If you've ever idly Googled a celebrity's age, then you may be surprised to find that checking out this info on entertainment websites might soon be a thing of the past.
A law has been passed in California that enables actors to ask to have their ages removed from profiles which appear on major sites as IMDB.
Apparently, it's to help with age discrimination, and has been championed by The Screen Actors Guild. In a statement, president Gabrielle Carteris said that the organisation had tried for years 'to stop the career damage caused by the publication of performers' dates of birth'.
Although this means that an actor's age will still be available on other websites, it is a big move in the entertainment industry as it means a significant way forward in the fight against age discrimination, which is believed to affect more women than men in Hollywood.
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And it'll be good news for some! Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal said last year that she was considered too old to play the role of a 55-year-old's girlfriend, despite being only 37.
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'Electronic casting sites did not exist in 1990; today, they are prevalent and influential,' Gabrielle told The Hollywood Reporter. 'And they affect casting decisions even when casting personnel don't recognise their unconscious bias.'
The law, which affects subscription websites for casting purposes such as IMDB, will become effective on 1 January 2017. It enables any actor to ask the entertainment website to remove their age and the website will have five days to comply with their request.
(Images via Getty)
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