In the early days of cinema, mature women often played marginal roles, relegated to portraying grandmothers, maids, or other stereotypical figures. The "silver screen" rarely featured women over 40 in leading roles, and when they did appear, they were often depicted as older than their actual age or typecast in narrow, age-related roles. The dearth of complex, dynamic female characters in leading roles was partly due to the youth-obsessed culture of Hollywood and the limited opportunities for women in the industry.