The Older Actress

I've been looking at women from the 1960's who would now be in the 60's & 70's for this role in a short film I wrote. These are women I had enormous crushes on when I was in my 30's. Beautiful sex kittens then, a bit...rough now. I wonder...how exactly do I approach them about playing a character who is essentially lived her life and made bad decisions and ultimately came out the end...vindicated yet still exists in a drug induced fog. It's not roles many women this generation find flattering.

Among the women I have looked at Joey Heatherton. The only reason her name popped up was that she was mentioned by Moe in "The Simpsons." She is stunning when she was in her 20's. But a hard life has made her look a bit defeated by life. It's not bad, since we all are going to be there someday. But for this role, there still has to be the redemptive part. I don't know if she has this quality anymore. I think she just wants to disappear. There is an interesting anecdote about her ex-husband was found with a teenager. He was a professional football player. I think this sent her sideways.

Joey Heatherton

I researched Joanna Cassidy. Coincidentally, I was just watching "Northern Exposure" again when she popped up in a guest appearance as a deep woods tomboy-ish under-sexed lumberjack who's husband had just died and had to accompany Maurice & Holling to bury him in the outskirts of Alaska. She is hilarious. And I think she would have the quality I'd like. Except...I doubt she wants to play this troubled of a person. I recall her being in "Blade Runner" where she man-handles Harrison Ford and shows off her amazing body. To note: she still has that amazing body.

Speaking of "Northern Exposure" I considered Janine Turner as well. She is a beauty. But digging a little deeper, she is somewhat of a insane right winger. Usually when someone in Hollywood is this way they are ostracized by the liberal community. Really unfair since she's incredibly talented. One gets the feeling that the "liberal wackos" within the entertainment business turned her this way. Or her Texas background. Either way, it may be difficult considering most of whom I recruit from Los Angeles tend not to tolerate conservatives. I also get the feeling that the plot line of having a prescription medication abuse issue may not sit well with her political position.

And the list goes on...

...but I hope you get my point. Casting for this age group...I'm not certain what the diplomatic approach would be. A few years back a producer friend once told me "Don't ever put that the character is "aging" or "old"...older actors HATE this."

I'm not sure why. It's not like they'll be fresh faced sex kittens. I think they should embrace it.