Juliet Stevenson hits out at idea actors ‘must tell their own story’ by playing characters who are of their own race, religion or background
- The actress slammed the ‘strong push in culture’ that actors must only play characters which tell their own story
- Juliet, 63, told the Telegraph she picks roles she can transform into
- She went on to say she became an actress to portray other people’s lives, rather than telling ‘my own tedious story’
Juliet Stevenson has slammed the ‘strong push in culture’ that actors must only play characters which tell their own story.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the actress, 63, said she didn’t want to tell her own ‘tedious’ memoir or be picked for roles due to her race, religion or background being the same as the character’s.
Juliet, who is a legendary English actress of stage and screen, said she thinks the term ‘Woke’ should be about ‘doors opening, not rearranging prejudice’.
Opinion: Juliet Stevenson has slammed the ‘strong push in culture’ that actors must only play characters which tell their own story (pictured in February)
She said: ‘I’m in favour of inclusiveness. We need to invite people in who’ve been excluded. But let’s not fight prejudice with prejudice, let’s not fight hatred with hatred. Let’s not say: you can come in and you are now out.
Talking about how this applies to the acting world, Juliet divulged: ‘There really is a strong push in the culture now that you must tell your own story and only you have the right to tell your own story.
‘Where does that leave Macbeth? Where does that leave almost any play? Do you mean you have to be a murderer to play a murderer? Do you have to be Jewish to play Jewish? Our job is transformation.’
Transformation: The actress, 63, said she didn’t want to tell her own ‘tedious’ memoir or be picked for roles which are the similar to her own character (pictured in 2015 film Departure)
Juliet went on to say she became an actor to portray other people’s lives, rather than telling ‘my own tedious story’.
The stage star also discussed her close friendship with the late Alan Rickman.
Juliet is known for her role in the film Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991) in which she starred alongside Alan.
Always remembered: The stage star also discussed her close friendship with the late Alan Rickman saying he ‘always tells me how to live’ (pictured in 1990 in Truly, Madly, Deeply)
She told the publication she regarded the late actor as her brother and still on her shoulder ‘always telling me how to live and what not to do, how to behave better’, four years after his death.
Juliet was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in the nineties film.
Her other notable film appearances include Emma (1996), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Being Julia (2004), and Infamous.
Although she has gained fame through her television and film work, and has often undertaken roles for BBC Radio, she is known as a stage actress.
Significant stage roles include her performances as Isabella in Measure for Measure, Madame de Tourvel in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, as Anna in the UK premiere of Burn This in 1990, and as Paulina in Death and the Maiden at the Royal Court theatre and the West End (1991–92).
For the latter, she was awarded the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress.
Talented: Although Juliet has gained fame through her television and film work, and has often undertaken roles for BBC Radio, she is known as a stage actress (pictured in May last year)