For years, many in Hollywood have said that there is an unwritten rule that means that there are few great roles for women in their 40s and 50s. It’s a trope for good reason, as too often women have had great roles in their 20s and 30s, then find that there is a dearth of great parts until they can play grandmothers. Lately, I’ve noticed a bunch of roles, especially on the 2026 TV schedule, that buck that trend. I’m talking about shows like The White Lotus, Paradise, and DTF St. Louis. Here’s what I’ve seen from women on those shows.
Julianne Nicholson In Paradise
As I’ve written a few times this year, Paradise is easily one of my favorite shows so far this year. The sci-fi show, available with a Hulu subscription, is full of twists and turns, of course, but it’s also got several great characters. One of the best, I think most would agree, is Samantha "Sinatra" Redmond, played by Julianne Nicholson. Sinatra is a fully fleshed out character with vulnerabilities and strengths. She’s a loving mother, sure, and that seems to be her motivating force, but she’s also ruthless and maniacally focused on her goal. Those are traits you don’t often see meshed together. It gives Nicholson a ton to work with, and she really makes the most of it. You want to hate Sinatra, but you can’t. That’s the mark of a great villain (if she is the villain).
Linda Cardellini In DTF St. Louis
It’s safe to say that I have a love/hate relationship with DTF St. Louis, which is available with an HBO Max subscription. The humor is off-beat and weird (good), but its lack of understanding of the city where it is set is frustrating (bad). One thing that has kept me coming back is Linda Cardellini’s performance as the manipulative Carol Love-Smernitch. She’s smart, and she’s sexy, and she’s also a little unhinged, but in a very subtle way. It’s a great performance in a nuanced role that Cardellini is really nailing.
The Trio In White Lotus Season 3
Creator Mike White has actually been nailing the roles of women in the 50s a lot on his hit The White Lotus (also on HBO). The most recent season, Season 3, saw the trio of Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie, played by Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, and Carrie Coon. All three were, again, full characters, not just tropes. They were complicated. They were fun. They were sexy. They had it all. Aging men are often seen as sex symbols, and these three proved that whatever a man can do, they can do too, and that is all too rare in Hollywood. Or, at least, it was rare.
These actresses are not alone, of course. The world is changing, and sometimes Hollywood is slow to adapt, but it is, and these five women are showing it.
