Recasting Glengarry Glen Ross With An All-Female Cast

The 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross features one of the greatest movie ensembles of all time. Based on the play by David Mamet, the movie’s all-male cast brings to life the energetic and foul-mouthed story of desperate and shady salesmen trying to find success in the tough industry.

As fun as it is to see these amazing male actors perform these terrific dialogue scenes, it would be interesting to see the material handled by an all-female cast. There are a number of amazing female actors who could really sink their teeth into the complex characters and deliver a fun reimagining of the story.

7 Blake: Rachel McAdams

Though he only has one scene in the movie, Blake (Alec Baldwin) really steals the show, delivering one of the most famous movie monologues of all time. Blake is a hotshot who is assigned to give a pep talk to the salesmen and proceeds to berate and insult them.

Rachel McAdams is known for playing many sweet and likable characters, but her breakout role in Mean Girls proves how perfect she is for the role of Blake. As Regina George, McAdams was the kind of arrogant and demeaning person who controls any room she is in. Yet despite her horrible behavior, the audience is completely entertained by her.

6 Lingk: Melanie Lynskey

Lingk (Jonathan Pryce) is one of the few characters in the movie who is not a salesman. Instead, Lingk is a target who is preyed upon and manipulated by Roma. Lingk is clearly a sad sack man, drinking alone in a bar, and falls for Roma’s friendly salesman tactics. When he tries to back out of the deal, Roma continues to control this weak-minded man into giving him his money.

Melanie Lynskey is a terrific character actor with an incredible range of talents. However, she is especially skilled at playing the kind of shy and withdrawn characters who are walked over by everyone else. She really excels at this type of role in the underrated crime movie I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. She is able to play someone who has trouble standing up for themselves, yet the audience can still sympathize with her.

5 Williamson: Sandra Oh

Williamson (Kevin Spacey) is the much-hated head of the sales office who garners no respect from the other workers. The others see him as a useless and unhelpful presence in the office while often telling him off to his face. However, he still has a lot of arrogance in his position of power that he likes to hold over others. His inexperience can sometimes show, but he also turns the tables on the others whenever he can.

In her hit show, Killing Eve, Sandra Oh is terrific at walking that fine line between someone who is overlooked and someone who is in complete control. Throughout the series, the audience watches as Eve turns from a timid worker to someone who isn’t afraid to make people angry. The attitude makes for some of the most shocking moments on Killing Eve and would fit the character of Williamson very well.

4 Aaronow: Regina Hall

Glengarry Glen Ross is filled with intense characters, but Aaronow (Alan Arkin) offers a bit of comic relief in the movie. He is a neurotic salesman who spends most of the movie worrying and jumping from one problem to another. He adds some of the biggest laughs in the movie and even when he has his own big rant like the other characters, it is played for laughs.

Regina Hall’s many movie and television roles showcase her range as an actor as well as her talents as a comedic star. In the underrated indie comedy Support the Girls, Hall really shines as the overworked and stressed protagonist.  She could bring that same worrisome attitude to the role of Aaronow while still making it a funny role.

3 Moss: Taraji P. Henson

All of the characters in the movie have bad tempers that flare up often, but Moss (Ed Harris) is certainly the biggest hot head of the cast. He is a man who often feels like he is being cheated and that the world is against him. His rageful tantrums throughout the movie are captivating and make for some of the best moments.

Taraji P. Henson is great at playing both the hotheaded characters and the characters who demand respect from those around her. In Hidden Figures, she plays an intelligent character who refuses to be ignored for her important work. And her performance as Cookie in Empire has her playing the type of unpredictable character like Moss who can lash out at those around her.

2 Roma: Reese Witherspoon

Roma (Al Pacino) is the top salesman in the office and has a lot of confidence in that position. He is a smooth-talker who is able to put on a convincing everyman act in order to manipulate his targets. He is also not shy about picking fights with his colleagues when he feels they are out of line. And when his deal is destroyed by someone else in the office, he unleashes with an epic and furious rant.

Reese Witherspoon might be a popular rom-com star with plenty of sweet characters throughout her career, but she is arguably even better playing more hard-edged roles. Her character of Bradley Jackson on The Morning Show shows the kind of fury and huge energy she could bring to a role like Roma. She can put on a friendly face but can just as easily berate those who cross her.

1 Shelley: Catherine O’Hara

Though Glengarry Glen Ross is very much an ensemble movie, if there is one main character, it is likely Shelley (Jack Lemmon). As the oldest member of the office, Shelley is a man past his prime looking for any way to make a comeback and get out of his current slump. He knows how to put on the charm but can just as quickly become enraged only to turn pathetic. He is a fascinating and heartbreaking character.

Catherine O’Hara is a comedy legend who has recently become iconic thanks to her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. As Moira, O’Hara knows how to play the character with a big personality who puts on a show to get what they want, making them both compelling and hard to watch. She can nail the humorous aspects of Shelley’s character while also making the audience sympathize with Shelley’s eventual downfall.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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