Margo Martindale is a character actress who has such a presence on screen, she’s phenomenal. I remember seeing her on Justified and thinking that she was so great in that and familiar. In fact I knew her from The Riches (watch it on Hulu!), Dexter and from supporting roles on so many other TV series and movies throughout the years. It turns out that Justified was when everything changed for Margo, now a three time Emmy-Award winning actress for her work on that show and on The Americans. In an appearance on The Today Show to promote her role on Instant Family, which is out on DVD tomorrow (I’m so redboxing that), she talked about her career over the years, who she’d like to work with (Tom Hanks) and the fact that everything changed for her after she turned 60. I found this interview while I was looking for Ben Affleck’s full talk with Hoda and am so glad I watched it. This isn’t online as a clip yet but you can watch it here if you fast forward to 32 minutes in.
Who haven’t you worked with that you’d love to work with?
Tom Hanks. I’ve said it enough times. Nobody’s picked up on it.You are so bad in The Americans. I mean evil.
I don’t think I was evil. I was a very good soldier for another country.What haven’t you done yet that you want to do?
Maybe a musical and I’m not a very good singer.Would you say you hit your stride at 60?
I would say everything got easy at 60. I guess it was because of Justified. It just threw me into another place and I’m very grateful. I’m very grateful for every day but I’m so happy that the older I get the more I work.
She was so cute talking about Tom Hanks as she didn’t hesitate at all. I hope that she gets to work with him soon!
You know I hope I’m still kicking ass at 60, 70, 80 (Jane Fonda!) and that’s why I like reporting on these incredible older actresses still doing their thing. I know this isn’t likely to get a lot of comments, but I’m ok with that and wanted to give some love to Margo. Also anyone willing to play themselves on Bojack Horseman is awesome in my book.
She was terrifying on Justified and excellent on the Americans. Mama’s got talent!!!
i absolutely loved her character on the Americans. I’m a diehard Americans fan & she really stole the show in her scenes.
I binge watched the first 5 seasons but am now really struggling with season 6. *spoiler* ….I think it’s the whole storyline with Paige now a card carrying spy and the semi “break up” of the family that has thrown me. It’s almost like watching a different show. Should I stick with it? Does it get better?
@Louise… you have to finish it now! It comes to an inevitable, but still surprising conclusion. Haunted me for weeks.
@Louisa – Yes! STICK WITH IT. The end is amazing.
She was very good in August Osage County, opposite Meryl Streep
I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen her in any on screen performance as of yet, but she has earnt herself a perma-win status in my book for how willing she is to riff on herself as ‘Character Actress Margo Martindale’ in Bojack – she must have a great sense of humour. Go Margo!
She is such a great character on that show.
Love her. She has such a great warmth to her in the roles I’ve seen her play. Glad she’s getting work!
I love her. She was so amazing on The Americans. She’s a little disingenuous about it though – yes, she was a good soldier for another country but there are rules of war. I’ll never forget her speech about what the Soviets went through in WWII, it was so well done.
She was really great in The Americans and yes that was a great speech. Her performance was very nuanced. I mostly didn’t like her character at all — I liked Gabriel better as their handler although he was awful in some respects too — but could appreciate what she put into the role.
LOVE HER.
The first thing I really saw her in was her little vignette in Paris J’ Taime and I was blown away by her. Hope she gets to work with Tom!!
Yay!!!
I was about to call out her spot in Paris Je t’aime!!! She had one of my favorite segments and one of my favorite quotes – I had just come back from my first trip overseas, which was Paris and it just fit so perfectly.
“..All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me.”
I’ve told so many people to watch her in “Paris Je T’aime.” It’s wonderful, just wonderful.
Not for nothing, but I have actor friends who have worked on various projects with her, as extras or day-players, and they glow about her. She would come over to shake their hands, introduce herself, etc. An old-school pro.
Yes. That’s the first thing I saw her in and it really touched me. Paris Je t’aime. Wonderful! Best part by far of that movie.
I loved when she was on the Americans and The Good Wife / The Good Fight at the same time, playing similar characters but batting for different camps. Ruth and Claudia are both ruthless old war horses in their respective organisations.
LOVE HER!
The bojack horseman thing was hilarious! And she was great in the Americans! She is just fantastic.
I believe you meant to write her full name…Character Actor Margo Martindale.
She has a film coming out with Tiffany Haddish soon that I am looking forward to seeing.
Tiffany posted Insta stories when they were filming and Margo is a hoot and a half.
BoJack! She even kicks a** in a cartoon.
Love to see her featured here. She’s fantastic in everything she’s in.
I also love hearing women embracing their age and finding their passions. For far too long, women have been held to a standard that revolves around youth and success–which of course never applies to men. So as I get older, I really appreciate these stories.
If you haven’t seen Justified, it’s well worth the watch (Timothy Olyphant!) and I would recommend the entire series, but if you want to see Margo, she is in season two. It’s possibly one of the best television performances in history! I was so happy for her to win the Emmy, and then see her career take off.
I embarked on a second career/grad school at 50 and sincerely appreciate these stories that show that aging can bring great freedom and opportunity. I love Margo and hope more actresses can celebrate this reality.
Good for you. I’m just over 50 and in a second career, too, minus the grad school. I’m kinda starting at the bottom but I don’t mind. Luckily we are a two-income family so it feels like a luxury to be able to make this choice. Best to you!
I have loved Margot Martindale for a long time. She’s one of those faces you see all the time if you’re paying attention – she pops up in movies constantly in bit parts and can do comedy and drama equally well. She’s really awesome. I’m glad she’s getting recognition because she’s amazing. She was totally badass in The Americans.
I will never forget her introduction. When she kidnapped Elizabeth and Philip as a test of their loyalty. It was just so bone chilling cold and I then I said, ‘This woman is gonna win a Emmy’.
She also fantastic in Sneaky Pete on Amazon!
Yes!!
This! It seems like Sneaky Pete gets no love, but she and the entire cast are great!
Yaaasss. Love her on Sneaky Pete. First saw her on Americans. She could so play a baddass action grandma in the big screen.
Or, better yet, head of a Midwest crime family. 👏👏👏👏👏👏. Hugging grand babies, singing lullabies while cranking a Kalishnikov,racqueteering her way past Congress and the White House. Subject of investigation by FBI Bureau Chief, Tom Hanks?? 🤔🤔. Make it happen Tom Hanks.🎉🎉🎉🎉
She’s so “real” in every part she plays. I love reading more about character actors, since they showcase the breadth of skills it takes to bring performances alive.
Also, she’s great in Sneaky Pete – highly recommend!
She is amazing in everything.
I also love stories about older celebrities, especially women who have had success later in life!
I’ve only seen her on the Americans and thought she was great.
There are roles for older women out there (especially now with all the new streaming outlets)–not a ton-but they’re not as glamorous as young women roles, maybe that’s why they get forgotten.
She’s exceptional. I ALWAYS forget her acting and dive into the character.
Loved her in Instant Family (and everything else she pops up in!).
Glad she is getting work and enjoying this stage of her career.
she was soooo good on The Americans. I wish there were 10 more seasons in the works..
Good for her that she’s gotten the attention and awards she so richly deserves.
The Americans would do really well, I think, if they did another series that jumped ahead to maybe 2015. Would love to see where everyone ended up and how they’d be part of Putin’s Russia/Trump’s US.
that would be so awesome… Elizabeth would have shown princess complicit around Moscow and wormed her way into the trump circle and become a confidant to the family…
I don’t really know her, but am happy for her success later in life. I still have Luke Perry on the brain and he will never see 60. I guess we can’t ever take a day for granted and it appears Ms. Martindale doesn’t. Hope she gets to work with Hanks.
The first time I really noticed her was in the TV show The Millers. Horrible show, but she was great. I watched it just for her. And she was married to Beau Bridges in the show, he was pretty funny.
She has amazing range in her acting, I’m so glad her career has taken off like this, she deserves it.
That’s what I’ve only ever seen her in, although I’ve seen clips of her other work. And The Millers was a dumb show, but she & Bridges were hilarious
She is a such a talent! Every roll she is so believable and real that you either love or hate her depending on her character. I know if she’s in a production–movie or TV that it’s probably going to be good to great, because she always brings IT, every time.
In that first picture, she is resting her hand on her stomach. Quick, someone yell at her for being fake or side-eye her for not keeping her hand down to her side!! It’s so “Look at meeeeee!” Actressess! Sheesh! (I’m joking! 😀 )
I get what you’re saying! But she’s showing off that lovely bracelet.
<3
Don’t you know? She’s pregnant!! LOL
LOVE HER. She was amazing on “Justified” — and now I have more motivation to watch “The Americans.”
What do you notice about actresses who actually get work in their fifties and beyond? They look like they are the age they portray! All that Botox and fillers and the rest that so many actresses use don’t actually get them roles. A botoxed and filled woman of fifty looks like a Botoxed and filled woman of fifty, not a young woman. Producers can always find more young women for young roles. But when the want an actress to play an older woman, they need someone who looks her age! (And that doesn’t mean they are horrible looking either! They can look great, as Margo does, but like a real human being!)
v inspiring! and important to break through the stereotypes re getting older…
I’ve always loved Margo in anything I see her in— even in The Americans. I first saw her in Secretariat.
I’ve actually loved her for a long time, even in her bit roles she always stood out (Practical Magic anyone?) Anyway thank you Margo for doing what you do and how you do it.
Yes! “Alright ladies, let’s clean house!” Practical Magic was awesome~
Great actress! I loved how twisted she was on “Justified.” Her depiction of a dysfunctional, psychopathic mother was a trip.
I love the success stories of these older actresses. At 40 I decided to pivot and follow my childhood dream of being a writer. I often get down and think it won’t happen but I see stories like this one and it just motivates me to put in the work and keep writing 🥰
She was fantastic, along with Frank Langella, in The Americans!
I love to see older actresses portraying interesting female characters and telling our stories. I am glad that the work keeps coming for her – she’s marvellous and I’m a big fan.