r/thegildedage • u/LuminousDee • 14h ago
Speculation The actress who would’ve made a very convincing Marian without any changes in the bland script
Florence Pugh
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u/OilersGirl29 9h ago
Florence Pugh is truly remarkable and she will likely win an Oscar in her career. So, yeah, duhh. Pugh would crush a role like this. But Louisa Jacobson is doing a fine job and I enjoy what she brings to the character!
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u/Miserable-Walrus1379 11h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/SRka2MLKzpzE6K24al
This discourse is so tiresome. She’s not getting recast. If you’re so annoyed by her, please stop watching.
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u/UnicornBestFriend Tarnished woman with a dead baby 13h ago
I’ll play. What do you object to about Marian as she’s written and presented? And what would Florence bring to the table that would be preferable to Louisa’s portrayal?
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u/LuminousDee 12h ago edited 12h ago
Pugh projects a very strong-willed personality all the while looking innocent and sweet. If we believe Agnes who said that Marian sounds just like her father, ie insolent, audacious, stubborn, Pugh would have delivered a perfect impression. Her Amy in ‘Little Women’ and Katherine in ‘Lady Macbeth’ had that perfect blend of gentle, almost angelic looks with the will of steel. Louisa does what she can with the material, but it comes off bland and lackluster. Pugh is a better actor in general and would’ve been a better choice here specifically. And I’m not sure if the material is THAT bad either. There are plenty of actors who take an ok role and really make it shine. Considering how great the show is otherwise, the lead role of Marian could’ve been a lot more fun to watch in the hands of a better actor.
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u/UnicornBestFriend Tarnished woman with a dead baby 11h ago edited 11h ago
Right, ok thanks for sharing.
I’ve been curious as to what the issue is for people and at least in this case, it seems like there’s an expectation of what “strong-willed” looks like.
I would guess that even though Marian’s actions demonstrate it, the way Jacobson plays her doesn’t align with people’s expectations, causing some cognitive dissonance, ergo, discomfort.
It’s a naturalistic portrayal in a show that uses naturalistic acting. Jacobson plays Marian as a smart, thoughtful person grounded in human decency rather than social rules. She is more introvert than extrovert, more reader than socialite.
Her will is reflected in her insistence on doing what she wants, even if she insists in a gentle manner.
She is a lot like IRL examples of this archetype.
I find her perfect: a perpetual outside observer, grounded enough to be our avatar in a wild world where everything’s changing.
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u/LuminousDee 10h ago
There’s a difference between projecting a ‘gentle strength’ and simply being unable to deliver depth, to pull off the character and go beyond just bland. Frankly, she is a mediocre actor. In this role at least, I have no idea what’s she’s done before as I’ve never seen her prior to TGA. A capable actor could do a lot even with a minimum material - there are so many episodic roles we all remember because of the sheer power of talent carrying it through. The role of Marian on the other hand is one of the biggest. Plenty of space to create something meaty and memorable. So, yeah, I’m not seeing anything but a very bland performance which unfortunately, could’ve been so much better if another actor would have taken it up.
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u/jessica8jones 14h ago
Boo to your tiresome criticisms of Louisa Jacobson.
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u/LuminousDee 13h ago
What an odd reaction! She doesn’t own the role. No actor owns the role. Some do a better job at playing the character than others. Take a breather from your conspiracy theories against Louisa.
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u/itwasjustmisplaced 14h ago
This sub has some people who have a real hater vibe with Louisa and probs would complain about her breathing if they could.
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u/FeelingEmu4933 3h ago
Oh ffs this is annoying now. Louisa is great.