Sigourney Weaver turns 73 years young on Oct. 8, so Happy Birthday, Ms. Weaver!
Most folks – including yours truly – link Sigourney to Ellen Ripley as her most recognizable character, but this legendary, Oscar-nominated actress has dozens of impressive credits listed on her resume. To celebrate Sigourney’s birthday, let’s look back at five memorable performances, ones outside the “Alien” and “Ghostbusters” franchises.
Dian Fossey, “Gorillas in the Mist” (1988) – In the 1960s, American primatologist Dian Fossey moved to Africa and lived among, studied, and protected mountain gorillas, an endangered species, in the Congo and Rwanda. She stayed for nearly 20 years, and in this fascinating biopic, Weaver plays Fossey in a physically and emotionally demanding role that earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Director Michael Apted, the crew, and Sigourney filmed in Rwanda, and our lead actress sat with and held real primates in the jungle and even met Maggie, a gorilla that knew Fossey. There are some moments when actors donned animal suits, but not always. And you think carpal tunnel syndrome is a workplace hazard!
Katharine Parker, “Working Girl” (1988) – Sigourney frequently carries CEO vibes in movies, so she easily closes the deal as a 29-year-old New York City business executive in director Mike Nichols’ rom-com, a film that earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Weaver. Katharine Parker (Weaver) is astute but also conniving and entitled, and her latter traits aren’t encouraging to her secretary, Tess (Melanie Griffith), who seeks trust in the office. Weaver chews up the big screen with glee as the aloof and colorful boss in this 80s flick with Griffith, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Nora Dunn, Oliver Platt, and Joan Cusack, who sports one of the gaudiest, tallest hairdos in cinematic history. Well, let’s not judge. It was 1988, and Joan earned a supporting Oscar nomination too.
First Lady Ellen Mitchell, “Dave” (1993) – U.S. President Bill Mitchell suffers a stroke and lies in a coma, so Chief of Staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) and Communications Director Alan Reed (Kevin Dunn) have a local employment agency manager, Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline), impersonate the president…for a while. You see, Dave is Bill Mitchell’s uncanny doppelganger, but pretending to be the leader of the free world? That sounds frightening, but not as scary as attempting to convince First Lady Ellen Mitchell (Weaver), who carries the gravitas of a U.S. president herself. While we’re constantly concerned about Dave’s well-being during this grand charade, we’re equally wondering about this everyday man’s navigation with Ms. Mitchell, a most intimidating presence. Sigourney easily fits into a First Lady role and also gives Ellen a welcoming side. Do Ellen and Dave make a great couple? Watch this pitch-perfect Ivan Reitman comedy to find out!
Gwen DeMarco, “Galaxy Quest” (1999) – Director Dean Parisot’s “Star Trek” spoof gets everything right! It’s flat-out hilarious with self-deprecating humor and impeccable comedic timing, but this out-of-this-world adventure is also a surprising thrill-ride. Tim Allen, Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Daryl Mitchell, and Sam Rockwell play actors – in the now-retired sci-fi series “Galaxy Quest” – who are called to duty by real-life aliens who genuinely think that they are space explorers. Weaver is a terrific choice for this ensemble, and she and the script highlight Gwen’s (Weaver) contrast with Ellen Ripley. For instance, while crawling in an air duct, Gwen says, “Ducts! Why is it always ducts?” As the show’s communications officer, Gwen and her castmates joke that her GQ character simply repeats the already-spoken computer commands. Gwen says, “Look, I have one job on this lousy ship. It’s stupid, but I’m gonna do it, OK!” Hey, this Star Trek fan thanks you for taking this job, Sigourney!
Grandma, “A Monster Calls” (2016) – When a 30-something single mom (Felicity Jones) is slowly dying from a vicious illness, her son Conor (Lewis MacDougall) – as a coping mechanism – sees visions of a yew tree transforming in a gnarled walking and talking monster (voiced by Liam Neeson). Based on the 2011 young adult novel of the same name, the movie blends childhood fantasy with searing, painful trauma, as director J.A. Bayona and Jones don’t pull punches with the horrors of a crippling disease, which in this case, appears to be cancer. Grandma (Weaver) has to pick up the pieces of Conor’s shattered psyche while struggling with her own agony. Weaver anchors the picture – in a profoundly moving performance – by balancing Grandma’s resolute internal strength with quivering vulnerability. Bring tissues.
