We will never forgetTom Cruise falling down the rabbit hole inRisky Business. Not because it's his best moment in the film but because of the cause. Rebecca De Mornay was the blonde prostitute that turned Joel's weekend into a sexy mess. Even after credits rolled and Hollywood started falling for a young Cruise, we were still struck by De Mornay.
Years after, Hollywood was still missing the point of giving her more important roles to perform. De Mornay changed the mood of films every time she showed up but was always left out of the main spot. That is until she stained with blood the white-picket fences of Americana inThe Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Suddenly, they started noticing, and her career took a turn for the best. In recent years, she's stayed out of the spotlight performing in more minor roles in hit television series like Jessica Jones and Lucifer. Nevertheless, we still haven't forgotten about her. These are the best roles by Rebecca de Mornay.
9 Identity
In Identity, De Mornay plays Caroline Suzanne, an obnoxious 80s actress on a limo who finds herself trapped in a motel during the fateful stormy night that provides the essence of the film’s premise. Her role is short, but after an absence from the spotlight, seeing her back, and playing a very well-written character, was truly great. This is her genre, no matter what anyone says.
8 Lords of Dogtown
In 2005, De Mornay played Philaine in Lords of Dogtown, an erratic mother figure to Jay Adams that somehow manipulated him into trying to make more money to pay the rent. We figure there were other expenses as well. De Mornay’s role is really short, but it has enough precision to let us understand the basis of her pressure to force her kid to be the best in the skateboarding universe.
7 Mother's Day
After De Mornay broke into everybody's household in America with The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, the typecast was inevitable. However, no one thought it would last this long. In Mother’s Day, she simply does what she does best: play a relatable but unhinged version of a society figure with a dark intention. Now, she finally becomes a mother that will play her role against any obstacle.
6 The Trip to Bountiful
De Mornay’s role as Thelma in The Trip to Bountiful is pretty secondary. So, why did we put it on the list? Well, it’s hard to imagine Mrs. Watts' journey without Thelma by her side. She provides a great counterpart as a young woman who’s fascinated with the lady’s tales. Without Thelma, the film would be lifeless. Roger Ebert famously loved De Mornay’s role in this film.
5 Backdraft
De Mornay plays Helen McCaffrey in Backdraft, the wife of firefighter Stephen McCaffrey. She has decided enough is enough and separates from Stephen, as he risks his life in a manner that sets everything else in his life as secondary. De Mornay’s role comes from a great execution of the script and the director’s understanding of Helen’s leverage in the plot.
4 Testament
In Testament, there aren’t many central characters. It’s just how the saddest film in history works. In it, she plays Cathy Pitkin, partner to Phil, who is played by a young Kevin Costner. The couple is also suffering the effects of a nuclear attack. Their baby is one of the first victims of the fallout, and De Mornay shortly portrays a grieving mother that has lost her will to live. The young actress is part of an ensemble of extraordinary performances.
3 Risky Business
We might remember Risky Business for launching Tom Cruise to stardom in 1983. But playing the role of Lana also gave De Mornay a place in Hollywood. Playing the ridiculously sexy bombshell would have been possible by any other actress, yet De Mornay provided enough dramatic presence to give strength to Lana’s more dangerous side. Anyone would have also been hypnotized by Lana’s stare, and it feels like it should have made De Mornay just as big a star as Tom Cruise.
2 The Three Musketeers
Playing Milady de Winter in Stephen Herek’s rendition of The Three Musketeers must have been a smooth ride for an already solid De Mornay. Always prepared for a character with twisted morals, De Mornay plays the woman with a taste for betrayal. Beautiful as always, she provides seductive leverage in the film. But then, when de Winter is sentenced to death, De Mornay gets a great opportunity to show her dramatic skills.
1 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Undoubtedly, De Mornay's most iconic role and best performance of her career. 1992’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle had De Morany play the role of a woman posing as a nanny to seek revenge on a woman who she blames for her husband's death. She’s beautiful, deadly, and violent. De Morany's performance won her Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards and was nominated for Best Actress at the Saturn Awards. The movie was also a box office hit, largely due to her incredible performance.
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