Genre films remain the most likely to feature female protagonists. 26% of horror leads were women, while females fronted 24% of dramas, 21% of comedies, 16% of action movies, 8% of sci-fi films and just 5% of animated movies. Everyone knows what actors do: they use their voices and bodies to tell stories. One of the world’s oldest professions, acting is in many ways a unique vocation, the core of which stays the same whether an actor is performing onstage with a theater company, lending their voice to a video game or animation, or filming an advertisement. Actors embody, entertain, and, well,
About fifty years ago, the personal and professional lives of actors and actresses were far more separated and controlled than they are today, shaped largely by studio contracts, limited media exposure, and slower channels of publicity. Studios often managed an actor’s public image, carefully curating interviews, appearances, and even personal relationships to maintain a marketable persona, while much of their private life remained shielded from the public. In contrast, modern performers navigate an environment defined by constant connectivity, social media presence, and 24/7 news cycles, where personal and professional boundaries blur and public expectations are higher. Today’s actors have more creative freedom and independence, but they face greater scrutiny and pressure to manage their own brand across digital platforms, making their careers simultaneously more flexible and more publicly demanding than those of their predecessors.
