When actress Maggie Gyllenhaal was infamously told she was too old to accurately portray the lover of a 55-year-old man, while she was 37, people started to pay attention to the problem of ageism in Hollywood, specifically as it's targeted at women. The way the screen has warped our idea of what women should look like has reinforced body image issues, and it also puts many actresses over 40 out of work, robbing them of the chance to deliver the nuanced performances they've been fine-tuning with years of experience.
Fortunately, there are those that have remained in the industry, some after having taken a hiatus, but these inspiring women over 40 are still conquering Hollywood. Click through to see the stars who were born before 1980 and are going full speed in 2020.