Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Full Cast & Details
Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a timeless American masterpiece, exploring themes of family, desire, and the suffocating nature of lies. This blistering play has captivated audiences for decades with its raw, unflinching portrayal of the complexities of human relationships.
The play's setting is a Mississippi plantation during a stifling summer evening. The setting is just as much a character as any of the individuals, symbolizing the suffocating environment where the characters find themselves trapped. This setting is the perfect backdrop for the simmering tensions and buried secrets that drive the narrative forward.
Let's dive into the characters and the actors who brought them to life on stage and screen.
Full Cast & Details:
1. Brick Pollitt:
- The Play: Brick is a former football star who has retreated into a state of disillusionment and heavy drinking. He is deeply troubled by the death of his best friend, Skipper, and his strained relationship with his wife, Maggie.
- Notable Actors:
- Paul Newman (1955 Broadway Production, 1958 Film Adaptation) - Newman's portrayal of Brick became iconic, capturing the character's internal torment and yearning for truth.
- B.D. Wong (2008 Broadway Revival) - Wong's performance offered a fresh and nuanced interpretation of Brick, exploring the character's emotional vulnerability.
- Ben Foster (2012 Film Adaptation) - Foster's intense performance brought a new dimension to Brick, showcasing the character's raw pain and struggle with self-acceptance.
2. Maggie "Maggie the Cat" Pollitt:
- The Play: Maggie is Brick's wife, a vivacious and determined woman who is fighting to save her marriage. She is fiercely independent and refuses to be ignored. Maggie's relentless pursuit of truth and connection with Brick forms the heart of the play.
- Notable Actors:
- Barbara Bel Geddes (1955 Broadway Production, 1958 Film Adaptation) - Bel Geddes's performance brought a fiery and passionate energy to Maggie, perfectly capturing the character's strength and vulnerability.
- Scarlett Johansson (2008 Broadway Revival) - Johansson's portrayal was both seductive and heartbreaking, showcasing Maggie's longing for love and acceptance.
- Cate Blanchett (2012 Film Adaptation) - Blanchett's performance was both sensual and intelligent, highlighting Maggie's complex emotions and fierce determination.
3. Big Daddy Pollitt:
- The Play: Big Daddy is the patriarch of the family, a powerful and wealthy cotton tycoon. He is a domineering figure who is struggling to accept his mortality. His denial of his failing health fuels the conflict within the family.
- Notable Actors:
- Burl Ives (1955 Broadway Production, 1958 Film Adaptation) - Ives's performance brought a commanding presence to Big Daddy, perfectly capturing his strength and vulnerability.
- Jason Robards (1976 Broadway Revival) - Robards's performance was both chilling and heartbreaking, showcasing Big Daddy's immense power and the pain beneath his gruff exterior.
- Jack Nicholson (2008 Broadway Revival) - Nicholson's portrayal was both menacing and sympathetic, showcasing Big Daddy's controlling nature and the fear of his impending death.
4. Big Mama Pollitt:
- The Play: Big Mama is Big Daddy's wife, a kind and compassionate woman who is desperate to maintain the family's unity. She is often caught between the conflicting personalities and desires of her family members.
- Notable Actors:
- Madeleine Sherwood (1955 Broadway Production, 1958 Film Adaptation) - Sherwood's performance brought a warmth and resilience to Big Mama, highlighting the character's love for her family and her determination to keep them together.
- Barbara Baxley (1976 Broadway Revival) - Baxley's performance showcased Big Mama's strength and vulnerability, capturing the character's deep love for her husband and her acceptance of his failing health.
- Brenda Blethyn (2012 Film Adaptation) - Blethyn's performance was both powerful and moving, highlighting Big Mama's strength and her quiet desperation to maintain her family's fragile bonds.
5. Gooper and Mae Pollitt:
- The Play: Gooper and Mae are Brick's brother and sister-in-law. They are a conniving couple who are obsessed with inheriting Big Daddy's fortune. Their ambition and manipulative tactics create tension and resentment within the family.
- Notable Actors:
- Ned Beatty (1976 Broadway Revival) - Beatty's performance brought a cunning and manipulative edge to Gooper, perfectly capturing his greed and desire for power.
- Stephen Kunken (2008 Broadway Revival) - Kunken's portrayal of Gooper was both comedic and unsettling, showcasing the character's shallow ambition and lack of empathy.
- Samuel L. Jackson (2012 Film Adaptation) - Jackson's performance brought a sense of raw intensity to Gooper, showcasing the character's ruthless ambition and desperation to control the family legacy.
6. "The Family" and "The Younger Generation":
The play also features a cast of supporting characters who contribute to the complex dynamics of the Pollitt family. The children of Gooper and Mae, known collectively as "The Family," represent the new generation of the Pollitt family, while the children of Brick and Maggie, if they had any, represent the next generation of the Pollitt family.
The play's enduring popularity lies in its exploration of universal themes and its relatable characters. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a powerful examination of family dynamics, societal expectations, and the struggle for truth in a world where lies are often preferred.
Whether it's the original Broadway production or the many adaptations that followed, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" continues to resonate with audiences, making it one of the most enduring and impactful works of American theatre.
