In the fascinating industry of Hollywood, even the most famous actors occasionally run into unexpected challenges. A prime example of this is the beautiful and gifted actress Carla Gugino, who has been working in the entertainment business for more than 25 years.
She began getting movie roles in the 1980s, and by the late 1990s, she had established herself as a familiar face in both television and film. Gugino, who gained fame for her performance as Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids trilogy, has also worked as a fashion model. She began searching for roles in the early 2000s that would enhance her resume. Thus, was drawn to secure a role in the historical drama television series, Mad Men.
Surprisingly, it was her fame that ended up being a double-edged sword and kept her from getting a role.
Also Read: Gunpowder Milkshake: Carla Gugino Talks Training, Sequel, & Becoming Madeleine (EXCLUSIVE)
Carla Gugino Discovered That Being ‘Too Famous’ Could Cost You A Role
Carla Gugino, who was lauded for her superb performances in films like Sin City and Watchmen, has a remarkable talent for capturing the complexity and nuance of complex characters on screen. Despite her diverse talent, her level of fame became a significant barrier to landing a role in one of the popular period dramas on TV, Mad Men.
As a huge fan, Gugino requested to get cast in the show. But Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, had very specific requirements for the kinds of actors he wanted to play the characters back when Mad Men was still in the planning stages. As the actress later admitted to Vulture, it seemed that Weiner wanted actors who had not yet received a lot of mainstream acclaim:
“I said, ‘I am perfect for Mad Men. And he [Matthew Weiner] said, ‘’You’re too famous’.”
As Gugino explained, Weiner avoided casting actors in his series whose well-known faces might prevent viewers from getting lost in a scene or whose fame would overshadow the show itself. The 52-year-old actress further added (Vulture):
“So I couldn’t win.”
Carla Gugino Criticized Hollywood’s ‘Absurd’ Ageist Double Standards
Carla Gugino, San Andreas star, once shared with Yahoo Movies that Hollywood casting practices “double standards” when it comes to the ages of its leading men and women. She called the procedure “absurd” which resulted in her friend Maggie Gyllenhaal (45) being passed over for a role as the love interest of another actor because of her age.
The Unborn actress told Yahoo Movies:
“It’s a really crazy thing because Maggie is a dear friend, So when I’m hearing [what she said] it’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. The double standard in that way is pretty crazy and I just think that it has to be acknowledged – I’m glad it’s being acknowledged – because it’s just absurd. So, yes, that does happen, but it doesn’t always happen. There are a lot of leading men who don’t want that.”
According to Gugino, this issue has been discussed in the industry for some time, as she added:
“It’s good to be talked about because [extreme age gaps] sometimes makes a movie not believable, and characters not believable, because there’s an artifice to that.”
The Watchmen star’s ideas were sparked by statements made by Gyllenhaal, who previously disclosed the following to TheWrap:
“There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time. I’m 37 and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh.”
Gugino has worked alongside many of the biggest names in the business over the years, such as Dwayne Johnson and Robert De Niro. Through it all, she has remained modest and focused, preferring to let her work speak for itself and never being afraid to discuss those roles that did not work out.
Her recent film appearance was as Madeleine in Navot Papushado’s 2021 action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake. She will next be seen in Heads of State, an upcoming action comedy film directed by Ilya Naishuller, the release date of which has yet to be announced.
Mad Men is available to stream on AMC+ Amazon Channel.
Source- Vulture; Yahoo Movies; TheWrap
