I don't know... was that whole "America's Sweetheart" thing such a tremendous factor in the Hepburn era, because I've seen lots of actresses give an original performance or two and then get skinny, blonde(er) or winsome really fast.(Not that those are horrific qualities, I have some of them, I think, but if that's all you ever see...)
Buffista Movies 4: Straight to Video
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
I know exactly what you mean, erika. They get bland and cookie-cutter. It usually codes as sying their hair blonde for me, too.
Rosalind Russell certainly played tough in a comedy in HIS GIRL FRIDAY, but I don't know if that was her usual type of role.
Granted, for that, they took a male role in the play and re-gendered it while changing as little as they could.
Tough and funny these days? Hmmm. There aren't a lot of those kinds of roles in film, TV is more fertile. Wendy Malick?
I guess Sigourney Weaver is too much of an action hero to count. Although, outside of the Alien movies, has she done another action character?
I think of Sigourney first and foremost in Ghostbusters rather than the Alien franchise, and she's also played comedic roles in Galaxy Quest and arguably Working Girl. I'd say she's a fair example.
Melissa Leo(even if she only got to be sly-funny once in a while and her big movie role is a giant tragedy, she could play anything.) That one woman on CSI with the funny name I never remember.(I like her much better than that sounds.) Second the Sarandon and McDormand emotions... Gina Torres
Rene Russo has been quite funny too, but only some of those were tough, and some were, well, not what I'd call ditzy, but certainly loopy.
Last post?
ETA: Rock on!! My first 10,000 evah!
Um, to make this on topic--I'm going to go see King Kong this weekend.
Also, Janene Garafalo, though she's never gotten a lead role that's worthy of her snark.
eta muhahahahaha!
This balcony is closed. Talk all you want about dead gay cowboys and pudding over here:
"Buffista Movies 5: Development Hell" Jan 20, 2006 10:43:30 am PST