over 40 in an animated title!
Heads-up! On November 14, 2020, this user started writing a movie that will end up on imdb one day. In 2025, I will put out a movie called Trappings on a $1,000,000 budget. It is a one-person movie like Locke, in which the star was Tom Hardy in his 30s, only this time the star is Stephanie Beatriz in her 40s. It is going to be great.
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- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Sandra Bullock (b. July 26, 1964) as Ryan Stone
Gravity became the first movie starring a woman over 40 to reach 1 million votes on TBA, 2021. - DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.Amy Adams (b. August 20, 1974) as Louise Banks
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsSally HawkinsOctavia SpencerMichael ShannonAt a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.Sally Hawkins (b. April 27, 1976) as Elisa Esposito
Octavia Spencer (b. May 25, 1970) as Sarah Fuller - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsPam GrierSamuel L. JacksonRobert ForsterA flight attendant with a criminal past gets nabbed by the ATF for smuggling. Under pressure to become an informant against the illegal arms dealer she works for, she must find a way to secure her future without getting killed.Pam Grier (b. May 26, 1949) as Jackie Brown
- DirectorSusanne BierStarsSandra BullockTrevante RhodesJohn MalkovichFive years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.Sandra Bullock (b. July 26, 1964) as Malorie
Sarah Paulson (b. December 17, 1974) as Jessica
Jackie Weaver (b.May 25, 1947) as Cheryl - CreatorShonda RhimesStarsEllen PompeoChandra WilsonJames Pickens Jr.A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.Ellen Pompeo (b. November 10, 1969) as Meredith Grey
Episode 116, Valentine's Day Massacre, is the first episode that was filmed after Ellen turned 40. - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsSigourney WeaverWilliam HurtJoaquin PhoenixA series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.Sigourney Weaver (b. October 8, 1949) as Alice Hunt
- DirectorAri AsterStarsToni ColletteMilly ShapiroGabriel ByrneA grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.Toni Collette (b. November 1, 1972) as Annie
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.Amy Adams (b. August 20, 1974) as Susan Hastings
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsMelissa McCarthyRose ByrneJude LawA desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent diabolical global disaster.Melissa McCarthy (b. August 26, 1970) as Susan Cooper
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsSigourney WeaverWinona RyderDominique PinonTwo centuries after her death, a powerful human/alien hybrid clone of Ellen Ripley aids a crew of space pirates in stopping the aliens from reaching Earth.Sigourney Weaver (b. October 8, 1949) as Ellen Ripley
- CreatorGreg DanielsMichael SchurStarsAmy PoehlerJim O'HeirNick OffermanThe absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.Amy Poehler (b. September 16, 1971) as Leslie Knope
Episode 52, End of the World, is the first episode that was filmed after Amy turned 40. - DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.Taraji P. Henson (b. September 11, 1970) as Katherine V. Johnson
Octavia Spencer (b. May 25, 1970) as Dorothy Vaughnan - DirectorWoody AllenStarsCate BlanchettAlec BaldwinPeter SarsgaardA New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.Cate Blanchett (b. May 14, 1969) as Jasmine
- DirectorGary RossStarsSandra BullockCate BlanchettAnne HathawayDebbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City's annual Met Gala.Sandra Bullock (b. July 26, 1964) as Debbie Ocean
Helena Bonham Carter (b. May 26, 1966) as Lou
Cate Blanchett (b. May 14, 1969) as Rose Weil
Sarah Paulson (b. December 17, 1974) as Tammy - DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsSanaa LathanLance HenriksenRaoul BovaDuring an archaeological expedition on Bouvetøya Island in Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legends. Soon, the team realize that only one species can win.Sanaa Lathan (b. September 19, 1972) as Alexa Woods
- DirectorDavid LeitchStarsCharlize TheronJames McAvoyJohn GoodmanAn undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.Charlize Theron (b. August 7, 1975) as Lorraine Broughton
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszIn early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.Olivia Colman (b. January 30, 1974) as Queen Anne
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsSandra BullockMichael McDonaldMelissa McCarthyAn uptight FBI Special Agent is paired with a foul-mouthed Boston cop to take down a ruthless drug lord.Sandra Bullock (b. July 26, 1964) as Ashburn
Melissa McCarthy (b. August 26, 1970) as Mullins - CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsReese WitherspoonNicole KidmanShailene WoodleyThe apparently-perfect lives of upper-class mothers of students at a prestigious elementary school unravel to the point of murder when a single mother moves to their quaint California beach town.Reese Witherspoon (b. March 22, 1976) as Madeline Martha McKenzie
Nicole Kidman (b. June 20, 1967) as Celeste Wright
Laura Dern (b. February 10, 1967) as Renata Klein - DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsEmma ThompsonTom HanksAnnie Rose BuckleyAuthor P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.Emma Thompson (b. April 15, 1959) as P.L. Travers
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsJodie FosterPeter SarsgaardSean BeanA bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet, the child vanishes, and nobody will admit she was ever on the plane.Jodie Foster (b. November 19, 1962) as Kyle Pratt
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSusan SarandonGeena DavisHarvey KeitelTwo best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two women escape for the crimes they committed.Susan Sarandon (b. October 4, 1946) as Louise
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsMeryl StreepTom HanksSarah PaulsonA cover-up spanning four U.S. Presidents pushes the country's first female newspaper publisher and her editor to join an unprecedented battle between press and government.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Kay Graham
- CreatorPeter NowalkStarsViola DavisBilly BrownJack FalaheeA group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.Viola Davis (b. August 11, 1965) as Annalise Keating
- DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.Julianne Moore (b. December 3, 1960) as Alice Howland
- DirectorLisa CholodenkoStarsAnnette BeningJulianne MooreMark RuffaloTwo children conceived by artificial insemination bring their biological father into their non-traditional family life.Julianne Moore (b. December 3, 1960) as Jules
Annette Bening (b. May 29, 1958) as Nic - DirectorMark WatersStarsJamie Lee CurtisLindsay LohanMark HarmonAn overworked mother and her daughter did not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other's life for one freaky Friday.Jamie Lee Curtis (b. November 22, 1958) as Tess Coleman
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsMeryl StreepNicole KidmanJulianne MooreThe story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Clarissa Vaughan
Julianne Moore (b. December 3, 1960) as Laura Brown - DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsCharlize TheronKiKi LayneMatthias SchoenaertsA covert team of immortal mercenaries is suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.Charlize Theron (b. August 7, 1975) as Andy
- DirectorJohn Patrick ShanleyStarsMeryl StreepPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy AdamsA Catholic school principal questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Sister Aloysius Beauvier
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisJudy GreerAndi MatichakLaurie Strode confronts her long-time foe, Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.Jamie Lee Curtis (b. November 22, 1958) as Laurie Strode
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsBette DavisAnne BaxterGeorge SandersA seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.Bette Davis (b. April 5, 1908) as Margo
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJodie FosterKate WinsletChristoph WaltzTwo pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.Jodie Foster (b. November 19, 1962) as Penelope Longstreet
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsLaura LinneyTom WilkinsonShohreh AghdashlooA lawyer takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.Laura Linney (b. February 6, 1964) as Erin Bruner
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsNicole KidmanHugh JackmanShea AdamsIn 1939, an Englishwoman inherits a sprawling ranch in northern Australia and reluctantly makes a pact with a stockman to drive 2000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape.Nicole Kidman (b. June 20, 1967) as Lady Sarah Ashley
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsCate BlanchettRooney MaraSarah PaulsonAn aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman in 1950s New York.Cate Blanchett (b. May 14, 1969) as Carol Aird
- CreatorMarc CherryStarsTeri HatcherFelicity HuffmanMarcia CrossSecrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood after the mysterious suicide of a neighbor.Teri Hatcher (b. December 8, 1964) as Susan Mayer
Felicity Huffman (b. December 9, 1962) as Lynette Scavo
Marcia Cross (b. March 25, 1962) as Bree Van De Kamp
Brenda Strong (b. March 25, 1960) as Mary Alice Young
Would you look at that! Marcia Cross and Brenda Strong share the same birthday, 2 years apart. Teri Hatcher comes one day close to 2 years after Felicity Huffman. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsHarrison FordMichelle PfeifferKatharine TowneThe wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.Michelle Pfeiffer (b. April 29, 1958) as Claire Spencer
- CreatorMike KelleyStarsMadeleine StoweEmily VanCampGabriel MannAn emotionally troubled young woman sets out to exact revenge against the people who wronged her father.Madeleine Stowe (b. August 18, 1958) as Victoria Grayson
- DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris MessinaJulia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Julia Child
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsHelen MirrenMichael SheenJames CromwellAfter the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.Helen Mirren (b. July 26, 1945) as Queen Elizabeth
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMeryl StreepBruce WillisGoldie HawnWhen a fading actress learns of an immortality treatment, she sees it as a way to outdo her long-time rival.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Madeline Ashton Menville
- DirectorPhyllida LloydStarsMeryl StreepJim BroadbentRichard E. GrantAn elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.Meryl Streep (b. June 22, 1949) as Margaret Thatcher
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsMary-Louise ParkerHunter ParrishAlexander GouldWhen a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.Mary-Louise Parker (b. August 2, 1964) as Nancy Botwin
- DirectorJonathan LevineStarsCharlize TheronSeth RogenJune Diane RaphaelJournalist, Fred Flarsky, reunites with his childhood crush, Charlotte Field; now one of the most influential women in the world. As she prepares to run for president, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter, and sparks fly.Charlize Theron (b. August 7, 1975) as Charolette Field
Legally, I can keep this entry up until it is 2 years old, and it may be popular enough to get 100,000 votes at that rate. - DirectorJay RoachStarsCharlize TheronNicole KidmanMargot RobbieA group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.Charlize Theron (b. August 7, 1975) as Gretchen Carlson
Nicole Kidman (b. June 20, 1967) as Megyn Kelly
Legally, I can keep this entry up until it is 2 years old, and it may be popular enough to get 100,000 votes at that rate. - DirectorJoachim RønningStarsAngelina JolieElle FanningHarris DickinsonMaleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.Angelina Jolie (b. June 4, 1975) as Maleficent
- DirectorTim RobbinsStarsSusan SarandonSean PennRobert ProskyA nun, while comforting a convicted killer on death row, empathizes with both the killer and his victim's families.Susan Sarandon (b. October 4, 1946) as Sister Helen Prejean
- CreatorLeslye HeadlandNatasha LyonneAmy PoehlerStarsNatasha LyonneCharlie BarnettGreta LeeA cynical young woman in New York City keeps dying and returning to the party that's being thrown in her honor on that same evening. She tries to find a way out of this strange time loop.Natasha Lyonne (b. April 4, 1979) as Nadia Vulvokov
This series is not at 100% of 100,000 yet, but I can keep it on here until it is 2 years old, in case it does get there. Natasha will be 40+ during Seasons 2 and 3. - CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingStarsJulianna MarguliesChris NothJosh CharlesAlicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.Julianna Marguiles (b. June 8, 1966) as Alicia Florrick
Christine Baranski (b. May 2, 1952) as Diane Lockhart - CreatorJay CarsonKerry EhrinStarsJennifer AnistonReese WitherspoonBilly CrudupAn inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the team.Jennifer Aniston (b. February 11, 1969) as Alex Levy
Reese Witherspoon (b. March 22, 1976) as Bradley Jackson
I can keep The Morning Show on here until it is 2 years old, in case it gets to 100,000 before then. - DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisJudy GreerAndi MatichakSurviving victims of Michael Myers form a vigilante mob and vow to end his reign of terror.Jamie Lee Curtis (b. November 22, 1958) as Laurie Strode
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisAndi MatichakJames Jude CourtneyThe saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in the final installment of this trilogy.Jamie Lee Curtis (b. November 22, 1958) as Laurie Strode
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsGemma ChanRichard MaddenAngelina JolieThe saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.Salma Hayek (b. September 2, 1966) as Ajak
Angelina Jolie (b. June 4, 1975) as Thena