- Helen Mirren, Age of Consent, 1969. Too much nudity required in this Australian film with James Mason for the kid actress just turning 21. Mirren even thought she’d be body stockinged for the first of her career’s naked scenes. “The only thing you can do wrong when you’re stripped is to look awful… I tried to be cool.” As Judy had two years before for Here We Go Around The Mulberry Bush.
- Elaine Taylor, The Games, 1970. Sally’s big sister was ill.
- Susan George, Straw Dogs, 1971. Sweet Sue was too strong – heroic enough to save the day for Dustin Hoffman as her milque-toast husband… but wary, like others, of how far director Sam Peckinpah wanted to push the rape scene. Hoffman confessed to making it just for the money but still objected to his Mr Milque-toast having such a nymphettish wife. Sweet little Sue, however, was made of sterner stuff. She fought Hollywood heavyweight Peckinpah and bravely said she’d quit rather than agree to his overly explicit portrayal of her rape. Peckinpah gave in and kept his camera on her face, not her body. Cuts by the UK censor then made the (three minute) sequence worse by actually implying sodomy. (Irish censors cut the entire scene and a global video release was banned until… 2002). Jacqueline Bisset, Judy Geeson Linda Hayden, Judy Huxtable, Jennie Linden, Hayley Mills, Helen Mirren, Charlotte Rampling and Carol White were, inevitably, also in the mix for Amy – the name of Sue’s future productioncompany.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 3