How do you rate Joanne Woodward as an actress?

She's no Jo Anne Worley.

Good grief, he was so beautiful.....

Not a huge fan. She had a very forgettable face and a bit of an ice queen vibe about her, but I did like her in Rachel Rachel - she and Estelle Parsons were amazing in that movie. And I never bought her and Paul Newman as a happy couple.

Very committed actress, gave some lovely, memorable performances. She definitely improved with age, with greater authority and gravity.

Where Joanne failed is largely where Paul succeeded so memorably: she is a fine actress, but wasn't a very good movie star.

As a young actress, she not only lacked glamor, she actively resisted it. (This is a woman who designed and SEWED--yes, hand made--her own dress for the Academy Awards in 1957.) She was certainly pretty enough--she'd won some beauty pageants as a teenage--but perhaps it was her experience in theatre (on Bway and elsewhere that made her mistrust Hollywood's notion of glamor. But think of how many of her contemporaries she outlasted.

At any rate, at age 87, she's dealing with failing health and Alzheimer's. Whatever her love with Newman was about, it certainly stood over time. I don't think he would have prevailed through the decades without her.

PS: she's around 45 here, ca. 1975. No longer trying to play the 50's studio starlet.

And she's gorgeous.

Meh.

Excellent yes!

Biggest secret in Hollywood.

How does her Amanda rate?

Another character actress groomed to be a Leading Lady. She's best when she's playing a dingy slattern.

R4, Sue Menger's pants, I love your posts. Thank you for contributing.

I always enjoyed her.

Fifties' faux beatnik loving the good life with a B- talent. I liked her but she was not irreplaceable in anything she was in, including her supposedly signature roles.

She's great in "Three Faces of Eve". Btw, there was a similar film "LIzzie" starring DL fave Eleanor Parker with that theme of split personality released around that time in 1957. Did anyone see it? Is it supposed to be any good?

I *like* her as an actress, but I LOVE her voice.

She seemed bland, and, for me, it permeated all her performances. She also looked bland, and that was exacerbated whenever she was with her husband......

Bless your heart, R11.

I usually feel like I'm screaming into the void, but that's never stopped me.

Yes. Wonderful actress.

I always got the sense she could take or leave Hollywood success and would be just as happy doing regional theater or Broadway. With her Oscar win coming at a young age much was expected but she really didn't have another critical hit and another Oscar nom with Rachel Rachel directed by Newman no less.

She pretty much turned to tv in the late 70s there on and won two Emmys. She's virtually a specialist at playing the every woman and I've always been a big fan.

Meant to say another critical hit until 10 years later with Rachel Rachel ^^^

One of those who I didnt mind watching,but wouldnt seek her out.

r15, yes!....Age of Innocence ...

Joanne Woodward was great at getting to psychological makeup of a character. It's key to her greatness. It's not difficult to understand.

Some memorable (if possibly overlooked) Joanne performances:

MR. AND MRS. BRIDGE (1990)

THE SHADOW BOX (1980)

SYBIL (1976). Not really overlooked: the ratings and critical attention were HUGE.

A very down-to-earth, no-nonsense actress who excelled at non-glamorous roles. I agree with the poster who said she was a better actress than movie star. In a way, she had the film career Kim Stanley might have had if Stanley hadn't been so nuts (regardless of her major talent).

One of her best roles IMO is in a film from 1963 called THE STRIPPER, based on a William Inge piece. The film itself is just OK, but she's quite wonderful in it.

"How does her Amanda rate?"

It's good, but not outstanding. None of the Amandas on film are great, though I will say that Lawrence was better than I would have expected.

"Btw, there was a similar film "LIzzie" starring DL fave Eleanor Parker with that theme of split personality released around that time in 1957. Did anyone see it? Is it supposed to be any good?"

It's low-rent THREE FACES, and frankly Parker does her usual melodramatic performance. Some find it effective (not me). Woodward showed more restraint in EVE.

I love her upper-class NYC ice queen Rita in "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams." Sylvia Sydney, as her mother, is literally dying on the sidewalk in front of her and is incredulous at Rita's utter lack of compassion and warmth towards her in that moment. If I recall correctly, one or both of them, had just seen a Bergman film.

She's terrific in the HBO min-series EMPIRE FALLS (also with Newman).

Recently I watched THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS... on TCM and was surprised how bad the writing was in that piece. Woodward gave her all for such a negative, angry character, and Newman's direction is as good as such material could want, but it just shows how the Pulitzer can be so ill-deserved.

Is HE wearing a caftan in OP's pic?

R27 Empire Falls was her last film project. With the Alzheimer's I guess that's the last we will see of her. Sad.

She made a TV movie about 35 years ago called I Remember Love, in which she plays a professor who is hit with Alzheimers. I think she said it was a tribute to her mother, who had it.

Joanne Woodward won the Oscar early in her career but after that the only way she could go was down - she couldn't really seem to pull it off again.

She wasn't beautiful, which didn't help, and she was vastly overshadowed by her very handsome, more famous husband, Paul Newman. They made a number of movies together but didn't do that well at the box office.

She WAS a good actress but her career peaked relatively early and she did TV and made for TV movies. Will never be regarded as one of the greats (like her hubby).

Yes, always enjoyed her work!

Joanne Woodward won the Oscar early in her career but after that the only way she could go was down - she couldn't really seem to pull it off again.

She received three more Oscar noms and won two Emmys. I think she did fine.

R10 I never liked her after that. Her character yells "faggot" at a neighbor, and Woodford improvised that, it was not in the source material. Given her life, I found that bizarre.

R31, what does that have to do with the price of eggs? Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck weren't great beauties either, but they, like Joanne, possessed a photogenic quality. I absolutely loved her in "From the Terrace"...she was a wonderful actress. And had she been as big a star as Paul, no way would they have stayed together.

Yes R33, but I bet she's not as handsome and successful as R31, who will ALWAYS be regarded as one of the greats.

I haven't seen it in many years, but I remember being quite fond of They Might Be Giants.

Yes she's a very talented actress. She now lives a very quiet life on her estate somewhere in Connecticut I believe. Very talented thespian.

I remember seeing her on The Phil Donahue Show a number of times and she was very chatty and well informed. I was impressed just by listening to her.

I remember that Joanne was in Tom Hanks big movie Philadelphia (for which he won the Oscar). I believe she played his mother. She had a very small role in it (by that time she was no longer seen as a big screen star) but she did very well in her own way. I remember her crying at Tom's character's death at the end. It was quite moving.

R37, I loved Giants, and all the location shooting. I'm not sure the "madness as nonconformity" theme completely worked, but that's okay. And she was in A Fine Madness, about a wild NY poet.

I think her first film was "Count Three and Pray," with Van Heflin. She said he was helpful to her.

How would I rate her? As actress, B+. As a person, A.

The only thing I have ever seen her in is 'The Long Hot Summer,' I guess I have some catching up to do.

She was a hoot in From the Terrace, which was, despite being based on a rather rigid John O'Hara novel and having less than stellar reviews, a financial hit. So not all the Joanne and Paul collaborations were bombs. She picked the role as the nympho socialite and ran with, wish ash blonde hair (thanks to Clairol) and a wardrobe by Travilla!

An excellent actress, but never a "star?" But so what? She won and Oscar and was highly respected for her talent. And she was married to Paul Newman! Theirs was truly one of the great Hollywood love stories. You can tell just by looking at pictures of them that they were genuinely in love with each other, always so playful and affectionate. And they stayed married until death did them part.

In The Fugitive Kind, she's this pale wraith of a rich boho girl. Theres a scene with Brando, where she keeps saying, "let me, let me," which is quite erotic (Wouldn't we all say that to young Brando?).

They was such a terpsichorean couple they was......

[QUOTE]Will never be regarded as one of the greats (like her hubby).

Please list one significant accomplishment you've made in your entire lifetime.

What has the world come to when Joanne Woodward has haters?

Joan Crawford despised her because she had no glamour. She was horrified and made fun of her homemade Oscar dress.

She should've won a 2nd Oscar for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams. That was the year Glenda Jackson won her second Oscar for the weak comedy A Touch of Class.

Jackson also beat Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist and Babs in The Way We Were, both of whom were more deserving.

You wanna talk about homely actresses? Glenda Fucking Jackson!!! She was always ugly and unglamorous.

She was completely freaking out at the idea of having a gay son in "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams." And the "gays" are so beyond stereotypical in that movie. I think she imagines one of them flouncing about in a ballet outfit!

The pic at r48 is the gayest pic of Paul Newman I've ever seen...

I only saw one of her movies on TV when I was a kid. I will read over this thread but I got the sense that she was in a lot of dated movies.

Mostly, I wanted to say I love OP's linked photo. The pose, the colors, the closeness.

Paul Newman shirtless and hugging a pillow in The Long, Hot Summer is all you need to see from that film. Who was the female lead?...

"Joan Crawford despised her because she had no glamour. She was horrified and made fun of her homemade Oscar dress."

Joan was just jealous because Woodward was a more talented actress than she was. And she was married to Paul Newman! That must have also made Joan jealous as hell.

Or maybe Joan wanted to dive underneath Joanne's homemade Oscar gown 😉

"Lizzie" is watchable as camp but not a great film. I found it entertaining, though. There's also a fun cameo from Johnny Mathis ("It's Not For Me To Say" was written for the film). You can get it from the Warner Archive if you are interested.

Good actress and won an Oscar. But didn't really have that something special that will make her remembered like other film giants.

Had she not been married to the dazzling Paul Newman she wouldn't have got at least half the attention that she did.

Some magazines, including the tabloids, simply refer to her as Paul Newman's wife/widow.

Yes, Joanne had Paul and Joan had......a Pepsi bottle.

Another reason she never became a huge star is her dull-sounding name. She should have picked some catchy stage name when she started in the bussines.

I waited on her in a store,a very long time ago. So polite and pleasant, as was Paul. So nice.

She was very intelligent, very politically active and made a perfect partner for Paul who at one point had political ambitions.

She was a very fine actress, never a movie star type but a great character actress. Loved her and Paul in Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. I remember seeing her with Jason Robards in a film Big Hand for the Little Lady. She played a con artist. Very good film.

Leave Joanne alone!

Just watched Newman and Woodward in PARIS BLUES (61). On-screen, at least, they didn't generate a lot of sexual heat together (notwithstanding the Code).

she was excellent in acting like Paul wasn't diddling with men....

I'd bet she's had a dip in the lady pond.....

"On screen they didnt generate...a lot of sexual,heat."

Watch Long Hot Summer

Both she and Paul radiated kindness.

If you watch Long Hot Summer, be ready to mute when Lee Remmick's character plays that godawful annoying record.

Lee Remick can do no wrong!

Weren't both gay/bi?

R74 The DL likes to think so, so we can claim Paul Newman. However, there is zero proof of anything other than wishful thinking.

Fantastic actress and even better human being. As mentioned previously, an actress with no interest in being a movie star. Both have their place, but I wish there were more Joanne Woodwards around now. We need them.

Frances McDormand springs to mind as a modern Woodward. Consistently working, consistently brilliant, not interested in all the side crap.

[QUOTE]Frances McDormand springs to mind as a modern Woodward. Consistently working, consistently brilliant, not interested in all the side crap.

Very on-point comparison. Also, as a side note, I think McDormand will be nominated this year for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."

I liked In Bruges, but I am so sick of swearing and rude aggressive people in real life and in TV and movies that I think I will skip that. It did not seem funny from that clip either.

R78, are you drunk again, Mary?

All I saw was Joanne and thought that maybe we were finally going to have a thread on Joanne Worley.

R80 Is that a chicken joke??!!

Interesting and quirky at the beginning of her career in No Down Payment, The Long Hot Summer and 3 Faces of Eve but she became increasingly boring and dreary as she aged into middle age.

Lovely woman though. I worked with her back in the 1980s.

Well, she had only NICE things to say about you!

R50 Not everyone worships celebrities, Rosie.

Love her, as an actress and as a person. Paul and Joanne both supported gay rights before it was common for stars (even very liberal ones) to do so.

"Lizzie" was on TCM three or four months ago. It was interesting, but not nearly as good as "The Three Faces of Eve." I liked Parker, but my favorite part was Joan Blondell as her trashy alcoholic aunt.

There was an Eleanor Parker day on TCM a few days ago but I don't think Lizzie was shown.

Joanne had a similar career to Frances McDormand, it's true. Neither worked frenetically, both were actresses who didn't want to be movie stars and seemed to frequently semi-retire to look after their kids.

R85 Because of their closeness to Gore Vidal, lest we forget. And I'm sure Paul had dabbled at the Actor's Studio. I mean, Woodward was engaged to Vidal at one point.

Joanne Woodward played a character with similarities to her own persona in "A New Kind of Love". Woodward is a somewhat unglamorous fashion designer for a company that makes knock-offs for middle America. Paul Newman is a journalist who wouldn't look at her twice but when she disguises herself and pretends to be a glamourous prostitute he becomes infatuated with her. Cute movie.

McDormand strikes me as more quirky than Woodward ever was. Also, McDormand looks like she's pissed off most of the time, especially at award shows. To me someone like Laura Linney is closer to Woodward (minus the Oscar), than McDormand (and Linney is a lovely person as well).

R65, I was about to recommend A Big Hand for the Little Lady, and I'm glad someone else enjoyed it. She is excellent in it, and if you can get past the sixties beehives and winged eye-liner make-up in what's supposed to be 1800's Wild West, you'll find a movie as enjoyable as her husband's The Sting.

Bump

My sentiments exactly, r2...

Just a guess, r75 is a straight woman.