Lest you think women past 40 don’t really have much of a career in Hollywood… ok, that can often be true in our culture of ageism and youth, but more to the point, 64-year-old actress Sally Field has landed the role of her late-era career. Sure, the actress already has two Best Actress Oscars under her belt, “Norma Rae” (1979) and “Places in the Heart” (1984), but these days she’s remembered for “Mrs. Doubtfire” more than anything else.
The actress may wipe away the memory of that piffle as she’s just been cast alongside Daniel Day-Lewis to star in Steven Spielberg‘s upcoming, and long-gestating Abraham Lincoln picture (titled “Lincoln“) that originally had Liam Neeson in the lead role (DDL is a much stronger fit, frankly). Though as a reader reminds us, she’s been on Spielberg’s mind for this project since 2007.
Field will play Day-Lewis’ wife and it’s the first casting announcement of many that is likely coming down the pike since the film is said to be gearing up for a Chicago shoot this fall.
“I’m excited to be working with Sally for the first time,” Spielberg in a statement just released by DreamWorks. “I’ve admired her films, and she has always been my first choice to portray all the fragility and complexity that was Mary Todd Lincoln.”
The film will center on the sixteenth President of the United States as he guides the North to victory during the Civil War and the political clashes between Lincoln and the officers of his cabinet during this era.
Penned by Tony Kushner, the screenplay is based on the book “Team of Rivals,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin, and composer John Williams is already locked in to do the score.
2011 will be a banner year for Steven Spielberg. The venerable, and prodigious, filmmaker will not only have two films release within a few days of each other, “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” on December 23 and “War Horse” on December 28 (expect one of those dates to move up to late November), he’ll have another film in production. The 64-year-old is certainly not showing any signs of slowing down. [THR]
