SAG-AFTRA

Summer 2011

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into a common light of common hours, until old age bring[s] the red flare again." Senior performers know about that red I flare: They have a lifetime of experience in honing their craſt, and they continue to learn; they remain engaged in the creative community and fulfilled by the life they have chosen. Only a dearth of opportunity can slow them down. Unfortunately, ageism within the entertainment industry and in society persists. A 2006 report on Ageism in America published by the International Longevity Center (ILC) stated that "Most older persons report they have experienced ageism, and…ageism remains embedded within the nation's institutions with de facto discrimination in the workplace, heath care, language and in the media." With the high unemployment rate in America, stories of ageism are common, although it is impossible to know the exact extent of this insidious form of discrimination. In addition, Medicare, health care reform and Social Security have recently become political issues, and the subtext of some of these arguments is that seniors and their "entitlement programs" are responsible for the nation's deficit. In the entertainment industry, the bias toward youth can be even more pronounced. In a 2008 report, the most recent hiring statistics released by SAG, roles for men over 40 made up between 42 and 43 percent of all roles in television and film, while only 28 percent of roles were written for women over 40. But it isn't just about the number of roles; how seniors are portrayed on television and in film has an impact on attitudes in society. "The influence of marketing and media on contemporary culture cannot be overstated," a 2009 report by Aging Services of California and the ILC declared. The U.S. Social Security Administration estimates that by 2050, there will be 81 million people in the United States age 65 or older, as compared with 39.5 million in 2009. Other estimates put the number even higher. This demographic wave cannot be ignored forever. "It is clear that the media's obsession with youth oſten comes at the expense of n his play The Land of Heart's Desire, William Butler Yeats wrote, "For life moves out of a red flare of dreams, older Americans. In the quest to target youth, media and marketing have ignored the purchasing power and preferences of millions of baby boomers and seniors across the country," said then-Sen. John Breaux, D-La., during the 2002 Special Senate Committee Hearing on Aging. A study released by the Research Center for Arts and Culture at Teachers College Columbia University in June "Aging artists, who have learned how to adapt their whole lives, can be a model for society… " confirmed that senior performers remain underutilized, but there were some positive findings as well. A majority of senior performers were found to be happy with their lives and remained socially engaged. Adam Moore, SAG interim national director of Affirmative Action and Diversity, said the study's results were hopeful, showing senior performers have been able to achieve personal satisfaction through their art. "Despite not making as much money as other people in their age bracket, there's still optimism and a passion for the work that they do," said Moore. "They are more satisfied than most of the other folks in the population. That says something about how they manage their lives." The study, Still Kicking — Aging Performing Artists in NYC and L.A. Metro Areas: Information on Artists IV, benefitted from significant contributions from Screen Actors Guild, which provided anonymous demographic information SAG.org and arranged interviews with senior artists. The study's author, Joan Jeffri, is the director of the Research Center for Arts and Culture and a SAG member. She was a performer early in her career before turning her talents to academia. Jeffri said the study was important because older performers can help establish a blueprint for other aging professionals who are not performers. "Aging artists, who have learned how to adapt their whole lives, can be a model for society, especially as Baby Boomers retire and multiple careers become the norm," Jeffri wrote in the report. That's because despite modest incomes, the seniors surveyed in the study reported a high level of satisfaction with their lives. If they had to live life over, 92 percent in Los Angeles and 86 percent in New York would choose a career as an artist again. Tom Ligon, the New York Division chair of SAG's Senior Performers Committee, reflected that sentiment in the feelings about his own career. "I've never been more at the top of my acting game than I am now — and I ain't in my 60s anymore," Ligon said. "I find the work has become effortless. I don't push anything and I don't prove anything to anyone. When all of that drops away, there's nothing underneath all of that but riches." Some producers are recognizing the value of senior performers. A March 25 article in the AARP Bulletin said seniors are in increasing demand as background actors because they oſten display a high level of professionalism. The story quoted Kathryn Brink, owner of Kathryn Brink Casting in Albuquerque, N.M., saying "They show up dressed for the part, they pay attention, they don't complain." As seniors become an ever-larger segment of the population, shrewd producers will tap this underutilized reservoir of talent and, with seniors' growing purchasing power, hopefully attitudes will change for the better. Meanwhile, the Guild will continue to support its senior actors through the National Senior Performers Committee and examine this unique group's needs through continued and more detailed analysis of the demographics of SAG's senior membership. Read the study in its entirety at arts.tc.columbia.edu/rcac/Still-Kicking. Summer 2011 - SCREEN ACTOR 23

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