Kathy Bates, Laura Linney, and Maggie Smith to star in a movie together

I wonder who's dressing Bates in recent years. Whoever it is understands "Power Lesbian."

It's funny how male Irish actors get cast in movies regularly, but Irish actresses barely get leads.

"gay excellence" = a bunch of old straight women?

Miss me with the corny Twitter lingo, which isn't even accurate, OP.

I love all those actresses.

R2 Are there many Irish actresses?

I know Siobhan McKenna and Sara Allgood but they're dead.

Brenda Fricker, Fiona Shaw, Fionnula Flanagan...

Saorise Ronan, Ruth Negga

Elaine Cassidy, Sarah Greene.

‘Power lesbian’ or no, she’s never looked better...

Are they super heroes? Is there a comic book tie-in? If not, Next!

I'm Maggie Smith's character, Mary Theresa O'Shannahan, who sought a cure for her cancer but growing in faith and acceptance because of her pilgrimage.

And then she died.

Is Laura Linney a lesbian?

Maggie played Irish a long, long time ago—

Is "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" not Irish?

It's strange. There aren't a dearth of attractive Irish actresses. And Irish actors often have such attractive voices. You can't just plug a British actor into an Irish role convincingly, probably because their accents aren't much heard in the media.

Brenda Blethyn is a great fucking actress. She is as good as anyone working in the UK today. It's a pity we don't see her working in more films. Her presence in this one guarantees I will see it.

I saw Brenda Blethyn in "The Glass Menagerie." She was fine, nothing more.

British actresses would have as much hope of really succeeding in an important way as Amanda Wingfield as an American actress would have playing European aristocracy. The cultural gap is too great. Any really good actress will do a creditable job. But that's about as far as it goes.

Blethyn in the Vera series is fantastic.

[Quote] British actresses would have as much hope of really succeeding in an important way as Amanda Wingfield

Isn't there a history of Brits excelling at playing Southerners?

Brenda Blethyn did an Irish accent in a mediocre film with John Hurt. It wasn't terrible.

Siobhan Finneran.

I think Finneran is Manchster Irish but I'd rather see her than Linney.

Other than Laura Linney and Claire Danes, it's a solid cast.

Thanks R7. I can see how Ronan may have her dance card full, but why not Negga. Or even Angelica Huston!

They just hired six actors to do Irish accents. The potential of terrible results is quite high.

Joan Allen has practiced already though.

R20, Leigh comes in at about 50/50. She nailed Scarlett O'Hara, but the story is a melodrama. With infinitely more substantive material, written by an actual southern writer, she's works hard as Blanche DuBois. But she's a million miles from realizing an authentic Southern character. She got about as close as Gertrude Lawrence did in "The Glass Menagerie."

[Quote] It wasn't terrible.

In that video, Brenda says "Yes, mather" for "mother." No on on the planet pronounces mother as mather.

I’d watch it.

Laura Linney in the cast with Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith et al. is like a Little League kid playing Shortstop for the Dodgers.....

Linney is very much admired and respected by her peers, R29.

Yeah, those gay icons hambone Brenda Blethyn and shrieking Claire Danes.

Brid Brennan is another great Irish actress - she reprised her stage role in the Dancing at Lughnasa film. I've seen her onstage in Blood Wedding and Sweet Bird of Youth.

Ireland has many great stage actresses - the Abbey in Dublin puts on some fantastic productions. For whatever reason not many make the jump to film.

Marie Mullen is another.

I was disappointed Julian Fellowes didn't give Laura Linney a cameo or something in the Downton Abbey movie as a wink and a nod to the American audience.

... why would he?

May I quote you, R16?

"Brenda Blethyn is a great fucking actress."