An Oscar-winning A-List actress...

[bobs3]

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.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Kevin Spacey?

[undercoveractor]

Natalie Portman? Marion Cotillard? Hilary Swank? Kate Winslet? Renee Zelwegger? Rachel Weisz? Cate Blanchett? CZJ?

[ClumsyDude15]

Oprah?

[undercoveractor]

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.

[chewy5000]

Julie Andrews?

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Kate Winslet would be marvelous. And, honestly, I could live with Gwyneth Paltrow.

[Musicaldudepeter]

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).

[Jon]

Reese Witherspoon.

[best12bars]

Cloris Leachman

[Will42]

I guess it's Renee Zelwegger.

[wickedfan]

Mo'Nique.

[henrikegerman]

The W list: Witherspoon, Weisz and Winslet would all be very good choices.

[somethingwicked]

Reese Witherspoon was the first person I thought of when I read this, and she'd be absolutely delightful in the role.

[newintown]

Faye Dunaway!

[Jon]

[BrodyFosse123]

Oprah?

Oprah ain'ts gots no Oscar. She wuz only nominated for THE COLOR PURPLE. Bitch lost, yo!

[everythingtaboo]

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).

[BrodyFosse123]

... is actively campaigning for the role of The Baker's Wife in the INTO THE WOODS film.

Its for the film adaptation, genius.

[ucjrdude902]

J-Hud?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

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).

[somethingwicked]

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.

[CurtainPullDowner]

rayandallthat... You are absolutely correct, when The BW is prettier than Cindy it don't make no sense.

[Calvin]

It's Olivia de Havilland, with Joan Fontaine doing Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees.

[Marianne2]

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.

[Musicaldudepeter]

CZG is Witch material, definitely too sultry for the Baker's Wife.

Maya Rudolph would also be great as Baker's Wife.