Hooked On TV’s Fiercest Females
Whatever happened to the “mum line”? Just a few years ago, even the most talented female actors found that after they passed a certain age, the best role they could expect to score was as someone’s mum. Not any more. These days, older women are nabbing leading roles in an increasing number of series. More power to them.
Carolyn Martens, Killing Eve
Assassin Villanelle has the sensational clothes, former cop Eve has the internal drama, but this show’s slow burner is MI6 power player Carolyn Martens, played by Fiona Shaw. Calm, controlled and utterly ruthless, with a string of husbands and lovers behind her, she doesn’t let anything stop her – not even the murder of her son.
And no-one does deadpan like Carolyn. We still remember when she recruited Eve by listing her positive qualities before winding up with, “And you’ve been fired so no-one cares what you do next. I mean that in the nicest possible way.”
Wendy Byrde, Ozark
Actor Laura Linney has no illusions about Wendy Byrde, the character that she plays on Ozark, the drama about a family laundering money for a drug cartel. “She makes terrible decisions left, right and centre,” Linney told one interviewer – and watching to see what Wendy does next is precisely what keeps so many viewers keep tuning in. Equal parts dedicated mother and ambitious operator, Wendy has a sweet smile and an appetite for a fight, facing off with state senators and Mexican drug lords alike.
Philippa Georgiou, Star Trek Discovery
When we are first introduced to Captain Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh, she is a typical Starfleet captain: wise, dedicated, compassionate. That Philippa Georgiou is soon killed off, to be replaced by her counterpart from the show’s alternative universe: the cold-blooded, kinky and ever-so-entertaining Emperor Philippa Georgiou. We’re not the only ones who love her: there’s a spin-off series starring Georgiou in the works.
Sister Michael, Derry Girls
Lisa McGee, the creator of this heart-warming and hilarious coming-of-age show set in ’90s Northern Ireland, is generous with her one-liners, but somehow Sister Michael, played by Siobhan McSweeney, nabs all the best ones. However, the no-nonsense nun – who dismisses the idea of praying in a predicament with a dry, “Sure, what use would that do?” – doesn’t even need to open her mouth to set us laughing. Her eye rolls, whether prompted by self-important priests or unruly pupils, are truly epic.
Frankie and Grace, Grace and Frankie
Who is more lovable, Frankie (Lily Tomlin) or Grace (Jane Fonda)? Don’t even try to work it out – these two are an inseparable double act. Ultra-controlled Grace and free-wheeling Frankie make a formidable team, determined to keep their place in a world which seems intent on edging older women out. Their respective approaches were sketched out in the first season, when Grace launched an impassioned tirade against a store assistant who was ignoring her. Frankie dragged her outside, before revealing that she had stolen the item they were trying to buy. “I’ve learned something,” she told Grace. “You can’t see me, you can’t stop me.” Sounds like a mantra to us.
Words_ Ute Junker
Photo_ Netflix, BBC America