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Great Hera!

“I Never Really Understand When People Say That I Like Playing Strong Characters.”

by Susana Polo | 4:33 pm, January 9th, 2013


I never really understand when people say that I like playing strong characters. I always find that a little weird because, I could be wrong, but I don’t think people ever say that to men. It’s like, well what should I play, a weak character? Does that mean that I can lift weights? I guess it means strong-minded, right? But it’s weird because people never say that about a male actor — Michael Fassbender or George Clooney, for example — that they love playing strong characters. It’s a weird gender thing. — Rachel Weisz to The Sun.

Rachel Weisz, professional pretend action librarian, lays out some truth.

(via The Frisky.)

Previously in Female Characters

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  • Anonymous

    Some actors have played weak characters, stories often call for them. It isn’t a reflection of the actor and I think it is misguided to assume so. We respect the performance but we recognize that it is a character. Heath Ledger played a horrifying Joker, but don’t think any of us remember him as a villain but instead a wonderful and talented actor.

  • http://www.facebook.com/craig.oxbrow Craig Oxbrow

    And now I want to high five Rachel Weisz.

  • strife

    It’s a misguided comment I see a lot of people make. Praise for the strong female character as if people usually expect the opposite. Besides, strong and weak can mean very different things. Weak can be strong and strong can be weak. It should really be about good performances or developed characters.

  • Anonymous

    Rachel Weisz, you are my spirit animal.

  • http://twitter.com/Super_Widget Joanna

    I think by “strong characters” people mean fully fleshed, well written, non-stereotyped, non-plot device characters.

  • http://twitter.com/ChannelDiza Chanel Diaz

    “Why play strong characters?” Should be Answered back, ‘Who’ wants to be ‘WEAK?’

  • mellyhugs

    The problem is that a lot of female “protagonists” out there are essentially weak. The writers may dress it up to make it seem like she’s a comptent professional or free spirit, but at the end of the day its rare to find a female centric story that doesn’t evolve around her relationship with men. So when a female character – like many of those Rachel has played – is truly strong, people are like “whoa, wait what’s going on here?” But what can you do, thats Hollywood.

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