Juliet - Performers

Performers

A number of famous actresses have portrayed the role of Juliet:

  • Mary Saunderson was the first woman to play Juliet professionally. Previous actors had all been males.
  • Eliza O'Neill won her fame with Juliet at Covent Garden, 1814.
  • Katharine Cornell had a notable Broadway success as Juliet opposite the Romeo of Basil Rathbone in 1934, and revived the production with Maurice Evans as Romeo and Ralph Richardson as Mercutio the following year.
  • Peggy Ashcroft was one of the great Juliets in history, most famously in the 1935 London production directed by John Gielgud, in which Gielgud and Laurence Olivier alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio.
  • Norma Shearer in George Cukor's Romeo and Juliet (1936). Leslie Howard was her Romeo.
  • Judi Dench had a great success as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1960 London production.
  • The 1961 musical film West Side Story starred Natalie Wood as Maria, the Juliet analogue.
  • Olivia Hussey portrayed Juliet in Zeffirelli's 1968 film, Romeo and Juliet,; Leonard Whiting was her Romeo.
  • Niamh Cusack portrayed Juliet in 1986 with The Royal Shakespeare Company. Sean Bean was her Romeo.
  • Claire Danes was Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's modernized 1996 version, Romeo + Juliet, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo.
  • Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrayed Juliet at the Royal Exchange Theatre's 2005 production.
  • Hailee Steinfeld will portray Juliet in Carlo Carlei's upcoming film adaptation opposite actor Douglas Booth as Romeo.
  • Natalie Wood portrayed Maria Nunez, the Juliet role in the film West Side Story
  • Josephina Scaglione portrayed Maria Nunez, the Juliet role in the 2009 Revival stage performance of West Side Story
  • Carol Lawrence portrayed Maria Nunez, the Juliet role in the Original Broadway Production of West Side Story

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Famous quotes containing the word performers:

    “... we performers are monsters. We are a totally different, far-out race of people. I totally and completely admit, with no qualms at all, my egomania, my selfishness, coupled with a really magnificent voice.”
    —Leontyne Price (b. 1927)

    “The reason I’m in this business, I assume all performers are—it’s “Look at me, Ma!” It’s acceptance, you know—”Look at me, Ma, look at me, Ma, look at me, Ma.” And if your mother watches, you’ll show off till you’re exhausted; but if your mother goes, Ptshew!”
    —Lenny Bruce (1925–1966)