Joely Richardson has revealed that ‘no agent wanted to work with her’ after she turned 50.
The actress, now 59, appeared on Tuesday’s This Morning where she discussed ageism in Hollywood.
Joely is currently starring in new Netflix drama The Gentlemen alongside Vinnie Jones and Theo James but is also known for her roles as Julia McNamara in the FX drama series Nip/Tuck and Katherine Parr in the Showtime series The Tudors.
She said on This Morning of her career struggles after turning 50: ‘My agent retired quite young to be with her mum.
‘I went to get another agent and no one wanted me. Zero people wanted a woman over 50.
Joely Richardson has candidly revealed that ‘no agent wanted to work with her’ after she turned 50
Joely is currently starring in new Netflix drama The Gentlemen alongside Vinnie Jones and Theo James (right)
‘So we just started with little ins where we could to just get through the door so people would consider me for roles. Then they started coming in.’
Joely plays the mother of Theo James’ character Eddie Horniman in The Gentlemen which follows and aristocratic family becoming involved in the dark gangster world after discovering a secret weed farm on their estate.
She added of her character in the new series: ‘When you get older you get smaller more peculiar parts and what I love is finding the character.
‘Those three characters are all a bit posh but they are very different.’
On the show she also gave advice to This Morning host Ben Shephard who turns 50 in December.
She said: ‘Enjoy 49, and what I will say about 50, is 50 is like a thing to get your head round. But the minute you’re over that day, you’ll settle into it and you’ll realise you’re free.
‘That’s what the last third, I call it, of my life is about – it’s about being free. You’re less worried about what people think of you. ‘What should I be doing? What is success?’ You just get to be you.’
In The Gentlemen, actor Theo, 39, portrays the fictional lead character Eddie, who inherits ‘his father’s sizeable estate only to discover’ its a ‘weed empire owned by the legendary Mickey Pearson.
He is starring alongside the likes of Chanel Cresswell, Joely, Daniel Ings and Gaia Weiss in the series – after the original film in 2019.
She is seen earlier in her career when she starred in Maybe Baby alongside Hugh Laurie in 2000
The actress, now 59, appeared on Tuesday’s This Morning where she discussed ageism in Hollywood
She said on This Morning of her career struggles after turning 50: ‘My agent retired quite young to be with her mum. I went to get another agent and no one wanted me. Zero people wanted a woman over 50’
In the series, host of unsavoury characters from Britain’s criminal underworld want a piece of Eddie’s operation.
Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game.
However, as he gets sucked into the world of criminality, he begins to find a taste for it.
Of the new production, director Guy Ritchie said: ‘The world of ‘The Gentlemen’ is a little bit of me, I’m thrilled that with Netflix, Miramax and Moonage we have this opportunity to inhabit it once again.
‘We’re looking forward to bringing fans back into that world, introducing new characters and their stories and I am excited to be doing it with this extremely talented cast.’
On the show she also gave advice to This Morning host Ben Shephard who turns 50 in December
Joely plays the mother of Theo James’ character Eddie Horniman in The Gentlemen which follows and aristocratic family becoming involved in the dark gangster world (seen at the premiere)
The cast: Michael Vu, Joely Richardson, Max Beesley, Daniel Ings, Theo James, Guy Ritchie, Kaya Scodelario, Ray Winstone and Giancarlo Esposito seen at the premiere
As well as creating the TV series adaptation, Guy also directed the first two episodes.
The 2019 movie starred Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, Jeremy Strong, Henry Golding, and Hugh Grant among many others.
It proved to be a box office success, grossing just over $115 million against a reported budget of $22 million.
In the film version, Mickey Pearson (played by Matthew) was a drug lord that tried to sell off his profitable marijuana business to a dynasty of billionaires.
