Maggie Gyllenhaal too old to play 55-year-old’s love interest

Maggie Gyllenhaal has just dropped a mother of a bombshell on the shocking truth of gender inequality in Hollywood. The 37-year-old actress has revealed that she was once turned down for a part because she was “too old” to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man.

It’s no secret that longevity for women in the film industry is by far a heavier uphill struggle for women than men. But such blatant sexism, which doesn’t even try to disguise the position women face, is remarkable.

The sister of leading heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal, who no doubt can pick and choose whichever role he pleases and will continue to do so at 37, opened up to The Wrap on the various times the industry has let her down.

“There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time,” she told the publication before explaining that in her thirties, she already meets difficulties landing roles.

Maggie Gylenhaal attends the MET Costume Gala (Andres Otero/WENN)

“I’m 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel really bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh,” said The Honorable Woman star.

More and more women have begun speaking out against the industry, with similar despairing tales. Charlize Theron took on Warner Bros. and won when she asked for the same pay as her Snow White And The Huntsman co-star Chris Hemsworth. Thankfully they agreed, but when a woman even has to ask in the first place then we’re still living in pretty desperate times.

“I have to give them credit, because once I asked, they said yes,” the South African born actress said in an interview with Elle UK. “They did not fight it. And maybe that’s the message: that we just need to put our foot down.”

This year’s Cannes Film Festival has been scrutinised for being highly sexist as women have been turned away for wearing flat shoes rather than heels. Such incidents have sparked the hashtag AskHerMore campaign earlier this year, which flooded The Academy Awards red carpet in February.