The Emmys Love Middle-Aged Men — At Least Statistically

The Emmys Love Middle-Aged Men — At Least Statistically

Matlock star Kathy Bates made some Emmy history this month when, at 77, she became the oldest nominee ever for lead actress in a drama. But compared to some of this year’s other contenders, she’s practically a kid. The White Lotus’ Scott Glenn is 86. Shrinking’s Harrison Ford is 83. And Martin Scorsese — nominated for playing himself in The Studio — is 82. 

So, this must be the grayest Emmys yet, right?

Not quite. The average age of this year’s acting nominees — once you factor in Adolescence’s 15-year-old Owen Cooper as well as dozens of other candidates — comes out to about 48. That makes 2025 only the second “maturest” Emmy year of the past decade, just behind 2018, when 93-year-old Cicely Tyson’s guest actress nomination helped boost the average to 50.4.

In fact, when you crunch the numbers, it turns out Emmy voters — unlike the rest of Hollywood — have a pretty consistent bias toward middle-aged performers. Over the past 10 years, the average nominee age has hovered between 44 and 50, with only minor year-to-year fluctuations. Of course, some of that is just statistical noise. Most years see a broad age spread — teenage breakout nominees sharing the ballot with octogenarian legends — and when they’re all blended together, the averages tend to settle squarely in the Centrum Silver zone. Still, a trend is a trend is a trend, and this one definitely suggests that the Emmys have a thing for actors of a certain age.

Or at least one type of actor — the kind with Y chromosomes. While men well into their 80s continue to rack up nominations across the acting categories, female contenders often face a lower age ceiling. Over the past decade, actresses have consistently skewed younger than their male counterparts, with an average nominee age nearly six years lower. In other words, age may be embraced at the Emmys, but there are still limits for females. Just ask Bates, now the oldest woman ever recognized in her category — and still a few birthdays behind several of this year’s men. 

Tina Turner may be “simply the best,” but fans of the late superstar clearly don’t feel that way about a $1,000 wig her estate was peddling online recently. Keen observers couldn’t help but notice that the poodle-esque hairpiece bore little resemblance to the wildly teased hairstyles synonymous with the rock ’n’ roll icon. 

“She looks like Little Orphan Annie!” one Facebook commenter cracked, while others likened the locks to Olivia Newton-John’s curly do in 1978’s Grease. 

Indeed, the reception online was so withering, BMG — which controls Turner’s image and music — yanked the wig off its website less than 24 hours after its debut, no explanation given. Still, the wig’s designer, Turner’s longtime hairstylist Arthur Jones, believes the rug — “crafted with 100 percent Remy human hair” and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Jones himself — is getting a bad rap. 

“Tina wore that hair,” he tells Rambling Reporter. “If you do your research, you’ll see that curl was very popular in the ’90s and through the early 2000s.” He believes part of the problem was marketing; specifically, the model chosen to advertise the wig on BMG’s site. “I did hear that a couple of people were upset that the model was not Black,” Jones says. “The girl we used was half-Asian and half-Black … [but] she certainly [didn’t look] like Tina.” — Seth Abramovitch

Rumor has it that the landmark backlot currently known as Henson Studios may soon be getting a rebranding — or maybe more of a prebranding. Sources close to its new owners — pop star John Mayer and director McG, who bought the storied property in November for a reported $60 million — tell Rambling that the duo are thinking of bringing back the facility’s original name: Chaplin Studios.

Hollywood history buffs will recall that Charlie Chaplin built the complex on La Brea Avenue back in 1917 and shot some of his most iconic silent films there, including The Gold Rush and City Lights. In the 1950s, it hosted early CBS staples like The Red Skelton Show and Perry Mason. Then, in the ’60s, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss transformed it into recording studios for their newly booming A&M label. Muppet mastermind Jim Henson acquired the property in 1999, rechristened it Henson Studios and installed a 12-foot statue of Kermit the Frog dressed as the Little Tramp.

Even before becoming co-owner, Mayer had a history with the lot — he recorded his 2021 Sob Rock album there and kept an office on-site. McG, who started out as a record producer before directing movies like Charlie’s Angels and Terminator Salvation, may have spent time on the lot as well. The pair reportedly partnered on the purchase after rumors began swirling that the Church of Scientology was sniffing around as potential buyers.

Rambling has reached out to Mayer and McG about the possible name change — which would likely require approval by the Chaplin estate — but hasn’t heard back. No word yet, either, on the fate of that 12-foot Kermit, although sources who’ve recently visited the lot report that a basketball court painted with the initials JB (for Justin Bieber, installed when he was recording at Henson) remains. After all, some things are sacred.

This story appeared in the July 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.