Printer Friendly - An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by bobs3 2012-10-10 01:58:58
is actively campaigning for the role of The Baker's Wife in the INTO THE WOODS film.
I had dinner with a friend tonight who works for one of the major talent agencies. She would not tell me the name of the actress (client confidentiality) but only said that she wants the role and she can sing and no it is not Sandra Bullock (she was my first guess).
She also told me there are a number of other A-List actresses who are interested in the part so nothing is certain.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by CurtainPullDowner 2012-10-10 02:16:34
Kevin Spacey?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by undercoveractor 2012-10-10 02:17:36
Natalie Portman? Marion Cotillard? Hilary Swank? Kate Winslet? Renee Zelwegger? Rachel Weisz? Cate Blanchett? CZJ?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ClumsyDude15 2012-10-10 02:18:43
Oprah?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by undercoveractor 2012-10-10 02:25:29
As I was thinking through the recent winners for that list above, I thought of Melissa McCarthy. Not an Oscar winner, but I bet she would be interesting....and maybe amazing.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by chewy5000 2012-10-10 03:41:53
Julie Andrews?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Brave Sir Robin2 2012-10-10 04:00:28
Kate Winslet would be marvelous. And, honestly, I could live with Gwyneth Paltrow.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Musicaldudepeter 2012-10-10 06:50:00
Melissa McCarthy would actually be superb. She has all the warmth, the humor, the quirkiness, the heart, and I can imagine her in Germanic style costumes (although that style probably won't be utilized in the movie).
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jon 2012-10-10 06:58:18
Reese Witherspoon.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-10 07:10:17
Cloris Leachman
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Will42 2012-10-10 07:56:32
I guess it's Renee Zelwegger.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by wickedfan 2012-10-10 08:59:25
Mo'Nique.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-10 09:00:01
The W list: Witherspoon, Weisz and Winslet would all be very good choices.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 09:38:24
Reese Witherspoon was the first person I thought of when I read this, and she'd be absolutely delightful in the role.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by newintown 2012-10-10 09:44:15
Faye Dunaway!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jon 2012-10-10 09:51:04
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by BrodyFosse123 2012-10-10 10:47:55
Oprah?
Oprah ain'ts gots no Oscar. She wuz only nominated for THE COLOR PURPLE. Bitch lost, yo!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by everythingtaboo 2012-10-10 10:55:23
Reese Witherspoon just had a baby, if even plausible, could she really want to handle her stage debut in a big show like this so soon (assuming it's spring).
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by BrodyFosse123 2012-10-10 10:58:23
... is actively campaigning for the role of The Baker's Wife in the INTO THE WOODS film.
Its for the film adaptation, genius. 
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ucjrdude902 2012-10-10 11:13:06
J-Hud?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-10 11:15:44
Melissa McCarthy would be such a good Baker's Wife! I really wish they'd cast a comedienne in the role as opposed to someone who fits the Amy Adams mold like Reese Witherspoon. Witherspoon can obviously be funny, but I haven't seen her be genuinely funny--let alone actually invested in a role--since she won the Oscar. McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Tina Fey would be much more interesting to me than pretty and conventional actresses like Witherspoon or Rachel Weisz. I think the problem with productions of INTO THE WOODS after the original is the Baker's Wife has been cast with a leading lady, where the role should be played by a character actress who can shine like the best leading lady, that's why Joanna Gleason won a Tony but Amy Adams was considered a disappointment (in his review Brantley even commented that Jessie Mueller and Adams should swap roles).
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 11:24:47
ray, I'd argue that Witherspoon is pretty quirky for a "leading lady."
Though I agree that her more recent work has been much more traditional, her performances in films like LEGALLY BLONDE, ELECTION, and SWEET HOME ALABAMA are far more character-based than would be typical of any other film star of her status. I get what you're saying about likening her to Amy Adams, but Adams is every bit the ingenue, whereas Witherspoon has never had that kind of career (with very few exceptions.)
In terms of Melissa McCarthy, even if she could sing, between her television series and the million film projects she has in development, she'd never be available for this movie any time in the next two years.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by CurtainPullDowner 2012-10-10 11:34:23
rayandallthat... You are absolutely correct, when The BW is prettier than Cindy it don't make no sense.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Calvin 2012-10-10 11:40:40
It's Olivia de Havilland, with Joan Fontaine doing Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Marianne2 2012-10-10 11:53:43
Anyone but Renee Zellweger please. I couldn't stand her in Chicago.
Speaking of Chicago, Catherine Zeta Jones does fit the description. I just don't know if she would be good or not. This is not my vote for who should get it. Just an idea of who it could be.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Musicaldudepeter 2012-10-10 12:23:37
CZG is Witch material, definitely too sultry for the Baker's Wife.
Maya Rudolph would also be great as Baker's Wife.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by kieranbec 2012-10-10 13:20:39
Into the Woods Movie Dream Cast
Baker: Gavin Creel
Baker's Wife: Kate Winslet, Debra Messing, or Anne Hathaway
Witch: Marion Cotillard or Catherine Zeta Jones
Cinderella: Megan Hilty
Red Riding Hood: Anna Kedrick
Jack: Lucas Grabeel
Rapunzel: Amy Adams
Cinderella's Prince: James Mardsen
Rapunzel's Prince: Matt Bomer
Narrator/ Mysterious Man: Geoffery Rush or Colin Firth
Jack's Mother: Kelli O'Hara
Wolf: Aaron Tviet
Stepmother: Angelica Huston
Steward: Timothy Spall
Granny: Betty White
Lucinda and Florinda can be unknowns.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-10 13:22:30
If Reese were going to be in this, she's a better fit for Cinderella, but she's a tiny bit too old for it now. Still she fits the role as written.
Zellweger could actually work as the Baker's Wife. I'd want to see her with light brown hair. Don't know why.
I'd love Cate Blanchett in the part, though!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-10 13:24:06
My top three choices are Toni Collette, Toni Collette and Toni Collette.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ComingUpRoses2 2012-10-10 13:25:08
I could actually see Reese or Kate Winslet knocking it out of the park. Even Cotillard might be quite moving. I don't know if she has the comedy chops, though. As it's been said before, CZJ is too sexy for the Baker's Wife. She'd make a wonderful witch, though, if those rumors about Meryl aren't true.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-10 13:25:08
My top three choices are Toni Collette, Toni Collette and Toni Collette.
Not an Oscar-winner, not an Oscar-winner, and an Oscar-winner.
But I agree she would be great. She could actually sing it beautifully, too.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Phyllis Rogers Stone 2012-10-10 13:25:41
I just don't understand all the push for Marion Cotillard every time a musical gets announced. I thought everything she sang in Nine (which, admittedly, was terrible with or without her) sounded flat and breathy.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 13:25:47
I reiterate the Toni Collete endorsement. As I said in another thread, she's absolutely the best choice, though I could see her being hurt by the fact that she sits so squarely between The Witch and The Baker's Wife.
Regardless, I sure hope the film is more ethnically diverse than a lot of the suggestions I've seen here. These dream cast lists people are coming up with are almost universally white, which is disconcerting.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ComingUpRoses2 2012-10-10 13:34:14
I was very moved by Cotillard's performance in Nine. IMO, she and Penelope Cruz were the best things about it. Sure, neither one had an amazing voice, but they acted their parts to perfection.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-10 13:34:49
I loved Marion Cotillard's "breathy" voice in NINE, and she's incredibly transformative as an actress. But I really don't see her at all as the Baker's Wife, she might have some fun as the Witch, but ultimately she's not the perfect choice for the world of INTO THE WOODS in my opinion.
Somethingwicked, I see your point re Witherspoon. I loved her in the films you listed, especially LEGALLY BLONDE and ELECTION, I just haven't seen her commit to a role in so long, and she has been really surface in her late work. If she can be as funny as Renee Zellweger was in CHICAGO, it'd be great, but add me to the list of those who'd love to see Zellweger. Toni Collette is my number one choice too, a character actress with a great voice who can be both funny and heartbreaking. I hope that Marshall isn't blinded by her lack of Oscars.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jon 2012-10-10 13:35:34
Could it be the despised-by-many-here Gwyneth Paltrow?
Edit: Oops - I see she's already been mentioned.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ComingUpRoses2 2012-10-10 13:40:27
I'll admit that I don't really like Gwyneth at all, but I do think that her best work has been on Glee, where she was surprisingly funny and showcased a decent singing voice. She might actually make an okey dokey Baker's Wife.
Put me on team Collette, too. She's so terrific in everything. I'd watch her read the phonebook.
As for Reese, in her early years, she was one of our finest character actresses. I can't imagine one of these awful little talent free tarts that we have now signing on for a film like Freeway. She always made terrific, interesting choices until after Walk the Line. After that, it's like she gave up. I think she's still got the talent in her.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by CurtainPullDowner 2012-10-10 13:44:56
I think Paltrow would be terrific, A-List and Oscar Winner.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 13:46:22
I actually enjoy Paltrow quite a bit, but I think she completely lacks the earthy quality that's so essential to The Baker's Wife.
I've said it before, but Toni Collette notwithstanding, I still think Sarah Jessica Parker would be wonderful in the role.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-10 13:47:42
Paltrow was surprisingly loose, funny *and* fun in GLEE. She made the material funny and basically mopped the floor with all the awful actors from that show (save for Jane Lynch, of course, they were hilarious together). I just think she's a little too sophisticated for the Baker's Wife, but she could surprise everyone. She'd be better as the Witch, IMO, and I'm sure she'd have a lot of fun with the role, but casting her against type as the Baker's Wife instead might turn out to be interesting. I loved her in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, thought she gave a completely natural, funny and charming performance.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by AC126748 2012-10-10 13:57:12
get what you're saying about likening her to Amy Adams, but Adams is every bit the ingenue, whereas Witherspoon has never had that kind of career (with very few exceptions.)
I agree with you about Witherspoon being quirkier than most people might realize, but I strongly question your description of Amy Adams as "every bit the ingenue". Aside from ENCHANTED, THE MUPPETS, and perhaps CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, I would say that her film career suggests that she's a character actress more than anything else. JUNEBUG, DOUBT, SUNSHINE CLEANING, THE FIGHTER, THE MASTER, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE, JULIE AND JULIA...none of these particularly fit the ingenue mold.
How is SJP's singing voice these days? Her recent performance on GLEE was so autotuned I was unable to tell her voice ended and the computerization began.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 14:00:21
I would argue that there still tends to be a wide-eyed naivety at the heart of the majority of Adams' roles, including several of the ones you mentioned (specifically JULIE & JULIA and most glaringly DOUBT.) Yes, she's successfully explored a darker side of herself in reason years, but she's made her bread and butter being an ingenue, and I think INTO THE WOODS proved she still has a ways to go from completely separating herself from that.
You're also leaving out films LEAP YEAR, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, THE WEDDING DATE, and a bunch of her television work, all of which are much lighter. Again, yes, she's becoming more versatile as her career achieves more longevity, but the more complex roles are nowhere near the majority of her body of work.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-10 14:36:40
best12, I know Collette isn't an oscar winner, but the thread had moved on from there. e.g. McCarthy.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by broadway guy 2012-10-10 14:52:39
List of Recent A list Oscar winners:
Gwyneth Paltrow
Hilary Swank
Julia Roberts
Nicole Kidman
Halle Berry
Reese W
Marion Cotillard
Kate Winslet
Sandra Bullock
Natalie Portman
Jodie Foster
Angelina Jolie
CZJ
Jennifer Connelly ( she even looks like the Baker's Wife)
Rene Zellweger
Cate Blanchett
Rachel Weisz
Jennifer Hudson
Penlope Cruz
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by bobs3 2012-10-10 14:53:41
In her current film roles Paltrow usually comes across as patrician. But in some of her earlier films such as the underrated Flesh & Bone and Hard Eight she played earthier characters.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-10 15:45:36
There are many interesting choices on broadwayguy's list. Winslet is the most promising choice IMO.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Broadway Bob* 2012-10-10 16:09:52
Who said it was a recent Oscar winner? I say BARBRA STREISAND!!! I'm kidding! Although in her hey-day she might've been an interesting choice.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-10-10 16:11:25
I'm for Kate as well, from that list, by far.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by americanboy99 2012-10-10 16:18:55
Though I'd be completely pleased by Winslet, Paltrow or Collette (and many of the other names mentioned and not), my first choice, who actually fits this description, is the always delightful Marisa Tomei.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-10 16:41:05
Americanboy, I'd kill to see Marisa Tomei play the Baker's Wife! Talk about someone who can be hilarious, nuanced and bring the right amount of pathos to the role. She has flirted with musicals for a while too and I wonder if maybe she's not the best singer, she was fired from that awful SWEET CHARITY revival (as was her replacement, brilliant Jane Krakowski, so that doesn't mean much about her musical abilities) and she was turned down for Roxie in the CHICAGO film.
My top three choices are three very different actresses: Marisa Tomei (such a great idea, Americanboy), Debra Messing, and Toni Collette. Something tells me it won't be any of them since I'm awful at predicting this sort of thing, but I'm excited.
Something about Kate Winslet as the Baker's Wife, as much as I love her, doesn't excite me as much as so many of the other choices brought up on this thread. Perhaps it's residual damage from the unwatchable CARNAGE film adaptation, but I'd rather see her in an adaptation of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC or as Sally in FOLLIES ten years from now.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-10 16:43:08
Does Tomei sing?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jon 2012-10-10 16:48:21
I heard Krakowski was dumped from Sweet Charity because she said the script was terrible and they should get someone to rewrite it.
Yes, she said this in front of Neil Simon.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 16:53:22
ray, I dream of a world where Kate Winslet and Ewan McGregor star in a film adaptation of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.
To be clear, Tomei wasn't fired from SWEET CHARITY. After she signed on, Walter Bobbie got in a big fight with Barry Weissler about selecting the remaining members of the creative team, which ultimately led to him walking away from the show. By the time Bobbie and Weissler patched things up and he came back on board, Tomei was no longer available, which led to Christina Applegate's involvement.
Jane Krakowski also wasn't fired. She did a workshop of the show and elected not to continue with it after voicing concerns to Neil Simon that she felt many aspects of the book were misogynistic. It was Jenna Elfman who was dropped because of performance concerns, which are the very same reasons she didn't end up in NINE once she went into rehearsal to replace Krakowski as Carla in that show.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-10 16:53:26
Job, there's also a rumor that Krakowski complained about finding a part of the script sexist when they were workshopping the script--one that was largely criticized by critics when the revival opened--and apparently she was fired on the spot by Simon. It sounds like she dodged a major bullet on that one though.
ETA: Somethingwicked, thanks for the really informative post! I find the whole SWEET CHARITY case so fascinating. It's nice to read some clarification on the rumors about Tomei and Krakowski, I remember reading something at the time Krakowski was signed that she was replacing Tomei or Elfman that one of them was fired, I think I just got Elfman and Tomei mixed up. It's also nice to read what actually happened with Jane Krakowski, an urban legend on BWW at the time the revival opened was that Krakowski said: "I won't say this, this is sexist" and Simon responded with "you won't have to," which sounds really juicy but clearly it's not true. Krakowski would have been perfect as Charity but I really wonder how Tomei would have been, it'd be a dream to see her in a musical, she's almost always top notch.
Also, I think I just wet myself at the idea of a Winslet/McGregor SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by somethingwicked 2012-10-10 16:54:31
duplicate.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Wilmingtom 2012-10-10 17:02:59
I'd really like to see the baker and his wife played by somewhat younger actors than the 40-somethings being proposed here. I feel like young and childless is much more compelling.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by kieranbec 2012-10-10 17:25:01
I think that Winslet would make an excellent baker's wife, both in her acting and singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZieXY7eti4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYe-BI66l1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yN5pzfMCl8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vId_4r925o
I have been very impressed by Messing's acting recently. I have not heard her sing other than little clips here and there but she sounds like she has a voice. Both of them have a certain grounded quality that I think would be very effective as the Baker's Wife.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ComingUpRoses2 2012-10-10 17:25:49
I hadn't even thought of Tomei! What a wonderful idea! I remembered hearing that she never got to do Charity, which is a shame. She'd have been perfect for the role, although I quite liked Applegate. It was the production that stunk.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Wilmingtom 2012-10-10 17:31:08
Tomei is almost 50 years old. Doesn't it make her pathetic for still wishing for a child after all these years? We want hopeful in this character.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Phyllis Rogers Stone 2012-10-10 17:37:15
I would think that people would feel more for an older couple wanting a child than a younger one.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-10-10 17:43:07
The production of Charity was awful, but it's a show where I wonder if it ever can really work outside of Fosse's iconic staging (at least the video I've seen of his 80s revival...)
Still, I wonder if Krakowski ever had any words about the material David E Kelley gave her in McBeal..
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Wilmingtom 2012-10-10 17:43:28
Phyllis, I agree, within a certain context. But in this story, I think it's important that this couple have a lot of life to look forward to together.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-10-10 17:44:01
50 may be too old, but I don't like the idea of very young Baker/Wife. They are meant to, IMHO, be a generation or so older than all the younger cast members.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Wilmingtom 2012-10-10 17:54:31
I agree, Eric. I'm thinking mid-30s, when if they don't have a child soon... The stakes are higher.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Someone in a Tree2 2012-10-10 18:30:16
Just having checked out kieranbec's youtubes of Kate-- I don't get her as the Baker's Wife at all frankly. It's very hard to replace the image and voice of Joanna Gleason in my mind, but doesn't the Baker's wife have to be first and foremost a great comedienne? I think Kate can do many things superbly, but being deliciously funny isn't one of them.
Scanning over the choices of Oscar winners, my eye goes to Francis McDormand immediately. Anyone know if she can sing?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by kieranbec 2012-10-10 18:34:01
I also have trouble picturing anyone other than Gleason in the role. My suggestions are just who I think would bring something new to the character. Not sure if McDormand can sing, but she might be an interesting choice.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by broadway guy 2012-10-10 19:05:47
What about Halle Berry? thoughts?!
Sandra Wont do it so my Next choice for Baker's wife is CZJ and Than Kate.
What do you Visualize this movie looking like? I love the idea of this Movie But I feel Like Into The woods does not Lend it self to the screen.Would it be a summer blockbluster or a Serious Oscar contender? Could this be Les Mis all over again ??
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-10 19:30:00
I kinda love Rachel Weisz as the Baker's Wife. Can she even sing?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by JeanGudio 2012-10-10 19:44:22
Nicole Kidman ???
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Starship 2012-10-10 20:00:38
Miranda Sings.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jon 2012-10-10 22:17:55
Frances McDormand is in her mid 50's.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by undercoveractor 2012-10-10 23:49:04
I still think that Melissa McCarthy would be fantastic....her singing I do not know about though.
Toni Colette would KILL it! Knock it out of the Park!! Her performance in THE WILD PARTY is still one of my favorites of all time, and I pray that she will someday come back to NY in another great piece.
Gwyneth Paltrow is actually capable of being very, very funny. She was very impressive on SNL several years ago.
And the mention of Maya Rudolph was also an inspired idea. I bet that she could be pretty fantastic as well.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Renart 2012-10-11 09:42:18
Linda Hunt?
Luise Rainer?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-11 11:35:54
Linda Hunt as Jack's mother or, better yet, the voice of the Giant (wink!), is a first rate idea.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Kad 2012-10-11 12:34:35
Nicole Kidman, hm. She did attend the performance in the Park.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Brave Sir Robin2 2012-10-11 12:55:55
Ooh, Maya Rudolph. Or Kristen Wiig....hmmm...
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by dreaming 2012-10-11 12:59:05
I don't see Kidman as the Baker's Wife at all. She lacks the earthy element needed. She's more in the Witch mold but I hope she doesn't play it. I'm less than enthused about her singing.
I'd like to see what Rachel Weisz would do with it, actually. Kate Winslet would also interest me.
I know she has no chance, but Carla Gugino talked in an interview recently about doing singing (apparently she can indeed sing) and how she wants to do a Sondheim. She's quite talented and would be a fine choice.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by someone.else's.story2 2012-10-11 14:52:35
My first guess is Kidman and I actually think she would be good. If you've seen ant of her extremely indie films, she often surprises with the range she has. That would be really interesting. I'm just glad it won't be Arienda.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Gothampc 2012-10-11 15:20:40
Glenn Close. I overheard her at Sbarro's the other day saying "If Streisand can play Gypsy, I can play Baker's Wife. If I have to open my checkbook, I will."
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Gothampc 2012-10-11 15:26:47
Um, hello? I will have my Les Miz Oscar by the time this goes to filming. I will win an Oscar because who can refuse awarding a consumptive, dying mother who takes to whoring and makes herself look ugly for a role?
--Anne Hathaway
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-11 15:48:18
No one has yet mentioned Cate Blanchett (at least I don't think anyone has). An extremely interesting choice.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-11 15:50:42
I have ... and I agree!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by dreaming 2012-10-11 15:55:39
Blanchett doesn't scream Baker's Wife to me in any way. (And I really adore her-she's a personal favorite. Maybe as the Witch.)
Vocally, Anne Hathaway is a Cinderella. She's too old for the role now, sadly. (She'd have been perfect in that role, too.)
I stand by my desire to see Rachel Weisz or Kate Winslet play the role. Either one could be amazing. (I do think Carla Gugino could be very strong as well. But, I think they want more of an A-lister.)
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-11 15:58:48
Sorry best12. I disagree dreaming. I think she would be very funny, warm and bring a Gleason-caliber irony to it. And word is she can sing.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Gothampc 2012-10-11 15:59:43
Susan Boyle for the Giant's Wife
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by nasty_khakis 2012-10-11 16:08:25
Lots of these names would/could be great, but deep down I REALLY want Nina Arianda to continue on with the project. She could be utterly glorious.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by dreaming 2012-10-11 16:15:59
nasty-I said this awhile back to someone. I think she is a very gifted comedienne and I guess she can sing (she's going to play Joplin). But, they'll likely get a blockbuster name (and who knows, it could be someone really amazing-just because they're A-list doesn't mean they aren't talented).
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-11 18:13:32
What I like most about Blanchett is that she has that I won't take any crap from anyone thing that, among so many other things, made Gleason's performance so wonderful.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Someone in a Tree2 2012-10-11 18:26:40
Much as I love Cate Blanchett, how can someone that obviously beautiful play being shocked by the Prince's overtures to her? Doesn't "Moments in the Wood" depend on her being just an average everyday girl?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-11 19:11:36
At first I really resisted the idea of Blanchett, but Henrik's comparison to Joanna Gleason made me think that Blanchett might be able to find humor in the most surprising moments the way Gleason so beautifully did. She's someone that I'd be happy to see either as the Witch or as the Baker's Wife. I wonder if she'd be hesitant to get involved in another fantasy film with THE HOBBIT coming out during the holidays but the Sondheim factor might interest her.
I love Nicole Kidman and her performance in MOULIN ROUGE defines the term "star turn," she's mesmerizing in every way in that film (and in so many others, she's one of the best actresses of her generation) but I completely agree she lacks the earthiness necessary to make the Baker's Wife work, and I'm not sure she'd be particularly funny as the Witch either. Besides, I doubt she's dying to revisit the NINE experience, she also seemed very self-depricating when talking about her singing voice so I wonder if she'd even be interested in singing Sondheim after she was so heavily criticized for NINE.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-11 19:13:23
Much as I love Cate Blanchett, how can someone that obviously beautiful play being shocked by the Prince's overtures to her? Doesn't "Moments in the Wood" depend on her being just an average everyday girl?
Oh, please. Cate can take the makeup off and darken her hair and get just as "plain" as (at least) Kate Winslet or some of these other Oscar beauties.
The Hollywood version of "plain." Just like Mare Winningham is the "fat girl" in St. Elmo's Fire, weighing in at 135.
You've seen Cate in "The Gift," right?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jordan Catalano 2012-10-11 19:18:45
Oooooooh I love that movie. Only movie that ever made me actually throw my popcorn in the air from being so scared!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by best12bars 2012-10-11 19:20:51
St. Elmo's Fire?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-11 22:08:37
I also don't think that Joanna Gleason was unattractive in any way, she was clearly dressed down for the production, however, part of what made her so good was that in costume she looked like a "regular person" which worked really well when she was opposite someone like Bernadette Peters or even Kim Crosby. They need to cast someone who can play down her movie star looks, Blanchett, Collette, and Tomei have done it plenty of times, people like Kidman, Paltrow, Weisz, and some of the other struggle a bit more in that department.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by chris d 2012-10-11 22:36:22
ten years ago I would've said Emma Thompson... maybe ten years from now Anna Paquin could rock it??
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-11 22:46:47
Could the oscar winner referred to be Paquin?
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by americanboy99 2012-10-12 00:31:20
OOOOHHHH, henrikegerman! An inspired guess!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by FishermanBob 2012-10-12 01:52:18
Gotta be Whoopi Goldberg fo sho!
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by Jordan Catalano 2012-10-12 01:58:16
Helen Hunt would be fantastic in this role, I think.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by henrikegerman 2012-10-12 08:57:30
Hunt is an excellent idea acting wise. She's funny, warm and biting.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ComingUpRoses2 2012-10-12 12:54:56
God, there's so many great choices on this thread. I'd be happy with any one of these ladies.
An Oscar-winning A-List actress...
Posted by ray-andallthatjazz86 2012-10-12 13:28:15
I know! I feel like the conclusion of this thread is that pretty much any Oscar winning A-list actress would be great for this project in one way or another.
