K.D. Lightner
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,354
- Location
- Des Moines, IA
I think the most fortunate actresses are those who can gracefully go from leading lady to character actress. They can work until they are very old.
Some women who were leading ladies and later character actresses:
Bette Davis (who also was not afraid to play an unglamorous role when she was young, unlike most leading ladies of her era) and later played all sorts of roles.
Ethel Barrymore -- Yes, she was an ingenue on the stage and later played all sorts of roles when she was old. I am wondering if her great niece, Drew, will be able to do so.
Meryl Streep is doing this as we speak.
Shelly Winters, who played ingenue roles in the early 50's and lots of character roles after that, winning Oscars in the process.
Lots of English actresses, who have the best theatre training in world, can play all sorts of roles, Dench is one them, and Mirren. The last time I saw Vanessa Redgrave in a movie, she looked pretty good, too. And she can act.
Many times these women lost their "glamour" looks, but continued to work in good roles. Others disappeared or retired.
One woman I think looks awfully good in her middle age is Demi Moore. She is in her early 40's; to me that is a baby, but the truth is she is middle aged.
Another actress who did better when she was middle aged than when she was young is one of my very favorite actresses, Irene Pappas. She did some of her best work in her 40's and 50's, onstage and in the movies. I saw her on the stage in 1981 in a Greek play. Fantastic classical actress.
karol
Some women who were leading ladies and later character actresses:
Bette Davis (who also was not afraid to play an unglamorous role when she was young, unlike most leading ladies of her era) and later played all sorts of roles.
Ethel Barrymore -- Yes, she was an ingenue on the stage and later played all sorts of roles when she was old. I am wondering if her great niece, Drew, will be able to do so.
Meryl Streep is doing this as we speak.
Shelly Winters, who played ingenue roles in the early 50's and lots of character roles after that, winning Oscars in the process.
Lots of English actresses, who have the best theatre training in world, can play all sorts of roles, Dench is one them, and Mirren. The last time I saw Vanessa Redgrave in a movie, she looked pretty good, too. And she can act.
Many times these women lost their "glamour" looks, but continued to work in good roles. Others disappeared or retired.
One woman I think looks awfully good in her middle age is Demi Moore. She is in her early 40's; to me that is a baby, but the truth is she is middle aged.
Another actress who did better when she was middle aged than when she was young is one of my very favorite actresses, Irene Pappas. She did some of her best work in her 40's and 50's, onstage and in the movies. I saw her on the stage in 1981 in a Greek play. Fantastic classical actress.
karol
