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Brigitte Mira

A short, dumpy character player with brunette hair and sagging, weathered features, Mira became unexpectedly prominent in her sixties in German film. Like actors from Marie Dressler to Jessica Tandy, Mira won some fine leading roles in her senior years precisely because of her seemingly ordinary nature, and a versatility which enabled her to play both downtrodden and stern alike. Her roles in the 1970s and 80s ranged from leads to character cameos but, whether cast as put-upon proletariats, idiosyncratic servants or nasty mothers, she always made an impression. Mira was especially good in key films by New German Cinema's most prolific talent, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. More than any other filmmaker, he realized that behind the plainness, Mira offered a face full of character, a memorable speaking voice, and the talent for total conviction in her roles.