Scarlett Johansson, 23, sees red at 'ageist' Hollywood

She may be just 23, but Scarlett Johansson is looking to the future - and doesn't like what she sees.

The blonde actress has criticised Hollywood's treatment of older women, saying the movie industry is ageist.

And while Scarlett has no trouble finding roles now, she fears for the future.

She told Hello! magazine: 'Women kind of wilt as men sort of achieve as they get older, like wine or whatever.

'It's like, "Oh, she's past her prime and she can't play a sex symbol".'

The Girl With A Pearl Earring star, who is newly engaged to Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, 31, added: 'It's just a preconceived notion about women in general and particularly in this industry. It's a very vain, vain industry.'

Scarlett is the latest in a string of actresses to complain about Hollywood's attitude towards women.

Sharon Stone, 50, once quipped: 'When I went to the Oscars, it was like, "Oh, there's been an archaeological dig and look what we've found, a 40-year-old".'

Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep, who stars in Mamma Mia!, has also hit out.

Asked if she had made a conscious decision to move into offbeat roles, the 59-year-old actress replied: 'What films have you seen lately with serious roles for 50-year-old women in the lead?'

Meryl, who has been an Oscar nominee a record 13 times and won twice, said: 'These are the roles that they write for women my age.

'Maybe there's something in society that sees older women this way. Usually they are sort of gorgons or dragons or in some way grotesque.'

Last year Demi Moore, 45, was quoted as saying: 'It's been a challenging few years, being the age I am.

'Almost to the point where I felt like, well, they don't know what to do with me. I am not 20. Not 30.

Despite their glowing good looks both Meryl Streep, left, and Demi Moore have experienced ageism

'There aren't that many good roles for women over 40. A lot of them don't have much substance, other than being someone's mother or wife.'

And British actress Charlotte Rampling, 62, also condemned the treatment of actresses of a certain age, saying: 'The system in Europe is nothing like in Hollywood. It is not so barbaric in terms of the ageing process.'