Blonde, talented and effervescent, Elle Fanning is a shoo-in to play baby Jane during her vaudeville days as a child star.
Photo by Steven Pan. Interview, December 2010.
Jessica Lange is no stranger to playing Blanches. She won a Golden Globe for playing another famous Blanche- Blanche DuBois in the television drama film A Streetcar Named Desire in 1996. Lange, with her Academy Award winning performance in Frances , is also well-versed in playing the role of the troubled actress, a skill we think would come in handy when portraying the faded, helpless and crippled Blanche.
Elvira, the Hudsons' cleaning lady, is Blanche's only protection against her twisted sister. Fearing for Blanche's life, Elvira puts herself in dangerous situations to bring Blanche to safety. We're going to have to play it safe on this one and pick Viola Davis. With her stunning performance as Aibileen Clark, the thoughtful, insightful and kind maid in The Help, we know she will be able to execute the role of Elvira flawlessly. Plus, Davis' acting career has been so expansive that there's no fear of her getting type-casted as the "sweet caretaker" anytime soon.
Casting Meryl Streep as Jane is a no-brainer. The role of deranged Jane is such an extreme that it takes an actress with an abundance of dexterity and nuance to pull it off without looking like a caricature. Davis was nominated for an Academy Award for her unbelievable performance, and if anyone could be her 21st first century counterpart, it's most definitely Meryl Streep. Streep has gone on record saying that she greatly admires Bette Davis. So we have a feeling she may be game to reprise the role of one of her favorite icons.
Photo by Brigitte Lacombe. Interview, December 1988.
Widely known as the uber-aggressive cheerleading coach on Glee, we'd like to see Jane Lynch in a softer, period role. Mrs. Bates, the sisters' neighbor, is a gentler role than we're used to seeing Lynch in but we think it would suit her well.
Even psychotic thrillers featuring murderous senior citizens need comedic relief. We think funny man Zach Galifianakis is the perfect fit for Edwin Flagg, the good-for-nothing, scheming pianist hired by Blanche as a means of reviving her career.
