Actors want IMDb to stop telling people how old they really are

The Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) yesterday issued a press release condemning IMDb for publicly listing the ages of actors, claiming it’s leading to age discrimination in Hollywood. The release comes two weeks after an unnamed actress filed suit against IMDb and parent company Amazon.com seeking $1 million in punitive damages because their refusal to take down her real age cost her work.

SAG and AFTRA claim to have been negotiating with IMDb to find a solution but, to date, the web site has refused all requests to remove the listed ages for actors. Said the press release, “When their actual ages then become known to casting personnel, the 10+ year age range that many of them can portray suddenly shrinks, and so do their opportunities to work.”

Why IMDb is being singled out is beyond me (can’t a lot of the same information be found on Wikipedia?) but then again just about everything about this boggles the mind. How is the onus on IMDb to stop age discrimination in Hollywood? It’s not a new issue that has cropped up in the internet age. If you don’t like it, take issue with producers, casting agents, studio executives and the like.

Or, maybe better, allow your actors to evolve into older roles. The woman mentioned above who filed suit was 40-years-old. 40! OK, so you’re not going to beat out Carey Mulligan for a role in THE GREAT GATSBY but maybe when you’re 40 you don’t chase roles written for a 25-year-old. Be that mom in the Suburu commercial or the grizzled veteran cop, instead of the hot shot rookie.

Actors have been lying about their age for years and years and now are frustrated their finally being caught (especially after they spent so much money on plastic surgery to make them appear younger). To try and sue IMDb is just ridiculous and kudos to the database for standing their ground.