by Nathaniel R
Sigourney Weaver in "Master Gardener"
It's the age old question. When will the Academy honor [insert your legendary favourite here] with an Honorary Oscar? Oscars for actors that excel in genres outside of pure drama always have a more difficult road to industry honors. Michelle Yeoh & Jamie Lee Curtis' recent Oscars were grand exceptions, not the rule! Sigourney Weaver is one of those performers.
The 73 year old legend's best work has largely been in science-fiction and comedy, traditionally genres that Oscar voters don't think much of in terms of "acting". Sigourney Weaver is on the brain due to a "sizzle reel" that's going around the web that you should watch after the jump...
With a career as long as Sigourney's, who made her debut in a bit part in Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977) forty-six years ago, there are bound to be some performances missing -- I wanted a little The Year of Living Dangerously, Copycat, Map of the World, and The TV Set for example -- but it's a wonderful edit by Maris Malejs who was commissioned to prepare it last year and has since added in more Ripley. As one would!!!
That reel is also an unexpected reminder that Sigourney was pretty great in Call Jane, last year's abortion drama.
THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART
Next up for Weaver is a wealthy manipulative patron role in Paul Schrader's Master Gardener (she's good but the film unfortunately isn't top tier Schrader) which hits theaters in a couple of weeks. Then she's got a big role in the upcoming Amazon miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart about an orphaned young girl who moves in with her grandmother (Weaver) who runs a flower farm.
Further down the road Weaver has a supporting role in the action film The Gorge currently in production which stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy. And then of course there's a bunch more water-logged mo-capped Sigourney in the Avatar series.
What is favourite Sigourney Weaver performance aside from her iconic work as Lt. Ellen Ripley?
I'm partial to The Ice Storm and I will also never forget how hilarious she was on Broadway 10 years ago in "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike"