Golden Globe Nominee Jessica Lange on Aging in Hollywood, Feud's Message About Feminism

At 68 years old, Jessica Lange is seemingly in the prime of her career — but she knows that’s not common in Hollywood.

“Women are viewed as a commodity more so than male actors,” Lange told PEOPLE in March. “At a certain age women are no longer considered a viable or a valuable part of the community — even if that’s when they may feel like they’re at the top of their game. And that’s not just in Hollywood.”

Lange explored those themes in her TV series Feud: Bette and Joan, in which she starred as aging screen legend Joan Crawford alongside Susan Sarandon as Crawford’s decades-long rival, Bette Davis.

Both Lange and Sarandon, 71, are both nominated for best actress in a limited TV series or movie at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.

Be sure to check out PEOPLE’s full Golden Globes coverage to get the latest news on Hollywood’s big night.

“All of those gals who had these amazing parts found themselves high and dry later when they were older because there weren’t that many people who were writing them,” Sarandon, 70, said of the female stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. “There are so many tragic stories of women who were so beautiful and couldn’t figure out a way to age within the system.”

Sarandon believes her on-screen inspiration was more successful than most aging actresses because she was never considered a traditional beauty.

“Bette was never considered beautiful. From the very first moment she went to Hollywood, she overheard someone say, ‘Who would want to have her in the picture?’ They tried to bleach her hair and do things to her, but she was just the odd woman out,” said Sarandon. “But that meant she had an advantage because she uglified herself even when she was younger. It’s easier to be a character actor and age and continue to work. I think I’ve benefited from being a character actor in the same way.”

Sarandon and Lange both emphasized how important it is that women are creating, producing and directing their own projects, but are also grateful to producers like Feud‘s Ryan Murphy for continuing to tell stories that celebrate women of all ages.

“I think if Joan and Bette were alive, they would raise a glass to Jessica and Susan,” he said. “Bette and Joan have been frozen in amber in our culture for a long time as characters and I think what we worked so hard at doing was painting full, complete portraits of these women. Their story deserved to be told in that way.”

The 75th annual Golden Globes are presented live at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday. The show airs at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.