Monday, November 20, 2017

Character Actresses

I love Mr. Kaplan. I was binging The Blacklist when I was sick recently, and on top of all of the other things about the show that I enjoy I found myself wishing there had been a whole series devoted to Mr. Kaplan.



Susan Blommaert, the actress who portrays Mr. Kaplan, is a stand-out for me. Whatever role I've seen her in she's completely embodied, from the first time I recall seeing her in The X-Files.




She got me thinking about the fact that, while there are many men known as character actors, I couldn't think of many women known as character actresses. The only other one who comes to mind is Margo Martindale.

These are women who make every show better just by showing up in the credits. They show tenderness. They show tenacity. They show a total commitment to portraying the character for the good of the story, rather than for seeing their roles as opportunities to be idolized.

They're about the craft rather than the glory.

It occurs to me that a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that in order to be a strong woman the woman needs to try to act more like a man. One of the things that's true of both of these character actresses is that they've taken on superior roles where instead of being women who tried to fill the shoes of men they showed they were more than equal to their male counterparts and in many circumstances superior.

Can you think of other great character actresses? Worthy roles that should be celebrated? I will now (spoiler.................................................................................................................................)
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mourn the passing of Mr. Kaplan and the fact that it will be a while before I see Susan Blommaert on the screen again, and hope to see Margo Martindale when The Americans returns.


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