Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Male actors occupy 75% of screen time in finance-related films and shows – study

Those behind the research highlighted the need for female role models to bridge the ‘gender investment gap’.

Vicky Shaw
Monday 27 January 2025 19:01 EST
Around three quarters of screen time in finance-related films and TV shows is typically occupied by male actors, a study indicates (Nick Ansell/PA Archive)
Around three quarters of screen time in finance-related films and TV shows is typically occupied by male actors, a study indicates (Nick Ansell/PA Archive) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Around three quarters of screen time in finance-related films and TV shows is typically occupied by male actors, a study indicates.

A range of films and series about finance and investing from the past 15 years were analysed, such as The Wolf of Wall Street, The Big Short, Margin Call and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

The research, commissioned by trading and investing platform eToro, consisted of visual and text analysis, focusing on the main male and female characters depicted as financial experts.

We all know that women earn less, invest less, yet live longer than men and therefore have an even greater need to build wealth to secure their futures

Dr Ylva Baeckstrom, research lead

Among the films and shows analysed, researchers found that, on average across all the productions analysed, 75% of screen time was occupied by male financial experts, who made up 64% of the experts portrayed.

The research indicated that male experts often tended to portrayed as more knowledgeable, confident and significantly more comfortable with risk than female experts.

Female characters often conveyed their authority or confidence by “power dressing” in suits and heels, researchers noted.

While men dominated the “alpha” roles as experts, women were seen playing “supportive” characters such as wives or admin assistants, or were portraying strippers or mistresses.

Dr Ylva Baeckstrom, a senior lecturer in finance at King’s Business School, who led the research, suggested that portrayals of finance and investing as a pursuit for “alpha males” and a lack of female financial role models are both “perpetuating the gender investment gap”.

She said: “We all know that women earn less, invest less, yet live longer than men and therefore have an even greater need to build wealth to secure their futures.”

Dr Baeckstrom also said some improvement had been observed for productions in recent years, with films such as Fair Play, starring Phoebe Dynevor, and episodes of the TV show Billions, “introducing stronger women in roles that highlight their capabilities, struggles and complexity”.

Lale Akoner, global markets analyst at eToro said: “There is a need for female role models both on and off-screen to encourage us all to talk more about money and to inspire the next generation of female investors.”

eToro has partnered with research business Boring Money to launch a campaign called Loud Investing to encourage discussions about finance.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in