Pacino, Hanks, Hopkins: this year’s Oscar and Bafta male acting categories feature the same old faces. Is it time for a youth rebellion?
It is hardly breaking news that
Hollywood skews towards white males, but looking down this awards season’s acting nominations, a certain kind of white male dominates: basically you have got a choice between old and older.
The Oscars’ best supporting actor shortlist is particularly jarring: Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Brad Pitt. Is this 1991 or something? The average age is 71, and none of them are below 56. It doesn’t get much fresher-faced with best actor: Antonio Banderas,
Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix, Jonathan Pryce. Average age: 51. Driver is the only one under 40. For comparison, the average for best supporting actress is 38 and best actress 37. The men’s lists are identical for the Baftas apart from Taron Egerton instead of Banderas, which at least lowers the figures a little.