( CNN ) -- Happy birthday , Catherine Zeta-Jones . You are turning 40 this month , joining an exclusive club of women in show business who are marking the same milestone this year . Catherine Zeta-Jones arrives at a Hollywood event earlier this year . She turns 40 on September 25 . Think big names like Renee Zellweger , Jennifer Aniston , Mariah Carey , Jennifer Lopez and Cate Blanchett . It 's a birthday many actors -- but especially female stars -- in Hollywood would once dread , hide and agonize over . At an age where men could comfortably play heroes and lovers in the prime of their life -- and could do so for many years to come -- women often found themselves starting to be cast in different roles . ( One example : `` The Graduate , '' where 36-year-old Anne Bancroft played a frustrated `` older woman '' trying to seduce Dustin Hoffman , who was just six years younger than she at the time . ) No wonder some stayed mum about their age , but this generation of 40-something female entertainers is different . They 're holding birthday bashes , embracing the big four-oh and staying as busy and famous as ever . Their faces grace magazine covers , their bodies are the envy of women decades younger and their careers seem to be going strong . See photos of stars who are 40 and still hot » . Zellweger herself has said she has n't noticed good parts getting scarce . `` I do n't see it . I do n't know . I 'm so spoiled with respect to the experiences I 've had and the opportunities I 've had that I do n't see it , '' she said , according to published news reports . So has anything changed for women hitting 40 in a business obsessed with youth ? Industry observers say stars like Zeta-Jones , Zellweger and Aniston have more options than ever to have long , distinguished careers thanks to independent films and television , but opinions are mixed on whether they can sustain a big Hollywood presence . `` These women are still among the most bankable , biggest stars in the industry and turning 40 is n't going to change that , '' said Kathy Heintzelman , entertainment director for More , a magazine geared toward women over 40 . Watch a report on the most rich and famous women over 40 » . Importance of box office . But others argue that the opportunity to land lead roles in major studio films for actresses like Aniston , Zeta-Jones and Zellweger is running out . It 's all about the global box office for Hollywood , which right now is most interested in making comic book movies or big-action , special-effect films in which women are mostly decorative , said Leah Rozen , film critic for People magazine . That often leaves few lead roles in big-budget Hollywood films for established female stars as they get older . `` They 're going to work , but the entire movie will not be built around them . It will not be a Renee Zellweger vehicle or a Catherine Zeta-Jones vehicle , unless it 's an indie film , '' Rozen said . `` I 'm not saying anything about the quality of the movies they 're making or their validity as actresses , '' Rozen said . `` I am saying that viewed as box office -- or can they open a movie ? -- the answer would be no right now . '' Zellweger 's most recent project , `` My One and Only , '' which Rozen called a `` very sweet little film , '' has grossed less than $ 1 million since it premiered last month ( it opened in wide release last Friday . ) Earlier this year , her film `` New in Town '' grossed about $ 16 million domestically , according to Boxofficemojo.com . Zeta-Jones ' last big Hollywood role was in the 2007 movie `` No Reservations , '' which earned $ 43 million in the United States . Aniston has had a better run . Last year 's `` Marley & Me '' took in $ 143 million domestically and more recently , `` He 's Just Not That Into You '' earned $ 93 million . Men are viable as box office leads far longer than most women , Rozen said . Think Harrison Ford , who was still the action hero at 66 in last year 's `` Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull '' ( which earned $ 317 million domestically ) or Sean Connery , who at 69 was paired with a then-30-year-old Zeta-Jones in 1999 's `` Entrapment '' ( $ 87 million domestic gross ) . A big exception to this trend has been Meryl Streep . Watch a report on women over 40 who make us laugh » . Streep , 60 , has a great track record at the movies with films including the recent `` Julie & Julia '' and last year 's `` Mamma Mia ! '' She 's part of a very successful run of female-centric movies that have starred women over 40 , said Jane Fleming , president of the nonprofit organization Women In Film . `` That proves if you have an audience base that wants to see you , they 're going to keep coming out to see you regardless your age , '' Fleming said . `` What 's been nice about the last two years is that there 's been economic proof that that audience exists and that given the right form of entertainment , it will be very lucrative for the studios . '' Fleming believes this is a good time to be turning 40 in Hollywood , with popular films like `` Sex and the City , '' `` Marley & Me '' and `` The Proposal '' starring 40-and-over actresses . Watch a report on women over 40 who rock » . TV , indie films offer new options . It may be a big improvement over the options available to female stars not too long ago . `` There are only three ages for women in Hollywood : babe , district attorney , and 'Driving Miss Daisy , ' '' Goldie Hawn 's character famously exclaimed in the 1996 comedy `` The First Wives ' Club . '' Actresses like Sandra Bullock are redefining those stereotypes by playing lead roles in romantic comedies well into their 40s , sometimes paired with younger men . Just this year , Bullock , 45 , has starred in `` The Proposal '' and `` All About Steve . '' Watch a report on women over 40 who 've had work done » . Many actresses over 40 are also finding a new home on television , where there are many complex characters to choose from . Glenn Close , 62 ; Kyra Sedgwick , 44 ; and Holly Hunter , 51 , are just some of the stars who have made the move from the big screen to the small screen , earning critical and popular success . `` Cable has opened up enormous possibilities . In feature films , you 're still lucky if you 're not the girlfriend or the wife , '' Katey Sagal , 55 , who stars in the TV series `` Sons of Anarchy , '' recently told Oprah.com . But she was also glad to note that there are more opportunities in general for female stars over 40 . `` I do n't know why it 's changed , but I 'm really grateful it has . Maybe it has to do with the fact that we 're all living longer and suddenly it 's OK to get older . Maybe there 's a broader audience for these characters . The stories you can tell about older women are deeper , '' Sagal said .
Cate Blanchett , Renee Zellweger , Jennifer Aniston have turned many years . Stars appear to be going strong in an industry famously obsessed with youth . Some doubt the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull '' is interested in making 'vehicles ' for top female stars . Television , independent films offer more options than ever for actors .