Hookers, Victims & Doormats*, casting couch, hookers, victims & doormats, actresses, hollywood...

Starlet Rosamind Pike To Suffer As Vain Surrogate

*Inspired by Shirley MacLaine's assertion that the best parts for actresses fall into one of the above categories.

Along with playing the ubiquitous hooker, victim or doormat character, actresses are often pegged playing "the wife of," or "the mistress of," or even "the best friend of", especially in films that aren't specifically directed at women. Unless they are starring in a rom-com or a movie that is somehow centered around shoe-shopping, actresses in mainstream films are most often seen in some sort of role that supports the main actor. The newest casting announcements out of Hollywood prove that: most were almost entirely supporting roles, and there were even some hookers and doormats in there to keep things spicy! After the jump, Rosamund Pike fears aging and sticks with the surrogate-obsessed pack in a sci-fi thriller, and Camilla Belle fools around with a dreamy (but much older) Vincent Cassel in a new Brazilian coming-of-age film.

• Rosamund Pike, The Surrogates: In this sci-fi police thriller based on the graphic novel of the same name, Pike portrays the wife of a cop (played by Bruce Willis) investigating the corrupt world of life-surrogates that this future society depends on. In the story, Willis' character grows increasingly critical of depending on surrogates while Pike's character sticks to the cultural norm for fear of growing (and looking) older. Verdict: Doormat, while she may be defying her husband, her character represents the follow-the-herd mentality of the future society and the vanity of women.

• Camilla Belle, Adrift: This Brazilian movie set in the 1980s centers around a 14-year-old girl who learns about the infidelities of her father, played by (sigh) Vincent Cassel, as she experiences her own sexual awakening. Belle is slated to play a young woman that is having an affair with Cassel's character. Verdict: while we don't know much about her character, the fact she plays a young woman sleeping with an older, married man has the potential to be either a hooker or doormat.

• Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench, Nine: It's another movie based on a musical based on a movie! This film is based on the musical adaptation of Fellini's classic 8 1/2 and Kidman and Dench are in talks to join a cast that already includes Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, and Sophia Loren. The movie follows a film director as he juggles the demands of different women in his life. Verdict: Since details of their characters have yet to be released, we will have to hold off on judgment.

• Mary Lynn Rajskub, Julie & Julia: This film is based on the "true life" tale of a woman named Julie (played by Amy Adams) who blogged about cooking all of the recipes in Julia Child's famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cuisine, in the space of one calendar year. The film will also focus on Julia Child's personal life, played by Meryl Streep. Rajskub will play Julie's best friend. Verdict: While there is little information on the character, this movie sounds like it will be one big snooze-fest (a film about blogging can only be boring, trust.) And best friend roles are usually wither so secondary they aren't noticeable or they turn into doormats for the lead character's plot line.

"Bruce Willis Starrer 'Surrogates' Adds Cast" [Hollywood Reporter]
"Camilla Belle Is Cast 'Adrift'" [Hollywood Reporter]
"Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench Eye 'Nine'" [The Hollywood Reporter]
"Rajskub Joins 'Julia' Cast" [The Hollywood Reporter]

4:40 PM on Fri Apr 4 2008
4,017 views
32 comments

Comments

not.a.clever.name at 04:46 PM on 04/04/08
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Can you fix the open italic HTML? I say this with a big loving otter smooch!
AbbyNormal at 04:49 PM on 04/04/08
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The italics are making me dizzy. And a remake of a Fellini film? I think that would be all three options in one character. But with zest.
Bellzaboo at 04:50 PM on 04/04/08
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I adored Rosamind Pike in the Pride & Prejudice with KK, but man, was her character completely pointless and annoying in Fracture .
Jezebabe at 04:50 PM on 04/04/08
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Did you know? Rosamund Pike graduated with high honors from Oxford...it's true!!!!! sigh...
langtry at 04:51 PM on 04/04/08
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Seriously. Only in the movies would a woman who looks like Rosamund Pike be married to a cop, let alone one played by Bruce Willis. I mean it: look at her!
BowlingForDollars at 04:52 PM on 04/04/08
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I want to save Rosamund Pike from her doormat status and whisk her as well as Emily Blunt away for the weekend!
foree k. at 04:56 PM on 04/04/08
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i want vincent cassel ever so badly...mmm
TheGintheCity at 04:59 PM on 04/04/08
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Rosamund Pike is soooooo pretty.
@foree krasinski: I am DVR'ing Ocean's Twelve this weekend solely for Vincent Cassel. Hott.
AllThatYaz at 04:59 PM on 04/04/08
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That Julie and Julia book sucked and I blame it for the annoying trend of people doing X for a year and then getting a book deal out of it. And movie deal.
Jezebabe at 04:59 PM on 04/04/08
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@Jezebabe...is a stern and angry midget!!!!: seriously:

[en.wikipedia.org]

[www.imdb.com]
not.a.clever.name at 05:00 PM on 04/04/08
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@BowlingForDollars: Who is this Rosamund Pike and why do I not know about her, in spite of her gorgeous face and fabulous name?

Also, I'm pumped about Julie and Julia. But I love food and Julia Child.
foree k. at 05:05 PM on 04/04/08
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@TheGintheCity: omg.yes. you are a smart woman. When im sick i make my hubs rent the ocean's movies, they speed up my recovery
effeteaesthete at 05:05 PM on 04/04/08
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@langtry: Aww, come on - Bruce Willis may not be "hot" but he's an awesome actor and has been in some great movies. "Unbreakable" is one of my faves.
Eeva at 05:09 PM on 04/04/08
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@a.clever.otter is cheering for the Tar Heels: She was in Pride & Prejudice - and is engaged to the director, Joe Wright - and was a Bond Girl when Pierce Brosnan was Bond.
CrankyOldBroad at 05:11 PM on 04/04/08
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Are you kidding me, they are bringing Nine to the screen??? *le sigh* I so love that musical. I'm guessing Nicole will play Claudia the Muse, while Judi Dench would make a ferocious Lillian LaFleur.
Rooo sez BISH PLZ at 05:17 PM on 04/04/08
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Miscast. You can't suffer sufficiently with Posh's haircut.

Why is even the Pike getting Posh's haircut? Being an evil Bond girl isn't enough these days; we all have to be Stoneface dressed by Siriano?
Macloserboy at 05:22 PM on 04/04/08
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Okay, Jezebel, you know what this sets off in me, right!?! It's been awhile, but once again INAPPROPRIATE AGE CASTING!!! Willis is in his fucking 50's and Rosamund Pike isn't even 30! WHAT. THE. FUCK!?! The ever untrustworthy IMDB also have my beloved Radha Mitchell (High Art still rocks) in this and she's only 35.
AbbyNormal at 05:29 PM on 04/04/08
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@Macloserboy (Who Is Finally On Facebook For You Bitches): Isn't Bruce's real life girlfriend like 20-something? And on the young side of the 20s? And I know I've concurred about this issue with you before, as it burns me, too. Like Demi's younger doofus is 15 years younger, egads! But Willis dates someone 25 years younger and hardly a blip on the radar. Booo-urns.

Oh, and your avatar reminds me that I have season Two of Star Trek on the table, waiting for my geeky enjoyment. And my fav episode of Futurama, where the cast gets trapped by the superfan and Shatner raps the Real Slim Shady.
Macloserboy at 05:35 PM on 04/04/08
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@AbbyNormal: I'll cut him slack in his personal life because he's defended Demi's in the press, but this is typical Hollywood bullshit casting of peopel two decades apart as peers. I know it's always been this way, but you know what? It's always annoyed the shit out of me.

"How can you do a spoke word rendition of a rap song?"
"He found a way."
RocketRockit at 05:37 PM on 04/04/08
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I'd go lezebel for Rosamund.
aspiringexpatriate at 05:47 PM on 04/04/08
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Wait. Why was the Julie & Julia bit only about the main character? Isn't the dramedy about two women? Isn't that something worth mentioning? Or had those been cast already and so not covered in this...

Also, I know bugger all about the story, but it could be possible that the best friend character is the only way to make it interesting.
aspiringexpatriate at 05:49 PM on 04/04/08
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@TheGintheCity: Yeah. I mention that the only reason to watch that is because of Cassel, and my 'friends' just look at me odd, because they watch it for damon,pitt,clooney. Silly people.
sarah.of.a.lesser.god at 05:56 PM on 04/04/08
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@aspiringexpatriate: I went into "Eastern Promises" mainly to see Viggo Mortensen, and ended up with a crush on Cassel.
andBegorrah at 06:03 PM on 04/04/08
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Totally looking forward to "Nine" even though (because? never mind that?) it's got every female character cliché there is--hooker, victim, doormat, crone, etc. etc.
foodandshoes at 06:08 PM on 04/04/08
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Playing the race card here; at least these actresses are white. If they were black their options would be (sassy) best friend, (sassy) assistant, (sassy and probably soon dead) hooker.
Cfredl54 at 07:07 PM on 04/04/08
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@andBegorrah: It's gong to be so good!
rocknrollunicorn at 07:09 PM on 04/04/08
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@Macloserboy (Who Is Finally On Facebook For You Bitches): omg I love High Art. I thought I was alone in this.
aspiringexpatriate at 07:53 PM on 04/04/08
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@sarah.of.a.lesser.god: Funny, I went for all four big names. And I left so happy. Probably my favorite movie from 2007. Though The Coward Robert Ford rocked my socks off.
ailishmargot at 08:19 PM on 04/04/08
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God she's gorgeous, and she seems sweet - when her guy won the BAFTA for atonement she looked so proud.
Miss Smith Drank Your... at 08:30 PM on 04/04/08
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I believe she was also in 3:10 to Yuma as Bale's wife.
ensie at 01:40 AM on 04/05/08
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Eff you Julie and Julia haters. That book is about a woman finding herself while learning about the life work of another. It's funny and smartly written and the movie should be good. Meryl Streep people! Meryl Streep!
lumenatrix at 12:48 PM on 04/07/08
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Yeah, no need to withhold judgement on 9. Doormats abound as do hookers and victims. I know a lot of folks like the musical, but I just don't and the female characterization is a huge reason why.