Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Great actresses can pull of a variety of identities, but perhaps the most intriguing role to watch an actress portray is a woman who shares her profession. While plenty of great performers have portrayed (and received great acclaim) for playing other famous actresses (Cate Blanchett winning her first Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator comes to mind), it’s even more exciting to see an actress take on the role of a completely fictional woman who shares her talent (or, at times, doesn’t possess a shred of it). Ranging from broad to nuanced, from comic to dramatic, these ten women portrayed other actresses on stage and screen in sometimes iconic, career-defining roles that shed a light on the multi-layered process of crafting another character.
Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in 'Sunset Blvd.'
In the two hours leading up to that classic line, Gloria Swanson all but chews and swallows the scenery as the faded silent film star Norma Desmond, a Hollywood recluse whose delusions of grandeur have her convinced she’s on the verge of a massive comeback in Billy Wilder’s gripping film noir. [Where to stream Sunset Blvd.]
Julianne Moore as Havana Segrand in 'Maps to the Stars'
David Cronenberg’s dark satire of Hollywood stars Julianne Moore in the all-too-familiar role: the aging actress. Suddenly at a career point where she has fewer and fewer roles coming her way, Havana Segrand takes a gig in a remake of a classic movie, taking on the role made famous by her mother — the ghost of whom haunts her daydreams and nightmares. [Where to stream Maps to the Stars]
Bette Davis as Margo Channing in 'All About Eve'
Bette Davis gives the performance of her career in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s biting dramedy as Margo Channing, a Broadway star whose off-stage persona is as over-the-top as the one she delivers for audiences every night. But the comfortable world she knows on- and off-stage begins to crumble when an obsessive fan comes into her live and starts climbing up the social ladder in an effort to become a star of her own. [Where to stream All About Eve]
Gena Rowlands as Myrtle Gordon in 'Opening Night'
A Broadway star prepares for her newest role, but struggles to connect with her character as she, herself, struggles to deal with her age. To make matters worse, she witnesses the accidental death of a fan during a pursuit for her autograph, which shakes her to her core and disrupts her sanity. Gena Rowlands delivers a powerhouse performance in her husband John Cassavettes’ behind-the-scenes showbiz drama. [Where to stream Opening Night]
Meryl Streep as Suzanne Vale in 'Postcards From the Edge'
Meryl Streep earned one of her whopping 19 Oscar nominations as Suzanne Vale, a just-OK actress who’s not just dealing with a rocky love life, a tepid career, and a drug addiction — she’s also got her famous mother (played by Shirley MacLaine), whose legacy will always eclipse her own. This showbiz dramedy is based on Carrie Fisher’s autobiographical novel. [Where to stream Postcards From the Edge]
Naomi Watts as Betty Elms in 'Mulholland Drive'
David Lynch’s mind-bending neo-noir stars a young Naomi Watts as a fresh-faced Canadian expat who arrives in Hollywood with dreams of her face on the silver screen and her name in lights. But when she meets a mysterious woman who suffers from amnesia, she becomes embroiled in a whodunit of sorts in which nothing — and no one — is what it seems. [Where to stream Mulholland Drive]
Juliette Binoche as Maria Enders in 'Clouds of Sils Maria'
Juliette Binoche stars as Maria, a middle-aged French actress who is cast in the revival of the famous play that started her career. The catch: instead of playing the young woman who becomes the infatuation of — and harbinger of doom for — an older woman, she’s asked to portray the woman whose obsession destroys her life. As she prepares for the role, Maria has an identity crisis of her own as she must re-examine her character — and herself — for the first time. [Where to stream Clouds of Sils Maria]
Judy Garland as Esther Blodgett in 'A Star Is Born'
Judy Garland stars alongside James Mason in this remake of the classic 1937 drama about a washed-up actor who helps break a young ingénue into the film industry — and falls in love with her in the process. This movie musical also features one of Garland’s most famous show-stopping tunes, “The Man That Got Away.” [Where to stream A Star Is Born]
Maggie Cheung as Herself in 'Irma Vep'
International icon Maggie Cheung plays the toughest role of her career — herself — in her then-husband Olivier Assayas’ rumination on contemporary French cinema. Cheung is cast in the film-within-a-film as a sexy, latex-wearing burglar. While she works to understand her character, the film shoot around her falls into ruin in a self-referential comment on France’s place in current cinema. [Where to stream Irma Vep]
Sally Field as Celeste Talbert in 'Soapdish'
As aging soap opera star Celeste Talbert, Sally Field delivers one of the most underrated performances of her career. Sure, she cries and shouts and overacts (just like any daytime soap actress would), but the true impressive feat here is Field’s pitch-perfect comedic timing and the ability to poke fun at her own profession with such gusto. [Where to stream Soapdish]
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