The Amazing White Woman

Did you guys see The Italian Job (2003)?

I remember saying to myself, “That Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron) certainly is something special. She’s quite phenomenal.” 

After all, how many people in the world are:

blond-haired beauties…

   who can

drive a car like an expert racecar driver…

   and

crack open industrial safes with expert skill and precision?

I’m just asking.

I may look into this further, but can anybody think of a case of the amazing white woman?

Comments

[Kimi]

Never say the Italian Job, but here are a few just off the top of my head:

Practically any flick featuring Angelina Jolie

Kill Bill 1&2 - Uma Thurman

Terminator Series - Linda Hamilton (which spun off The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show with the unknown amazing white woman in the lead)

The Long Kiss Goodnight - Geena Davis

Matrix Series - Carrie Ann Moss

I probably could go on indefinitely but will let someone else play :-)

[iris]

kimi beat me to some of those, but sigourney weaver in alien.

[aulelia]

This image that you have mentioned I think derives from comic books, to a certain extent. Comic books do have a skewed image of (white)women but I do think by in large, characterisations of Wonder Woman were one of the first to create this image of a superwoman who is always white, that fed into films. For some reason though, I can't think of any! It is an image that it is so skewed and un-representative of gender. Anyways, Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four? (is she considered white in the US? i think she would be considered white here in the UK)

[invisiblewoman]

I don't see any of her movies, but I see the trailers: Milla Jovovich (sp?)Resident Evil, etc.

[theblackactor.com]

Hi Ladies:

This is what I get for throwing up an unplanned post. LOL. I shoulda clarified.

I don't mean comic book or fantasy or sci fi or anything like that. In those instances, sure we can easily suspend our disbelief and know that someone can jump off a 20-story building and keep walking to their destination.

The Italian Job is real. Of course we're asked to suspend our disbelief here too (to some degree) but we are expected to believe that Charlize Theron is so marvelously wonderful that she is stunning and expertly skilled in two very different, unrelated specialties.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :)

[Mes Deux Cents]

Hi TBA,

How about Franka Potente in Run Lola Run, then there is La Femme Nakita, I don't remember the actresses name in that film. Then there is Helen Mirren in Shadow Boxer, and Natascha McElhone in Ronin. I can't think of any more at the moment.

On another note; there was a segment on NPR's New and Notes today that you might be interested in.

Here is the link;

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18609439

Let me know if you found it interesting. :)

[iris]

thank you for the clarification. how about:
tv: yvonne strahovsky- sarah walker chuck

cinema:
kiera knightly-elizabeth swann, pirates
any of the bond girls

[theblackactor.com]

@ Mes Deux

Thank you for the link, Mes Deux. I'll check it out.

@ Iris and Mes Deux

Thanks for adding some others. There must be tons of these instances, I'm sure.

[Jackie]

Great answers posted already, especially Linda Hamilton in Terminator. Although not blond and sort of scifi, but she really had no super powers just awesome skills, I'd add Lucy Lawless in Xena Warrior Princess.
Cool post and site.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Jackie

Thanks for adding those two! I forgot about Linda Hamilton! And thank you for your kind words and thank you for visiting. :)

[Angela]

Even though she was the side-kick to Buffy, I always wondered how Willow Rosenburg (Alyson Hannigan, the red-head) could do anything with computers and with magic, when the former wasn't even anything to look at in the mid 90s, and the latter took tons of enemies years and years to learn and master. Willow was just a deus ex machina many times on the show (particularly the last season).

[theblackactor.com]

@ Angela

I didn't watch the show but there must be zillions of instances of the amazing white woman.

[dreamgirl21]

the girls from charlie's angels,

reese witherspoon from legally blond (even an "airhead blond" could go to harvard if she "really" wants to so...gag.

angelina jolie in "wanted".

cate blanchett in the indiana jones and the crystal skull (she had mental abilities)

michelle monaghan in eagle eye (played opposite shia lebeouf) her son is taken and she is getting directions from an operator on a cell phone and still keeps her cool. um..ok.

natalie portman in V for vendetta, she goes from the over glorified desk worker to the spark behind an entire revolutionary movement..in like a week. sure.

neve cambell in the "scream" movies. a stretch. there is just no way this girl would be alive. sorry. no way.

well, that's all i can think of off the top of my head but yeah, LOVE the blog, thanks for doing what you do blackactor.com

[theblackactor.com]

@ Dreamgirl21

Thank you, Dreamgirl21, for your hearty contribution to this post. And I appreciate your kind words about the blog. I deeply regret I have been unable to post in it with any regularity. I haven't disabled it because I look forward to the day I can resurrect it. *** Sigh *** Thank you, again!