UCLA Report Finds Decline in Women and BIPOC Leads

Representation for women and people of color in streaming films declined significantly in 2025, reversing years of progress, according to the latest Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA. The findings, released Wednesday, show a sharp drop in the share of minority actors in leading roles and a continued decline in opportunities for women and minority filmmakers behind the camera.

The report analyzed 89 original English-language films released on major streaming platforms in 2025. It found that the share of lead actors from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) backgrounds fell to 36 percent, down from a record high of 51 percent in 2024. This marked the first time in three years that BIPOC lead actors fell below proportionate representation relative to their share of the U.S. population, which was 45.2 percent in 2025.

Behind-the-scenes roles saw similar declines. The share of films directed by BIPOC individuals dropped to 31.5 percent from 41 percent in 2024, while the share of BIPOC writers fell to 21.3 percent from 30 percent. Female representation also decreased. The share of women in lead roles declined to 58.4 percent from 61 percent. The share of women directors...