Sigourney Weaver Tears Up at Venice After Reporter Links ‘Alien’s’ Ripley to Kamala Harris: ‘To Think My Work Would Have Anything to Do With Her Rise Makes Me Happy’
variety.comSigourney Weaver got emotional while talking about Kamala Harris during her press conference at Venice Film Festival ahead of receiving a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.
Asked about the impact of her acting in empowering women — specifically her “Alien” character of Ripley — and how it could help make it possible for Harris to become U.S.
president, Weaver said she was “so excited about Kamala.” She then appeared to tear up at the thought of her having any influence. “To think for one moment that my work would have anything to do with her rise makes me very happy, actually, because it’s true,” she said. “I have so many women who come and thank me.” As she choked up, Weaver reached for her water, joking: “Sorry, I need my vodka.” Of Harris, she added, “It’s been difficult since 2016, and we’re all very grateful about her.” Weaver’s experience as a woman in Hollywood was a throughline of the conference, with the actor reflecting on aging in the business as well. “Suddenly, I think they had decided somehow that older women could actually play interesting characters and started writing a lot of older women characters,” she said. “Suddenly, we stopped being a joke and a mother-in-law, and we started to be real people because actually a lot of our audience are real people.” When asked about her tendency to take on tough female characters, Weaver said it’s not a conscious choice but an inherent trait of women. “I’m always asked why I play strong women and I always think that’s such a weird question because I just play women, and women are strong and women don’t give up,” she said. “You know why?
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