In a recent op-ed published in Entertainment Weekly, Fire Country star Diane Farr sheds light on an often overlooked issue in Hollywood: the lack of representation and opportunities for middle-aged women in the industry. Farr, who is 54 years old, emphasizes the importance of casting middle-aged women in roles their own age and pairing them with male costars of the same age.
Farr points out that the success of Fire Country, where she portrays Sharon Leone alongside her on-screen husband played by Billy Burke (who is 57), is partly attributed to their chemistry. However, she highlights that such age parity and casting choices are not the norm in American TV and are rarely considered in the film and television industry, despite progress made in achieving racial, gender, sexual orientation, and pay parity.
Drawing from her personal experiences, Farr recalls working on the show Rescue Me, which featured pay parity and enjoyed success. However, in her other projects, she found herself paired with love interests who were significantly older than her, sometimes even older than her own father. She notes that these projects did not achieve the same level of success as those that embraced age parity.
Farr also shares the experiences of other actors, including Sarah Wayne Callies, Marcia Gay Harden, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Andy Garcia. Wayne Callies remarks on the sense of dishonesty when women portray characters outside their age range while being paired with much older costars. Gay Harden opens up about the dismissal of older actresses as sexually unviable after a certain age.
Farr questions the authenticity of on-screen chemistry when actors come from different generations, classes, educational backgrounds, and work approaches. She argues that representing the gender, nationality, race, and actual sexual orientation of characters has been prioritized in the industry, and the same should apply to casting women who match the age of the characters they portray. Farr firmly believes that the voices and representation of these women are essential and deserve recognition.
The actress references Michelle Yeoh's powerful acceptance speech when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress last year. Yeoh's achievement was seen as a beacon of hope and possibility for all the individuals who look like her, reminding them to dream big and proving that dreams can come true, regardless of age.
Fire Country, where Farr stars, premiered on CBS in October 2022 and quickly became a hit, garnering 8 million viewers per episode during its debut season. The show has since been renewed for a second season, attesting to the audience's appreciation of the series. Fire Country is set to return for its second season on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and is also available for streaming on Paramount+.
Diane Farr's op-ed serves as an important reminder that age parity and casting women in roles their own age should be a standard practice in Hollywood. Representation matters, and it is crucial for the industry to recognize the voices, talents, and experiences of middle-aged women. Hopefully, Farr's advocacy will contribute to a positive change in the way the industry approaches casting and career opportunities for women.
