The 1990s and early 2000s were particularly brutal. Meg Ryan, the queen of rom-coms, saw her career evaporate as she approached 40, replaced by younger starlets. Actresses like Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer, despite their talent and timeless beauty, frequently complained that scripts dried up once they left their 30s. The message was clear: Cinema is a mirror for youth, and if you are not young, you are invisible.