Isn’t that true of pretty much all leading men? I remember Sean Connery in the later James Bond movies was frolicking around with the same 20 year old ladies even when he was pushing 60...
I believe you are referring to Roger Moore, who by the time he did ones like For Your Eyes Only (1981) and most definitely View to A Kill in (1985) the leading Bond girls were young enough to be his daughter. But Connery did Never Say Never Again in 1983 and that of course featured Kim Basinger.
Yes, it’s true generally, and probably always has been. Over 40 is probably the start of peak for leading men, and the upper limit for most leading actresses.
But there’s probably more leading roles now for over-40 actresses than ever before. Better living through chemistry (and surgery).
Here’s a chart of some age differences:
http://www.ibtimes.com/hollywood-couples-age-difference-movies-visualized-1935671
“Isn’t that true of pretty much all leading men? I remember Sean Connery in the later James Bond movies was frolicking around with the same 20 year old ladies even when he was pushing 60...”
Ah yes, the Sean Connery effect. When men age, they tend to look like Sean Connery. When women age, they tend to look like...Sean Connery.
(I kid! I kid!)