Thandie Newton Gets Real About Ageism in RoC's Newest "For Your Age" Campaign

She looks great … for her age.

You’ve probably heard someone say those words. And maybe they gave you pause. Maybe they made you furious (rightly so). Or maybe, just maybe, you barely registered them. As much as I hate to admit this, including to myself, I’ve definitely heard someone say “she looks great for her age” about a celebrity and tuned it out, because the sad truth is, when you hear something so much, it’s easy to gloss over it.

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Then there are the six words that really sting: “You look great for your age.” You’d have to be a robot to gloss over those. And if you’ve heard them, you’re not alone: A new study from RoC found that 82 percent of women aged 40+ have been told they look “great for their age” in the past year, and that is an insane stat. It’s one reason why RoC is launching their new “For Your Age” campaign, because it’s time we took qualifiers like “for your age” out of our vocabulary — and to do that, you have to realize “for your age” is more than just a turn of phrase that you can tune out. I can honestly say I will never make that mistake again.

To get the word out, RoC is teaming up with Westworld actress Thandie Newton. I got to chat with her for an exclusive interview, and I can tell you, she does not mince words:

On the importance of words: "RoC has done research that shows 'for your age' is a category which forces the internalization of shame into women. So words matter. They really matter. And awareness is everything. We have to be aware that this is happening. Men have to be aware that their sisters, their wives are being affected by these words. And we need to blow minds so that we can put these minds back together."

On internalizing stereotypes: “I share screen time with Evan Rachel Wood, and it’s so not a competition — she's a glorious actress and an incredible human being. But I was giving feedback on season one before the finished product went out, and I was so concerned because I had shadows under my eyes and Evan didn’t have those shadows. I realized, 'oh my god, I'm doing this to myself' — I shouldn’t look the same [as her]. I am an older woman. I think it's because there's so much pressure to look the way we did when we were 21. And I think it's partly because 40 year old male characters date 20 year old women in films and television. It’s been normalized. But you see an older woman with a younger man and everyone goes bananas. It blows people minds. I think we need to blow peoples minds because that's where stereotypes are trapped.”

On another word that's gotta go: “One of the things I find most offensive is the term MILF. The first time I was put in that category I was sick to my stomach. It’s so disgusting because it objectifies women and that qualifier — a mother I’d like to f-word? Like it would be a favor to an older woman? Unfortunately, it gets a cute abbreviation, and you see it everywhere online.”

On forgoing needles: “I admire women who are older and don’t change themselves. One of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met is Maggie Smith. She is a living legend, and her face is pure aesthetic beauty.”

On what just might be my new mantra: "We need to look into each others' eyes more than [we look] at the surface layer [of skin]. Your skin regenerates all the time, so if you look at that surface layer, it's going to be gone. But looking into someone's eyes — that you can see forever."

On the perks of aging: "Gray hair is gorgeous. It's so ironic that a couple of years ago it was on trend to have gray hair at 20. I think that was a kind of protest against the denial of grays. When you see women who have grays, they just look so dope. Because it’s a statement. And that statement is 'I accept myself fully.' And for me, that statement is awesome."

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More on inspiring beauty movements:

1. Allure Magazine Will No Longer Use the Term "Anti-Aging"
2. 41 Women of Color Get REAL About Beauty and Diversity
3. Jessica Alba, Founder of Honest Beauty, Gets Real About Diversity in Hollywood

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