People often have issues with film, TV and theatre in which the cast is all female. I say “people” because I mean people. I have heard this sentiment expressed by both men and women. Men and women I respect and care about. It is not an opinion I have heard expressed about all male productions. And all the time audience members are commenting on this, female actors are complaining about the lack of interesting roles available for women. Yep. I am one of those actors.
Before I go any further, I have a couple of super quick anecdotes for you:
1 – I’m a member of a co-operative agency, and once, when one of the members went to see a drama school show, to watch some applicants perform, in his evaluation of the performances, he commented that it was difficult to judge the male applicants from that particular show, because the director had reversed the gender of the cast, and as a result “they didn’t have that much to do”… I wonder if he would have thought the same had it been a straightforward, traditional casting, and he’d been asked to judge the women? It’s not impossible, but it is something that is so commonplace, I’m not sure anyone, male or female, would have given it a second thought.
And the next one…
2 – I’ve been doing a thing recently, about women… it is a different project for a different platform, so I’m not going to go on about it here, but it basically involves celebrating women. In doing this, I have, on one or two occasions, been challenged, or questioned, about my choices of who and what to celebrate. I’m not going to bore on about who, why and when…. but I have been thinking a lot about people’s need to let me know that they disagree with me about these women. To tell me, a woman, that I am wrong to value certain traits in other women. You get used to being told you’re wrong, or that you don’t understand. I’ve recently had a twenty-something year old guy explain to me how I should be doing feminism. And for that, I am very grateful. Turns out I’ve been doing it wrong for 40 years. SILLY ME! Anyway… that is a different passive aggressive post, for a different time.
Where was I?
Ah yes. Women.
Women are human. We are flawed. Some of us more than others, I’ll give you that. But throughout history men (mainly the rich white ones) have been forgiven their flaws if their achievements have been seen as important. Maybe not always forgiven, but the good things they have achieved, have not been completely erased by their crimes. Women, have never been allowed redemption as easily as that. Women have to be perfect, or we are not interested in any positive achievement.
And that is what is often shown on screen. And in the press. And in literature.
Love us or Loathe us.
Literally.
Virgin or Whore. Saint or Sinner.
Pure or Tainted.
Male characters can be both damaged, and heroes. Both sensitive, and warriors. Both ugly, and sexy.
And that is a lot more interesting for a viewer to watch. Why? Because it’s real.
So, on International Women’s Day, I thought I’d tell you a bit about someone who has 40 years of experience of being a woman.
So here are some things about ME:
I have SO much empathy. Too much. I’m one of those sad wankers who will cry along with you. I can’t help myself. Sorry.
I cannot empathise with people who have no empathy.
I HATE the fashion and beauty industries dictating to women how they need to look to be allowed to consider themselves beautiful.
I love clothes, and red lipstick makes me feel like I’m ready to go into battle.
I cannot bear to see people being bullied or targeted.
If you bully or hurt someone I love, I will hunt you down and rip you a new one with more venom and aggression than I care to admit I’m capable of.
I am not scared of spiders, bees, insects or snakes.
I am so terrified of pigeons that just being in the same area as one makes me hyperventilate.
I love cheese. I love cake.
I FUCKING HATE CHEESECAKE.
I make a decided effort to eat healthily.
I drink too much alcohol.
I am an actor, who wants to work.
I pretty much ALWAYS prefer the book to the movie.
I feel very strongly about freedom of religion.
I’m an atheist, and all religion makes me feel VERY uncomfortable.
I am pretty rubbish at all sports.
I am one of the most fiercely competitive people you are ever likely to meet.
I am a ridiculously optimistic pessimist.
bla….bla….bla… bla…
The list goes on… as, I’m sure, it does for you. Male or female.
Are all women like me? No, of course not. What an exhausting, depressing place the world would be if they were.
But it would be so much more interesting to watch people who are a little bit more complex, and not just there to serve to enhance the male characters: the mother for him to worship, the wife for him to rescue, the whore for him to save… we’re a bit over those roles, to be perfectly honest with you.
Are we getting more real women to watch, and to play? Yes we are… but to misquote that famous misogynist, Charles Dickens…
“Please, Miss, we want some more”
This post was originally published as ‘The Anxious Actor”
My Name is Not Debbie 