There are several actors whose careers have yet to be given as much attention as they deserve. They have constantly given strong performances that have won critical praise, but more often than not, they are remembered simply as familiar faces. One such actor is Piper Laurie.
You might remember Piper Laurie as the evil mother Margaret White from the movie Carrie. Another memorable role is that scary incarnation of Aunt Em from the Disney film, Return to Oz. A truly outstanding performance etched Laurie in the minds of many of the younger generation of fans.
Stand out performance in the 1980s was Laurie in the riveting film Children of a Lesser God, which earned Piper an Oscar nomination, her third to date.
Fast forward to the late 1980s, and she was acting as Catherine Martell and Mr. Tojamura in the cult classic Twin Peaks.
There have been several recurring roles on TV series like Thorn Birds, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone, Matlock, ER (as George Clooney’s mother, no less), Diagnosis Murder, Frasier, Will & Grace, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the reboot of MacGyver.
You’d be mistaken that Piper Laurie is a great character actress who has had ongoing success throughout the 1970s until the modern day, with several projects still on the horizon.
But what is remarkable about Piper Laurie’s career is that her first break into film acting was in 1950, when she landed a contract with Universal Pictures. She and chum Rock Hudson both signed contracts with Universal Pictures and became some of the last actors to sign up to the old Studio system.
The studio system was not an excellent experience for Piper Laurie as she felt pigeonholed as the “girl who ate flowers” yes, believe it or not, that was a marketing campaign endorsed by the studio to try and increase Laurie’s popularity.
After several years of experiencing the studio dictating her roles, including The Prince Who Was a Thief, Has Anyone Seen My Gal, Son of Ali Baba, Smoke Signal, and Ain’t Misbehavin’. When it came to wishing to stay locked into the studio system, Piper Laurie decided she didn’t want her career controlled and walked away.
Piper did make a film after she walked away from the studio system, a film that was a breakout role for Laurie, The Hustler with Paul Newman, George C Scott, and Jackie Gleason. This film earned Piper her first Oscar nomination and caught the entire industry’s attention; this was her last film role for 15 years.
When you watch a Piper Laurie performance early in her career, she is a formidable performer. She is enthralling on the screen as she gives everything to the role, which is captivating. She is a unique actor, and watching her films, and you can see she has a natural talent for taking people on a journey with her engaging performances, time and again.
Acting work continued with stellar performances on TV. During this time, Piper Laurie started to get ongoing well in TV, particularly in TV movies that kept the momentum going.
But in 1964, with roles becoming a little sporadic, Piper Laurie decided to take a chance and moved into theater, doing The Glass Menagerie; this was an acclaimed performance with rave reviews. But after leaving the production, Laurie took a long-deserved break.
But Laurie didn’t retire from the industry; her interests took her elsewhere. Outside of acting, Piper Laurie is a renowned artist; in particular, she is known for her talents in sculpting stone.
In the 1960s seeking stimulation from another field, Piper Laurie enrolled in an arts college and studied sculpting. She has an impressive talent for creating beautiful artwork from organic material. Something about these pieces is tactile; you want to go up and touch them and run your hands along the creases. They are organic but thoughtful.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Piper Laurie started a family and moved to upstate New York. She threw herself into sculpting and found becoming a mother a gratifying experience. She also became quite the baker and has a reputation for making delicious bread that is discussed and referenced all these years later.
Listening to Piper Laurie’s audiobook, what is striking about Piper Laure is her honesty. She is not one to shy away or gloss over her experiences in the film industry. She talks openly about her romances with Ronald Regan, Joe Mankiewicz, John Frankenheimer, and Mel Gibson.
Here is a woman who should be celebrated for her fantastic career and her passion for life and love. Many actors shy away from their private lives, but Piper Laurie is open about her sexual experiences, which should be applauded. Here is a woman who lived her life as authentically as she wished, and it is very liberating to read about her journey. Her story is genuine and honest and not your cliched Hollywood biography.
In doing research for the piece, what comes across time and again is Piper Laurie is something who, very early on in life, learned to handle what life throws at you, grow from it, and move on. With this strong character, she has enjoyed a varied life and is curious about the world around her.
As recently as 2020, Piper Laurie added another credit to a very impressive resume. She directed her first film, with additional projects in the works now that the world has emerged post-pandemic. Again, this is a person who has a lust for life and enjoys everything that comes her way.
If you want to watch some of her work, start with Carrie or the TV series Twin Peaks.
Then pivot to some of her early work, including The Hustler, The Milkman, The Mississippi Gambler, Ain’t Misbehavin’, or Kelly and Me. See the sort of films first offered to Laurie under the studio system.
But then, if you want to see the kind of performances that highlights her true talent try watching Tim, Return to Oz, Children of a Lesser God, Appointment with Death, Other People’s Money, or Another Harvey Moon.
Piper Laurie is a natural, unique performer that has held her own in an industry that tried to typecast her in the early days of the studio system. She is someone who has lived her life her way and should be celebrated as an actor in film, tv, and theater, but she also succeeded as an artist and mother.
Suppose you are interested in learning more about Piper Laurie and her phenomenal life work. In that case, she does an extensive interview on TCM that is available to watch on YouTube, and her audiobook, Learning to Live out Loud, is available through audible.
