Cherry Jones is Not a Happy Housewife

Gina Wilhelm Actress - Cherry Jones is Not a Happy Housewife

When the new season of "24" starts tonight, there will be a new president--a woman. As played by Cherry Jones, Allison Taylor is the new Commander-in-Chief.

Ms. Jones points out that President Taylor's character isn't based on Hillary Clinton, though she can understand why one might think she was.

She actually based her own portrayal of the character on Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir, and John Wayne, though The Duke has more to do with her walk than her psychology.

She does wonder, however, if President Taylor might lead the way for a nonfiction female president someday.

After all, Dennis Haysbert was an African-American president when Barack Obama was just starting his senate career.

The new job comes at a time when Meryl Streep is receiving accolades for playing a part Jones herself originated.

Ms. Jones won a Tony for her work as Sister Aloysius in the stage version of "Doubt." Streep is now up for a Golden Globe for the same role and is considered likely to get an Oscar nomination for the same part.

Cherry Jones is pragmatic about the situation. She says that she had a terrific run playing the role, but the director needed someone who hadn't played the role over 700 times.

She also calls Streep a "genius actor."

She also says that although President Taylor is married, she isn't a wife. She's the one running the show.

Jones refuses to play characters like Nora, the unhappy wife in Ibsen's "A Doll's House." She feels that those characters are always trying to be free.

That just isn't in her make-up. It may limit her somewhat (it's a highly prevalent type of role), but she prefers to play women who start free and have greater challenges.