The statistics were damning. A 2019 San Diego State University study found that while women over 40 represent 26% of the U.S. population, they accounted for just 9% of female leads in top-grossing films. The message was clear: female narratives expired at menopause. Actresses like Meryl Streep (who famously lamented being offered only "hags and witches" after 40) were the exceptions, not the rule.