Geena Davis has claimed that big Hollywood roles became ''scarce'' once she turned 40 and insists she feels like she ''fell off the cliff'' after reaching the milestone.
The 64-year-old Oscar-winning actress explained how once she had ''a four'' in front of her age she was offered less roles.
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, she said: ''I fell off the cliff. I really did.
''In the early stages of my career, I was blithely going along thinking, 'Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange and Sally Field, they're all making these great female-centric movies. And I'm getting these great roles, really tippy-top roles, so things must be getting better for women.'
''But suddenly, the great roles were incredibly scarce. It was a big difference.''
Davis, who received acclaim for her roles in A League of Their Own and Thelma & Louise, said strong female roles changed how she approached her career.
"After Thelma & Louise, everyone wanted to talk to me, telling me how the film had changed their life, how many times they'd seen it," she said.
''So that changed for ever how I considered what parts to play. I would think, 'What are the women in the audience going to say when they see this movie?'''
