From America's Sweethearts to Serious Dramatic Actress

If you are a film buff, you are probably well familiar with America's Sweethearts; these are the actresses who are constantly relegated to playing sweet, charming characters in cute, romantic comedies.

These actors are all cute, perky, and clean-cut, and they faithfully represent the all American girl-next-door. Some of these women are able to pull ahead of what we expect out of them, and deliver powerful dramatic performances; when we witness their efforts, they are elevated to a higher level of respect and they become true dramatic actors.

Some actresses who are typecast as an America's Sweetheart, never move beyond that role. They continue to play the same "cute" character repeatedly until another bright and cheerful Hollywood face comes along to knock them off of their post - then they reach an age where they are no longer cute, and we all start to wonder when they're going to finally get real and deliver the serious dramatic goods.

Doris Day

As far as America's Sweetheart's go, they just do not get much sweeter than Doris Day. During her heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, she was Hollywood's golden girl. Back then, if you started with one tablespoon of Rock Hudson, added another tablespoon of Doris Day, and a dash of Tony Randall, you would end up with the perfect romantic comedy - seriously, I could watch "Pillow Talk" 1959 twice a day, and still be enchanted.

Doris Day never made it out of the "cute" phase as an actor. She made a couple of serious dramatic films, "Love Me or Leave" 1955 with James Cagney, and Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" 1956 alongside Cary Grant, but she is far more widely recognized for her timeless romantic comedies.

We may never know the true depths of Doris Day's dramatic range, because she retired from acting after The Doris Day Show in the early 70s, but in her case, it really does not matter. Doris Day is Classic Hollywood royalty, and she can do no wrong - only Day, and perhaps, Sandra Dee can claim as much; later actresses will not fare quite as well because there was only one Hollywood Golden Era.

Sally Field

Sally Field is a shining example of a successful transition from fresh faced adorable cutesy roles like Gidget (television's Giget, Sandra Dee originated the Giget 1955 film role), to skillfully acted dramatic roles in films like "Sybill" 1976, "Norma Rae" 1979, and "Places in the Heart" 1984. Sally Field is a gifted actor who turned even a guest starring role in "ER" into a powerhouse performance - her short presence on the iconic medical drama was one of the shows many high points.

Sally Filed has been awarded numerous Emmys, and other awards, but her greatest professional achievements are the two Oscars for her performances in "Norma Rae" 1979 and "Places in the Heart" 1984.

Julia Roberts

Yep folks, this one is going to be another pass. Julia Roberts started out with semi-light weight roles in films like "Steel Magnolias" 1989 and "Pretty Woman" 1990, but she completely shut down any doubts about her acting ability when she brought home the Oscar for "Erin Brockovich" in 2000. Although Julia Roberts will still star in an occasional lightweight type of film every now and again, no one can deny that she can bring the drama when she wants to.

Meg Ryan

Thus far, Meg Ryan's transition from America's Sweetheart to serious actor has been a fail, not an epic fail, but a failure nonetheless. Ryan gained popular attention when she burst onto the screen in "When Harry Met Sally" 1989. Since that time, she has appeared in a constant barrage of romantic comedies like "Sleepless in Seattle" 1993, "French Kiss" 1995, and "You've Got Mail" in 1998.

The crazy thing about Meg Ryan is the fact that we know she has dramatic range, all you have to do is check out her performances in "When a Man Loves a Woman" 1994, "Courage Under Fire" 1996, or "City of Angels" 1998. However, she keeps committing to these crappy roles in films like "Against the Ropes" 2004, and that horrible epic disaster of a remake, "The Women" in 2008 - seriously, what was that supposed to be?

The bad thing for Meg is the fact that age is creeping up on her and it is not being so kind. It is one thing to be an older actress with acclaim, like Helen Mirren and Diane Keaton, but it is an entirely different thing to be an older actress with nothing but "cuteness" to her credit. It's time for Meg Ryan to drive hard after that Oscar, or she will never catch it.

Sandra Bullock

Do I need to say it? Pass, pass, Sandy is a pass! Sandra Bullock might have started out in low maintenance lightweight romantic comedies like "Love Potion #9" 1992, and "While You Were Sleeping" in 1995, but she proved her dramatic acting ability when she earned an Oscar for "The Blind Side" in 2009.

Sandra Bullock has been known to star in some horrid stinkers, in fact, the same year she won her Oscar, she starred in what has to be one of the most awful films ever made, "All About Steve" 2009. At any rate, Sandra Bullock can now rest easy, because she has reached the pinnacle of an actor's career, and in doing so, she has successfully transitioned from America's Sweetheart to a serious dramatic actor.

Is Winning An Oscar A Fair Measuring Stick?

Granted, it does definitively mean that an actress is truly gifted in her craft just because she wins an Academy Award. I'm still confused at why Halley Berry got the Oscar nod for her performance in "Monster's Ball" 2001, while truly talented actresses like Angela Basset are constantly ignored.

However, in each of the cases listed above, these women have really proven their worth in their gold prize winning roles. I'm cheering for Meg Ryan, I hope she joins the winner's circle relatively soon, because time waits for no one, and modern day America's Sweethearts are no longer cute after 50.

- Source -

The Internet Movie Database

The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences