Monday is about movies. And sometimes TV. Today, Julia Roberts. I have two theories about her. They’re linked. Here I am kinda thinking/typing out loud…bear with…
So, if I'm understanding, your first theory is that Julia Roberts covered up for a lack of talent with careful project selection, and the second is that she achieved career longevity by lucking into Erin Brockovich. I think those both qualify as theories. Though I suspect her casting in Erin Brockovich was because a producer requested a "Julia Roberts type".
I feel that we should still use the term "actress' when someone is obviously playing a gendered role, especially if that's all they do. Like, if you've gone to the trouble of playing a woman convincingly, and that's your specialty, on and off the screen, let's respect that, not pretend we didn't see it.
I’m fully down with this. I used to approach her in movies with a yeah whatever attitude and then I started to notice she was never ever bad in them. In fact she was always good. These days I have full respect. She’s prestige. Did a bang up job of Martha Mitchell in Gaslit too, the last person you’d think to cast. She was even a bit black hat in Leave the World Behind.
So, if I'm understanding, your first theory is that Julia Roberts covered up for a lack of talent with careful project selection, and the second is that she achieved career longevity by lucking into Erin Brockovich. I think those both qualify as theories. Though I suspect her casting in Erin Brockovich was because a producer requested a "Julia Roberts type".
I feel that we should still use the term "actress' when someone is obviously playing a gendered role, especially if that's all they do. Like, if you've gone to the trouble of playing a woman convincingly, and that's your specialty, on and off the screen, let's respect that, not pretend we didn't see it.
I’m fully down with this. I used to approach her in movies with a yeah whatever attitude and then I started to notice she was never ever bad in them. In fact she was always good. These days I have full respect. She’s prestige. Did a bang up job of Martha Mitchell in Gaslit too, the last person you’d think to cast. She was even a bit black hat in Leave the World Behind.
Kinda like Bill Murray. Kinda dismissed until his 50's when he finally got a role that changed people's perception.
56 is just the beginning for many careers.