Gina Wilhelm Actress - Judith Light on Stage
Although Judith Light got her start on stage, including a Broadway run in 1975 of "A Doll's House," for years, she was only seen on television, notably starring for 8 seasong on "Who's The Boss?"
When her longtime friend and manager accused her of being scared when she wouldn't take a stage role after years of doing only TV pilots and movies of the week, she realized he was right.
She decided to take the next stage role that came her way, playing the role of a poetry scholar in "Wit" in 1999.
For the role, she had to shave her head and, at age 50, appear nude on stage.
"It was absolutely terrifying at the time," said Light, but she realized it was an opportunity to change the way people saw her.
The gamble work. Reviews called her "transformative" and "profound" and said she'd been missing from the stage far too long.
Though she still works on TV, she makes sure to carve out plenty of time for stage work.
Currently she appears in "Children" by A. R. Gurney. The show just closed at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut.
It next moves to the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Gina Wilhelm Actress
Showing posts with label A Doll's House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Doll's House. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Queens and Tonys
Gina Wilhelm Actress - Queens and Tonys
There are two queens in the play "Mary Stuart." And both are nominated for Tonys.
Janet McTeer, who plays the title character, says it's not fun having to compete with her costar.
Both McTeer and costar Harriet Walter, who plays Queen Elizabeth I, would love to see director Phyllida Lloyd win, however.
Both actresses will compete this Sunday against Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis in "God of Change" and Jane Fonda for her work in "33 Variations."
McTeer has already won once for this show, a Drama Desk Award. She also has a previous Tony for her role in "A Doll's House" in 1997.
She did receive an Oscar nomination for "Tumbleweeds" in 1999, but she has preferred to remain a private person with a private life, something she didn't feel she'd get in Hollywood.
She also got into the movies late by Hollywood standards; she didn't start until her late 30s.
She's the niece of actor Christopher Lee, who played Dracula in the Hammer Horror films.
He more recently played Count Dooku in the more recent "Star Wars" films and Saruman in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
That isn't what got McTeer into acting, though. She was inspired by watching Hayley Mills in "The Parent Trap."
She also insists that there won't be offstage enmity between Walter and herself over the nomination, nor will there be should one of them win the Tony.
"Nobody would ask us that if we were men," she points out.
Gina Wilhelm Actress
There are two queens in the play "Mary Stuart." And both are nominated for Tonys.
Janet McTeer, who plays the title character, says it's not fun having to compete with her costar.
Both McTeer and costar Harriet Walter, who plays Queen Elizabeth I, would love to see director Phyllida Lloyd win, however.
Both actresses will compete this Sunday against Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis in "God of Change" and Jane Fonda for her work in "33 Variations."
McTeer has already won once for this show, a Drama Desk Award. She also has a previous Tony for her role in "A Doll's House" in 1997.
She did receive an Oscar nomination for "Tumbleweeds" in 1999, but she has preferred to remain a private person with a private life, something she didn't feel she'd get in Hollywood.
She also got into the movies late by Hollywood standards; she didn't start until her late 30s.
She's the niece of actor Christopher Lee, who played Dracula in the Hammer Horror films.
He more recently played Count Dooku in the more recent "Star Wars" films and Saruman in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
That isn't what got McTeer into acting, though. She was inspired by watching Hayley Mills in "The Parent Trap."
She also insists that there won't be offstage enmity between Walter and herself over the nomination, nor will there be should one of them win the Tony.
"Nobody would ask us that if we were men," she points out.
Gina Wilhelm Actress
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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.
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.
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