Where Do All Bad Girls Come From?

After the massive response to Kay’s bad boys feature, it got me thinking about bad girls, and I noticed an opposite pattern emerging. While all bad boys may come from Britain, it doesn’t seem to be the case for female villains.

Let’s have a look at some of the more famous female screen villain’s. Kathy Bates terrifying mallet wielder from Misery – American. Fatal Attraction’s Alex Forrest, as played by Glenn Close – American. Meryl Streep’s bitch editor, Miranda Priestley – American. The Dark Knight Rises’ Catwoman (and, for that matter, Batman Returns Catwoman) – American.

Of course, as with all men being British, this seems to be the rule, not the exception. So why exactly is it? Well, for a start, British male actor’s seem to have more success across the pond than actresses (unless they’re Judi Dench or Maggie Smith, and any film with them as villains is a movie I would pay good money to see). The recent Snow White & The Huntsman saw Charlize Theron (who, for the record, I love), playing an evil queen with a british accent. Would it have been so hard to cast a Brit in the role?
English actresses seem to play the romantic interests, the ‘english rose’, and when that’s whats in demand, whose to blame them. I’ve no doubt that Emily Blunt or Kate Winslet would relish the opportunity to play a super bitch, they just haven’t found the right opportunity. Imagine, for a moment, Kate Winslet as a vampy, bitchy evil queen with men falling at her feet. Emma Thompson as a pistol-toting super spy. Hell, I’d even take Victoria Wood chasing after some pure white trash with a chainsaw. The fact is though, the roles just aren’t there.

Then of course there’s the fact that there are less opportunities for female villains, and those that are there have pretty much been eaten up by Helena Bonham Carter (who, of course, is british. Perhaps she should spread the parts about a bit more? We’ve seen her do crazy more than enough times, it’s time to give some of the other girls a go.)

Come on Hollywood, isn’t it time some of our british girls got a chance at playing the big bad?

Why Kate Winslet is better than you

This week saw one of the weirdest, most brilliant news stories we’ve seen in a while. Richard Branson’s house, on his own private island, burned to the ground. Newsworthy enough in itself. Where the story gets interesting, however, is when we find out that Kate Winslet, her boyfriend and kids were also in the house and had to escape. Where the story gets AWESOME is when we find out that Kate Winslet carried Branson’s 90 year old mother from the burning building. What was Richard Branson doing when all this was happening? Running naked into a cactus.

A few days later we find out that the Branson family pet tortoise that they had feared dead, had in fact survived. This story is just the gift that keeps on giving.

I have long had an affection for Winslet. A homegrown talent who has made it good in Hollywood and yet has refused to change herself, she is the epitome of what an actress should aspire to be. Gracious, elegant and, what I find most important of all, down to earth.  I’ve heard stories of interviewers being disarmed by her completely flagrant disregard for the expectations of how an actress should be. She swears like a trooper, and what I find perhaps most endearing about her, she still smokes roll ups. The womans a millionaire, has an Oscar, and still rolls her own. How can you NOT love her?

With any luck, Winslet will now begin a reality TV show. The cameras would just follow her as she saves geriatrics, builds houses with her bare hands and rescues tortoises by imitating their mating calls. I’m fairly sure she’s capable of all this, and more. Who knows what else she can do?

We’re waiting, Kate…