On the surface, ‘ageing gracefully’ is a term that has traditionally been considered a compliment. But Julianne Moore has just made a very good point about why, if you unpick the message behind those words, it isn’t a compliment at all. 

The Hollywood star says that it is actually a ‘sexist’ thing to say (when was the last time a male actor over 50 was told he’s ‘ageing gracefully’?) She also believes that there is “no graceful way to age” and that we should view ageing from a different perspective. 

“There’s so much judgment inherent in the term ‘ageing gracefully,’” Moore said in an interview with As If Magazine. 

“Is there an ungraceful way to age? We don’t have an option, of course. No one has an option about ageing, so it’s not a positive or a negative thing, it just is. It’s part of the human condition, so why are we always talking about it as if it is something that we have control over?”

The star offered an alternative approach to ageing, continuing: “We are given a narrative as children that we keep growing through school, maybe go to college then, after school is finished, the idea of growth is done.

“But we have all this life left to live. How do we continue to challenge ourselves, to interest ourselves, learn new things, be more helpful to other people, be the person that your friends and family need or want? How do we continue to evolve? How do we navigate life to have even deeper experiences?

“That’s what ageing should be about.”

Moore also quoted Helen Mirren’s words on growing older. “Ageing is a requirement of life: You either grow old or die young.”

And this isn’t the first time the actor has spoken out about the issue. In an interview with InStyle in 2019, Moore said: “Let’s not talk about this idea of, ‘Oh no! I’m going to be 40!’ You could be dead. So enjoy it. It’s a privilege to age.

She added: “Even in scripts, they’ll refer to a character as ‘ageing. Well… everyone is ageing.”

They are definitely wise words to ponder.

Images: Getty