Russell Crowe, the Australian entertainer and Oscar winner, says that actors and actresses should stop complaining about the age of the characters they play.

Actresses who complain there are not enough substantial roles for older women on screen may still mistakenly want to “play the ingénue”, the 50-year-old actor Russell Crowe has said.

Crowe, star of Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and Noah, suggested actresses must simply accept they should be playing roles suitable for their own age, rather than a younger model, it has been reported.

In an interview with Australian Women’s Weekly, he argued all actors should be “willing to live in their own skin”, acknowledging there are “stages in life”.

Saying he had heard of one actress who had attempted to change her character to have fewer children on screen, Crowe added: “Quit arguing, just play the role!”

The issue of roles for older women in Hollywood has been widely discussed in recent years, with a host of successful actresses speaking out about a lack of weighty parts.

Read the article “Russell Crowe: Actresses Shouldn’t Complain About Their Roles” on telegraph.co.uk.