London, October 22 British actress Emma Thompson has confessed she prefers writing her own roles than fall into the mould of ageist typecasting.

The 50-year-old, who penned the much acclaimed screenplay for 2005 film 'Nanny McPhee' and starred as the protagonist, said turning to pen and paper prevented her from being cast as another stereotypical old actress.

"I write my own roles, which is helpful," the Daily Express quoted the star as saying.

"Of course though, there are older parts like the one I played in Brideshead ­Revisited , which was ­excellent," she added.

The two-time Oscar-winner previously voiced her take on ageism, saying: "I'm not fiddling about with myself. We're in this awful youth-driven thing now where everybody needs to look 30 at 60.

"The trick is to age honestly and gracefully and make it look great so that everyone looks forward to it." (ANI)