A league of her own GEENA'S HOLLYWOOD TELL ALL

Once insultingly deemed ‘too old’ by a male actor 20 years her senior, this leading lady is still taking on Tinseltown

When it comes to Hollywood legends, it’s hard to go past Geena Davis.

The Long Kiss Goodnight actress started out her adult life as a self-conscious, 1.8m-tall school leaver who hadn’t quite come to terms with the fact she towered over almost everyone she met.

After finishing university, her aim was to become a model and she spent her weekends working as a live window mannequin in a New York clothing store before being scouted by film director Sydney Pollack, who cast her in his hit 1982 movie Tootsie.

Like her character in Thelma & Louise, her life has been a whirlwind ever since – but when it comes to righting the wrongs of Hollywood, Geena’s just getting started!

The Stuart Little star, who turned 66 on January 21, has come out swinging against ageism and sexism in Hollywood, revealing that she once lost out on a role because the movie’s leading man thought she was “too old” to play his lover – even though she was 20 years younger than him.

“It’s very strange and so prevalent,” says the mum-of three, who hasn’t named the actor involved. “The male stars of the movies want to appear to be younger than they are, or they want to appeal to younger people, so they always want a co-star who is really young.