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Annette Bening (52)

Annette Bening proved her worth to me about 11 years ago in American Beauty. Her character in the movie, Carolyn, ran the gambit on emotions and really was one of the meatier roles for a woman to play that I had seen up to that point in my life. (I was a teen then).

Carolyn is, shall we say, crazy, a trait we don’t fully grasp in the character until we get a bit further along in the movie. Like Lester, her husband played by Kevin Spacey, Carolyn realizes that the life she’s been leading is less than satisfying and mixes a cocktail of impulse and bad decisions to get what she wants.

I could see her doing something similar in a quality family drama, maybe even one like Six Feet Under. Or perhaps Parenthood. Though in terms of screen time, Bening would obviously warrant as much as Frances Conroy’s Ruth Fisher than Bonnie Bedelia’s Camille Braverman.

Maura Tierney (45)

Speaking of Parenthood, I was so totally elated to find out that Maura Tierney was cast in a major role in the movie-turned-TV series, playing younger sister to Peter Krause’s character, Adam. For years and years, she had played the oftentimes morose Abby Lockhart on ER and it intrigued me to get to know what she’d bring to her new character.

Due to medical complications, Tierney was forced to back out of the show and would eventually be replaced by Lauren Graham. Now Graham is good, but I can’t help to think that she plays Sarah a bit more frantic than Tierney would have. Tierney has such a warm, calming way about her and probably would have played the character without so much need for sympathy.

Earlier this year, Tierney returned to work in a satirical stage play called North Atlantic with separate runs in Los Angeles and New York. As far as I know, she’s again looking for work, and it’d be a great thing if she were eyed for a second chance at TV post-ER.

Frances McDormand (53)

Also a star in Tierney’s satirical stage play, Frances McDormand’s acting chops would make for a compelling character on television. I’m pretty sure McDormand is the nation’s cutest 50-something, and I’ll say right now I’d watch her perform in just about anything at this point. She could be a dog walker by day, circus entertainer by night, and I’d go, “Whoa, that sounds like an awesome series.”

McDormand stole the show in Fargo. Correction: Her Minnesota accent stole the show in Fargo. And the crazy thing is she doesn’t appear for the first 30 minutes or so. It may actually be closer to 40. Besides that foot in the wood chipper scene, her character – and that bun in the oven – are probably the things that people recall the most from Fargo.

She was charming in Wonder Boys and played reserved and anxious to a T in Almost Famous. (“Rock stars have kidnapped my son!”). And who could forget her kooky character in Burn After Reading? Sadly, that’s surprisingly the last time her mug has graced the big screen.

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