I want to find out who are the best actresses of our time over 50. Like Jane Fonda, Sophia Loren, Meryl Street, and Gena Rowlands.
shareCharlotte Rampling
Maggie Smith
Vanessa Redgrave
Helen Mirren
Angela Lansbury
Emma Thompson
Nastassja Kinski
Tilda Swinton
Jessica Lange
Kristin Scott Thomas
Helena Bonham Carter (was 50 in May)
Great list, tim-xy. Good of you to include an American actress, just to show you are not prejudiced, although she is the only one I might not have included. There have been many great American actresses but I think they are all dead now.
Add Judi Dench at the very top, also Catherine Deneuve.
Fernanda Montenegro is Brazil's greatest actress. Her performance in "Central Station" (1998) is stunning. I am not sure she has starred in enough really good films to be an all-time world great, but she deserves to be on the list for this telling quote: "In Brazil, I have a career. In America, I have an accent."
Absolutely agree that Judi Dench is right up there with the best. I forgot about her when I posted my list. Bad mistake on my part. Also agree about Catherine Deneuve.
Yeah, Jessica Lange is the lone American lady in there. The OP had already mentioned Meryl Streep, whom I regard as one of the true great ladies of acting, so I didn't mention her again. Also, while most of my favourite film actresses who are still living and working are British, one of my all time favourite leading ladies is American to the bone: the great Katharine Hepburn.
The more I think about the ladies over 50, the more it seems that America just isn't very kind to aging actresses, while in Britain a huge number of very enjoyable films about elderly people were produced in recent years, giving the ageing stars plenty opportunity to shine.
Or maybe it's just that American actresses have better pension plans and can afford to retire at a younger age and enjoy their life without having to work in their old age.
Jessica Lange
Jane Fonda
Michelle Pfeiffer
Julie Christie
Carroll Baker
Sissy Spacek
Gena Rowlands
Lily Tomlin
Marcia Gay Harden
Mariska Hargitay
Kyra Sedgewick
Viola Davis
Whoopi Goldberg
Felicity Huffman
Meryl Streep
Angela Bassett
Susan Sarandon
Helen Mirren
Juilianne Moore
Diane Lane
Joan Allen
Ellen Barkin
Jennifer Tilly
Elizabeth Hurley