UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report finds sharp drop in 2025 film roles
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Representation of women and minorities in movies has dropped dramatically in 2025, according to UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report.
UCLA has been a member since 2014 annual report Examining diversity among leads, writers, and directors for widely released theatrical films and movies on streaming services. Part 1, which focuses on theatrical films, was released in March, and Part 2, which focuses on movies watched only online, was released on Wednesday.
Regarding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation, UCLA found that minority representation continues a steady decline in leading roles compared to 2024.
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UCLA has released its annual Hollywood Diversity Report on representation in film. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
“After peaking in 2023, BIPOC’s share of leading roles in top motion pictures continued to decline,” the report said. The statement was included. “Compared to the previous year, this share dropped by almost two percentage points to 23.1 percent in 2025. The share of lead movies portrayed by BIPOC actors reached only slightly more than half of what is required for proportional representation compared to the 45.2 percent share of the U.S. population in 2025.”
Female representation also fell from a peak of 47.6% in 2024 to 37% in 2025; Similar low rates were seen in director and total actor representation.
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“Women, who make up just over half of the population, remained underrepresented in all major employment areas for motion pictures in 2025,” the report said. The statement was included.
Minority actors saw a decline in representation last year despite popular films like “Sinners.” (Vanity Fair)
Minority representation has also seen a significant decline in movie leads released in 2025 after hitting a record high in 2024.
“The share of BIPOC leads in major streamers’ movies dropped sharply to 36 percent in 2025 after reaching a high of 51 percent in 2024. Given that 45.2 percent of the U.S. population was BIPOC in 2025, BIPOC leads fell below proportional representation (9.2 percentage points) for the first time in three years,” the report said.
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In contrast, women were overrepresented in leading roles in movie viewing, although they saw a decline from 61% to 58.4% in 2025.
The report concluded by addressing the importance of increasing opportunities for minority actors and filmmakers not only to increase profits but also to benefit society.
UCLA found a decline in representation in cinemas and streaming movies. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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“People want stories they can relate to and relate to in the movies they watch. In a society where people increasingly do not interact with each other face-to-face, film gives people the opportunity to connect with others they may never come into contact with in real life and helps them understand their common humanity. This is why meaningful representation in film is so vital and why Hollywood has adapted to meet this need,” the report said.
