The Midlife Renaissance of Women in Hollywood

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Until recently, women entertainers could count on their 40th birthday as the death knell for their cultural relevance. But a generation of performers is reentering the pop-culture spotlight in midlife, forcing the public to reckon with the way their stories have been told.

First, here are three new stories from The Atlantic.

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Underestimated

“When the subject of Pamela Anderson comes up, likely isn’t the first in a new essay. But the 55-year-old model and actor’s new memoir—reportedly written without the help of a ghostwriter, a rare feat among celebrity authors—is filled with what Sophie calls “measured acceptance.” The memoir, as well as a new Netflix documentary lovingly produced by her son, shows Anderson’s preternatural poise in the face of “the same two forces that had defined her life: sexual desire and the desire to watch her be humiliated,” Sophie writes.