Not OK: Olivia Wilde was considered too “old” to be in “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Unfortunately, when you’re a woman in Hollywood, no age is too early to start experiencing double standards. That’s what Olivia Wilde proved when she opened up about being passed over for a role for being too “old”. . . in her late 20s.

In an interview with Howard Stern yesterday, the now-32-year-old actress talked about her audition for The Wolf of Wall Street. Although she didn’t mention during the interview what part she tried out for, it’s likely she had auditioned for the part of Leonardo DiCaprio’s onscreen wife, Naomi (which she later confirmed on Twitter).

Originally, she was told by her agent that she was considered “too sophisticated” for the part. “And I was like, oh, that sounds nice. I like that feedback. I didn’t get the part, but I’m a very sophisticated person,” she said. “And then I found out later that they actually said ‘old.’ I want to make a translation sheet for Hollywood that’s all the feedback your agents give you and what it really means.”

The part was ultimately given to Margot Robbie, who was then 22; Olivia Wilde was 28. However, Olivia remained positive about the snub, highlighting Margot “kicked so much ass in that movie.”

Plus, Olivia chalked it all up to fate. “It shows that if you don’t get something. . . it might lead to something else,” she said.

We love Olivia’s fabulous positivity and optimism and there’s no denying that Margot totally kicked ass in the film. Still, it’s important to highlight the rampant double standard in this casting decision: Olivia Wilde was considered too old at 28 while Leonardo DiCaprio was almost 10 years Olivia’s senior at age 37.

We rarely hear of men’s ages being an issue in the world of Hollywood, but there are many examples of women who experience age discrimination. Take Maggie Gyllenhaal, who spoke out last year about a particularly bogus snub she received:

Anne Hathaway, now 33, has been struggling with getting parts due to age as well — and she also knows the other side first-hand. “I can’t complain about [younger actress being cast] because I benefited from it. When I was in my early twenties, parts would be written for women in their fifties and I would get them,” she told Glamour UK last year. “And now I’m in my early thirties and I’m like, ‘Why did that 24-year-old get that part?’ I was that 24-year-old once, I can’t be upset about it, it’s the way things are.”

Although it’s an important conversation to be having, we sincerely wish it wasn’t a necessary one. It’s time for Hollywood to start changing the game—because 37 and 33 and 28 are by no means “old.”