Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1990
Jessica Tandy Driving Miss Daisy 1990
SEX WORKER ROLE
Blanche Dubois in Streetcar Named Desire 1947
Wins Tony Award For Playing A Prostitute
Angela Nightingale in Bedtime Story 1959
Both Characters Are Prostitutes
Jessica Tandy in Streetcar Named Desire 1947 and Bedtime Story
Blanche Dubois, an English teacher from Laurel, Mississippi, is recovering from a nervous breakdown. She decides to travel to New Orleans to visit her sister, who is pregnant. Blanche hates her sister’s husband, Stanley, and the feeling is mutual. Stanley digs up Blanche’s past as a hooker to get her out of town. Stanley continues his investigation and uncovers additional incriminating information. Blanche did not resign from her job; rather, her firing occurred due to her involvement in sexual relations with a student. When she began working as a prostitute, most of her customers were local soldiers. This led to her expulsion from the town. Eventually, Blanche experiences another breakdown, leading to her transfer to another mental hospital. Her famous exit line is, “I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers.”
Listen to several scenes from “A Streetcar Named Desire”
with Jessica Tandy reprising her role as Blanche Dubois.
Jessica Tandy also played a prostitute in the Broadway Show “Triple Play.” It consisted of 3 short acts and one monologue. In the act entitled “Bedtime Story,” Jessica plays a prostitute who has just ripped off her customer.
To read more about this prostitute role & other Oscar-winning actresses playing a hooker, please continue perusing
If you know of this actress playing more than one prostitute role, please tweet to me and let me know! I’ll gladly add it to the page here. My Twitter handle is at the top of this page.