Melanie Griffith was defended by daughter Dakota Johnson this month for Hollywood’s “cut-throat” treatment of older actresses.
Johnson, 26, lashed out over the lack of roles for older women, citing Melanie Griffith and her grandmother, Tippi Hedren.
“This industry is f—ing brutal,” Johnson said in the February issue of British Vogue.
“Why isn’t my mother in movies? She’s an extraordinary actress! Why isn’t my grandmother in movies?”
Dakota Johnson Slams Agism In Hollywood, Says Mom Melanie Griffith Can't Find Work https://t.co/H2nzAqr2ff pic.twitter.com/69FA7etXs9
— ET Canada (@ETCanada) January 5, 2016
Griffith, who is 58, is best known for her iconic turn in Working Girl. Johnson’s 85-year-old grandmother Tippi Hedren made a name for herself after her turn in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
Johnson says the brutal treatment by the movie industry has an affect on her own self-esteem.
“No matter how tough you are, sometimes there’s the feeling of not being wanted,” she said. “It’s absurd and cut-throat. Whenever I have downtime, I’m unsure that I will ever work again. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a definite thing that happens to me.”
#DakotaJohnson slams agism in Hollywood, says mom #MelanieGriffith can't find work https://t.co/H2nzAqr2ff pic.twitter.com/5hXPJUARlb
— ET Canada (@ETCanada) January 4, 2016
On the other hand, the 50 Shades of Grey actress is not afraid to ditch the glam to take on a rougher look for her role as the wife of criminal Whitey Bulger in her new film Black Mass.
“In my real life, I don’t look pretty all the time,” Johnson conceded. “Nobody does. I love films that are honest… That’s the thing that turns me on.”
Do you think Dakota Johnson has a point about roles for older women like her mom Melanie Griffith?