Actresses are victims of Hollywood 'ageism', says Scarlett Johansson

London, Aug 13 : American actress Scarlett Johansson has accused Hollywood of 'ageism' when it comes to women, insisting that their careers 'wilt' when they reach a certain age.

Johansson believes that Hollywood's treatment of older women is tougher than the way aged male actors are treated, for once an actress crosses a certain age she is no longer seen as a sex symbol, but a male actor's image remains the same.

"Women kind of wilt as men sort of achieve as they get older, like wine or whatever. It's like, 'Oh, she's past her prime and she can't play a sex symbol.' It's just a preconceived notion about women in general and particularly in this industry. It's a very, very vain industry," Telegraph quoted Johansson as saying.

The 23-year-old is not the only one who has come up with the claim of partiality in treatment where age is concerned.

"I am furious that they think I'm too old to play the love interest of guys like Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood. Why should I play sisters and mothers while guys like Jack and Clint, who are older than me, have on-screen lovers half their age?" Faye Dunaway, 67, said recently.

Sharon Stone also felt the difference during her Academy Awards appearance a decade ago.

"When I went to the Oscars it was like, 'Oh, there's been an archaeological dig and look what we've found, a 40-year-old," she stated.

Another actress, who felt the age problem, was 45-year-old Demi Moore.

"It's been a challenging few years, being the age I am," she said last year.

"Almost to the point where I felt like, well, they don't know what to do with me. I am not 20. Not 30.

"There aren't that many good roles for women over 40. A lot of them don't have much substance, other than being someone's mother or wife," she added.

ANI