Women took 22% of key roles in top films of 2015, the most since study began in 2002, but number of roles for women of colour did not increase

The number of lead characters played by women in major Hollywood films has leapt 10% in a single year, yet actors from ethnic minority backgrounds are still struggling to secure roles, according to a new study.

The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University report examined the 100 top-grossing films at the North American box office in 2015, noting the ethnic and gender makeup of 2,500 characters. Executive director Dr Martha M Lauzen found that women made up just 22% of key players, up from 12 per cent in 2014. The proportion of female characters was the highest since records began in 2002, when the previous best figure of 18% was posted.

Study shows female film-makers made up 19% of top Hollywood jobs in 2015 Read more

In the wake of the row over all-white lists of Oscar nominees, there was less positive news for female actors of colour, however. The survey found their representation in top Hollywood films was largely unchanged compared with 2014: 27% of leading female characters and 13% of all female characters were identified as being from ethnic-minority backgrounds in this year’s report.

Last year was something of a banner year for female-led blockbusters, with box office successes such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part two and Pitch Perfect 2 all featuring women in leading roles. But the survey found that females still made up fewer than a fifth of outright leads in the top 250 films last year.



A separate report from the same organisation found last month that women made up just 19% of top behind-the-scenes jobs in Hollywood in 2015, an annual rise of just 2%.