by Nathaniel R
With the announcement of the latest panel for the next celebration of actressing at the edges, how about a related list discussion? Who are you favorite character actresses ever? I've listed 21 of my favorites after the jump from throughout film history. This list was off the top of our heads so there's surely some glaring "how did you forget about ________ ???" examples of missing geniuses...
For the following list major stardom was NOT applicable. i.e. the actress can't be primarily a leading lady but she should be mostly known for supporting roles. People like Amy Adams and Julianne Moore don't count, we'd argue, because for as much as they've filled big filmographies with a lot of supporting roles, they're essentially leading ladies. Likewise some older ladies like Maggie Smith and Judi Dench that people think of as 'character actors' due to their age still semi-regularly take leading roles.
Anyway... the list!
21 FAVORITES
DEFINITELY NOT A COMPLETE LIST -- AND IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
DELIGHTED WHEN THEY POP UP IN ANYTHING
(I'VE LISTED SOME KEY ROLES FOR EACH TO JOG YOUR MEMORIES)
• Maureen Stapleton (Interiors, Reds, Lonelyheart, Airport, Heartburn, Cocoon)
• Joan Cusack (Toys, Working Girl, Broadcast News, Shameless, Addams Family Values, In and Out)
• Celeste Holm (All About Eve, Gentleman's Agreement, The Snake Pit, High Society)
• Glynis Johns (The Sundowners, The Ref, Mary Poppins, Miranda, The Court Jester)
• Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time, West Side Story, Carnal Knowledge, The Ritz, The King and I)
• Ann Dowd (Compliance, The Handmaid's Tale, The Leftovers, Captain Fantastic, Nothing Sacred)
• Lee Grant (In the Heat of the Night, The Landlord, Shampoo, Damian the Omen II, Plaza Suite)
• Claire Trevor (Key Largo, The High and the Mighty, Marjorie Morningstar, Raw Deal)
• Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler, In the Bedroom, My Cousin Vinny, Untamed Heart, Love is Strange)
• Agnes Moorehead (Magnificent Ambersons, Bewitched, Jane Eyre, Citizen Kane, Dark Passage)
• Madeline Kahn (Young Frankenstein, Paper Moon, Clue, What's Up Doc?, History of the World)
• Thelma Ritter (Pillow Talk, With a Song In My Heart, The Misfits, Rear Window, Bird Man of Alcatraz)
• Barbara Harris (Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Nashville, Peggy Sue Got Married, Seduction of Joe Tynan)
• Fay Bainter (White Banners, The Children's Hour, Jezebel, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)
• Regina King (Year of the Dog, Poetic Justice, Ray, American Crime, Miss Congeniality, Jerry Maguire)
• Miranda Richardson (Damage, The Crying Game, Sleepy Hollow, Dance With a Stranger, Spider)
• Ann Miller (Kiss Me Kate, Easter Parade, Mulholland Drive, On the Town, Stage Door)
• Dianne Wiest (Lost Boys, Edward Scissorhands, Hannah and Her Sisters, Parenthood, Rabbit Hole)
• Samantha Morton (Synecdoche New York, Harlots, Jesus's Son, Morvern Callar, Control)
• Hattie McDaniel (Show Boat, Gone With the Wind, Alice Adams, The Great Lie, Since You Went Away)
• Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein, Bell Book and Candle, Naughty Marietta, Inspector General)