Women told to act, not direct: Olivia Wilde

Actor slams Hollywood's gender bias

Olivia Wilde, the filmmaker behind Booksmart and Don't Worry Darling, isn't mincing words when it comes to Hollywood's entrenched gender bias. Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Wilde highlighted the systemic barriers faced by women in the industry, starting with the earliest stages of career guidance.

"I think for many young women, when we love movies as little girls, we're told, 'Oh, you should be an actress,'" Wilde said as per Variety. "I think when little boys say they love movies, people say, 'You should be a director.'"

Wilde called out the industry's refusal to greenlight female-directed projects, despite evidence that films helmed by women perform as well as, if not better than, those directed by men.

"Movies directed by women don't make less money," Wilde emphasised. "It's not the audience's problem. It's the financiers, it's the studios. They need to take what they perceive as a risk."

The filmmaker underscored that the issue isn't a lack of talent but a lack of opportunities. "There's no shortage of talent, only shortage of opportunity. There aren't less women studying film. There's less women getting their movies made."

Wilde also called for a cultural shift, encouraging women to take up space and lead with confidence. "We need to raise women to believe that they are allowed to take up space, that they're allowed to be leaders," she said. "It's difficult to run a production, and it's difficult for men too. But as women, we're sort of told that we should, in many ways, constantly apologise for our existence. And as a director, you can't do that."

Reflecting on her own career pivot from acting to directing, Wilde noted that ageism played a role in her transition behind the camera. "Acting is the only job where the more experience you have, the less valuable you become," she said. "With actresses, the older you get, the less valuable you become."