Twenty-six years after it hit theatres, Geena Davis says Thelma & Louise did very little to help propel female-led films in Hollywood.
“It hasn’t changed at all,” Davis says. “We never seem to get any momentum going. But I remain optimistic.”
Since the film, Davis has become an activist for diversity in Hollywood, specifically focusing on gender bias through her non-profit organization, the Geena Davis Institute On Gender In Media.
READ MORE: Emma Watson interviews Geena Davis on gender equality
“Our research shows the ratio of male to female characters in film has not changed since 1946,” she says in an interview.
Though she sites recent examples like Daisy Ridley’s character Rey leading Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Patty Jenkins’ smash hit Wonder Woman, Davis remains skeptical when it comes to more opportunities for women on and off screen.
“Look, there was Hunger Games, there was Frozen, even Star Wars with a female lead… and now Wonder Woman. You figure, ‘We’re done!’ But we have to wait for the data,” she explains. “It’s been a quarter-century since Thelma & Louise and nothing’s changed. I know it will change, but to say this is the exact moment — well, you’ll have to prove it to me.”
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