Jamie Lee Curtis has problem with a lot of things, and she's not afraid to let loose and get candid about them. High on the Freakier Friday actress's list of grievances is Hollywood and its problem with women ageing.
Of course, we agree with her entirely - and it's about time more women were as vocal on misogyny in the industry. In the run-up to the release of Disney’s Freakier Friday on August 8, the actress spoke out vehemently about the entertainment industry's treatment of ageing actors, particularly women, although her own father also suffered ageism.
Having watched her own parents fall foul of being pushed from the Hollywood elite simply because of their age, Jamie has been "self-retiring for 30 years," telling The Guardian of her plans to avoid the same fate as her parents and "leave the party before I’m no longer invited".
Elaborating on the experience of her mum, Janet Leigh, and dad, Tony Curtis, the actress reveals, "I witnessed my parents lose the very thing that gave them their fame and their life and their livelihood, when the industry rejected them at a certain age."
She adds, "I watched them reach incredible success and then have it slowly erode to where it was gone. And that’s very painful."
The emotional load of witnessing her parents eroded from the industry they adored has apparently propelled Jamie to be her authentic self at all costs - and this brings plenty of hurdles for the actress to navigate.
Particularly, the expectation to look and dress a certain way for both roles and red carpet events is a challenge for the star. "There are many, many actresses who love the dress up, who love clothes, who love fashion, who love being a model," she explains.
Jamie continues, "I. Hate. It. I feel like I am having to wrestle with your idea of me versus my idea of me. Because I’ve worked hard to establish who I am, and I don’t want you to … I have struggled with it my whole life."
However, Jamie Lee Curtis's biggest problem with Hollywood is the expectation that women should be doing everything in their power not to age.
She's even referred to the effect of the industry's effect on women's choice to have plastic surgery as "the genocide of a generation of women by the cosmeceutical industrial complex."
In defence of using the strong word "genocide" in relation to her feelings, the star feels it's the only word with the appropriate strength to convey her feelings on the matter.
"I believe that we have wiped out a generation or two of natural human [appearance]. The concept that you can alter the way you look through chemicals, surgical procedures, fillers - there’s a disfigurement of generations of predominantly women who are altering their appearances," she explains.
One of her biggest regrets is having a cosmetic procedure herself at the age of 25. Following comments made on a film set regarding her eyes being "baggy," Jamie's confidence was hit hard enough to have surgery.
The actress's regret over the incident has spurred her to never consider any further surgeries and wear her hair grey. She's determined not to live by the so-called Hollywood "rules," and unapologetically tells those who want her to think otherwise to back off - and this is why we love her.
