Lesley Manville thinks it's "brilliant" that there is a shift towards accepting older actors' places in Hollywood.
Lesley Manville
The 62-year-old actress is pleased to see more men and women of a mature age being given roles in top movies but is disappointed that it has taken an "awful long time".
Speaking about the Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominees, she said: "I absolutely took note of it [their ages]. And isn't that brilliant? I mean, there was only one of the nominees who was between 40 and 50. I think the rest of us were all over 50. Isn't that great?
"That means there were five really good roles written for older women. I mean, it's kind of annoying that it's something we have to talk about because it should just be a given ... but there has been a shift because it's getting better. It's taken an awful long time."
And Lesley feels it is also important that older women are being showing on screen going on dates.
Referring to her part as widow Cathy on TV show 'Mum', she added to Fox News: "It's vital because it's a reality. There are a huge number of people who are single ... and your heart and soul are the same. They're what they've always been. It needs to be fed and nourished with love and companionship and shared humour with somebody. Those desires, if you have them, they don't go away and it's very, very good and positive to see a series that is about fairly ordinary people, especially (characters) Cathy and Michael falling in love and negotiating love with the great histories of their lives that they've got behind them."