United Kingdom, March 27 -- Cate Blanchett only expected to be in Hollywood for "five years" when she first started out.

The 55-year-old actress has actually been on screen for nearly three decades but insisted that when she started, women had a "shelf life", although she now thinks that female producers make for "more exciting" output.

She told Business Insider: "The shelf life of actresses when I first came on the scene was about five years.

"I think that female producers have more agency.

"There's more females in the writing room, and the more diverse the industry is at base level, when things are developed, the more exciting it is for audiences.

The 'Black Bag' star also believes that issues of "ageism and sexism" exist across th...