Birds of Prey’s Rosie Perez Vents Frustrations With Ageist Jokes in Film

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) star Rosie Perez is speaking out about her frustrations with ageist jokes in film. In a recent interview with Uproxx, Perez was asked about representation in film and was specifically asked if she’d be interested in returning for a Birds of Prey sequel and while the Renee Montoya actress was down to return, she was hopeful that any sequel would be without age-based jokes.

“I mean, if it happens, sure,” Perez said about returning for a sequel. “When you said that, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Oh my God, I have to lose weight and get in shape again.’ Hopefully, there won’t be any ageist type jokes in it as well. Having me called ‘grandma’. That was the only thing, I was like ‘Really, guys? really?’ I was like, ‘Would you have the nerve to say that to Helen Mirren, in her 50 million action movies?’”

Perez’s comments about the ageist joke in Birds of Prey shines a bit of a light on one of the more curious aspect of the film. Directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey is a film full of empowerment and representation with not just it’s female-led storyline but also the inclusion of characters of color. Despite this, Perez’s Montoya didn’t quite get the same treatment, with the older character being presented just a bit differently — including those jokes.

Still, even with the jokes, Perez is open to a sequel and made it clear that she’s not going to stop calling things as she sees it anytime soon.

“It is what it is, but you have to take the chance, be brave enough to call it out and be ready for the consequences,” Perez said. “I have and I will be.”

Currently, there are no confirmed plans for a Birds of Prey sequel, though Perez isn’t the only star of the film who has said she’d be interested in coming back for more. Black Canary actress Jurnee Smollett has previously said that she’d like to return as well.

“It’s no secret how much I loved playing Black Canary, and [I was] so honored to take on that mantle,” Smollett revealed back in July. “I would absolutely do it again if given a chance.”

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is now available to stream on HBO Max.

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