'It’s utterly unbalanced': Emma Thompson criticises casting older men with younger women

Veteran actor Emma Thompson has called out the double standard in Hollywood movies of pairing young women with older men, while staying away from doing the opposite. The 61-year-old actor believes the industry is still averse to the idea of older women romancing younger men and her upcoming comedy Good Luck To You, Leo Grande challenges that mindset.

“It’s completely acceptable for George Clooney, who is delightful, to have someone who is 40 years younger than him or 30 years younger than him. If I have someone playing opposite me in a romantic way, they have to exhume someone, because I’m 61 now. Do you see what I mean? It’s completely and utterly unbalanced," she said on the podcast CultureBlast.

In the Sophie Hyde-directed movie, Thompson will play a 55-year-old widow Nancy Stokes who hires a sex worker in his early 20s. The actor said it will be "very interesting" for her to play the character and she is looking forward to the audience's reaction to the film.

“If Leo Grande, the film that we make, speaks to people and people aren’t averse to seeing someone who’s 61 largely naked with a very much younger person, it’s going to be very interesting. We’ve got to keep being brave about that," she added. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is based on an original screenplay by British Comedy award winner Katy Brand.

The film, produced by Genesius Pictures, will get into production in London early next year. 

Sophie Hyde talks about Emma Thompson and the movie

In an interview with Variety, Sophie Hyde said that she is thrilled to be working with tremendously funny and heartbreakingly honest Emma Thompson to explore intimacy and desire. She also appreciated Emma for putting on screen a relationship that is unexpected and delightful. Hyde mentioned that at a time when their need for each other is so vividly present, it will be a delight to create and show this connection between two people which is funny, sexy and moving. In the interview, Debbie Gray also appreciated the script as he said that he loved the script from the first read. He also called it funny, relatable and relevant. Gray added that it’s great to have a female strong team with such a passion for the project.

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Cornerstone Films’ Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder also said that they loved the bold, fresh and surprising take on female sexuality in Katy’s script and to have an actor of Emma’s calibre in the role of Nancy is a real gift. Thompson is represented by Hamilton Hodell and CAA. Hyde is represented by UTA and Anonymous Content. Sophie Hyde’s recent project Animals has gained major anticipation ahead of its release. It stars Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat. The movie received critical praise at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. It is set to release in the US on November 10.  

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(With PTI inputs)