January 8, 2007

Character Actor #6: Lili Taylor

Lili Taylor is the enormously talented and always eminently likable actress who was brilliant at the center of I Shot Andy Warhol, as the deranged Valerie Solanas.

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Taylor's already had a long career, spanning 20 years and nearly 40 films, in addition to numerous stage appearances, but because she tends to become absorbed by her characters, and rarely gives interviews or press, she's not - nor probably cares to be - a household name. (The number of people who confuse her with Liv Tyler, with whom she has nothing in common besides similar name, still surprises me.)

In 2006, you may have missed her in two independent films: In The Notorious Bettie Page, she portrayed Paula Klaw, who, along with brother Irving Klaw, formed a sweet middle-aged team of... mild S&M and bondage photographers; in Bent Hamer's underseen, episodic Bukowski adaptation Factotum, Taylor was more front and center as an alcoholic and love for the Bukowski stand-in character. Taylor and Matt Dillon both give stellar performances in Factotum, creating sparks and making us care about these often repugnant characters. In both these films and in most of her filmography - as neurotic, messy, alive, smart, sweet characters -Taylor leaves an indellible impression.

Other favorite Taylor performances, besides I Shot Andy Warhol:

  • Her first noticed role as friend of Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza; cute but forgettable film but one could already see that Taylor was someone to watch
  • As the folksinging friend of John Cusack in Say Anything ("The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don't be a guy.") She'd also pair with Cusack again in High Fidelity, as his, yes, neurotic ex-girlfriend.
  • As Rose, victimized by soldiers playing a cruel game in Dogfight.
  • MIA on DVD in the States: Taylor as an anthropology grad student turned vampire in Abel Ferrara's underrated B&W indie The Addiction; Perhaps her oddest role, in Nancy Savoca's unsettling Household Saints; Jim McKay's interesting Girls Town
  • She also made for a fine Edna Ferber in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle and several Six Feet Under episodes, among many other fine performances.



    Bookmark and Share Posted by cphillips at January 8, 2007 9:22 PM
    • Comments

    I think I've only seen her in Six Feet Under, she was incredible, I loved her performance. I could never even try to act like she does.

    Posted by: Vera Correia at April 24, 2009 8:00 PM

    we love her work.

    Posted by: lui c poland at October 12, 2009 6:29 AM
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