Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting first charmed audiences as teenagers when they made an unforgettable debut in the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, aged 15 and 16. Now in their 70s, these actors are suing Paramount over a bedroom scene featuring nude images of buttocks and breasts without consent of director Franco Zeffirelli who promised them not to film naked images without getting permission first. According to this lawsuit, Zeffirelli broke his word by filming them anyway without asking permission first.
Female aging remains stigmatized in Hollywood. Women featured in 2022’s Sex and the City were heavily criticized for their greying hair and potential cosmetic surgery procedures, and actresses over 40 are advised to avoid roles featuring nude scenes – an experience Emma Thompson firsthand experienced after accepting Nancy in Good Luck to You, a dark comedy about a widowed professor who hires a young sex worker.
Ponch Hawkes began photographing nudity of women over 60 some time ago, which quickly evolved into her new genre known as “granny porn.” As it gained traction, Hawkes shared some thoughts on why old mature nude is difficult for us to perceive–and what steps could be taken in response.
Marj