Brie Larson has long been an advocate for women, and now she's using her career to tell stories of the women's rights activists who came before her. As reported by Deadline, Larson will star as Victoria Woodhull, the United States' first female presidential candidate.
News of this biopic comes just days after the announcement that Hillary Clinton will be the subject of a film about her pre-D.C. years, titled When I'm a Moth. While Clinton made history as the first female nominee for a major political party (not to mention the first woman to win the popular vote) she was not the first woman to run for the top political position in the United States. In 1872, Woodhull, a suffragette, was nominated and ran for President of the United States — more than 40 years before women had the right to vote at all. (Woodhull could not even cast a ballot for herself!)
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It's more than merely Woodhull's historic nomination that makes her so ripe for a Hollywood biopic. According to Deadline, Woodhull was quite an intriguing character. She's described as a "narcissist," "non-conformist," and "rebel." It's her imperfections as a feminist icon that make her so intriguing — she's human, and fighting for human rights.
Given Larson's clear talent — she brilliantly portrayed a sexual assault and kidnapping survivor in 2015's Room, earning her the Best Actress Oscar — Larson's Woodhull will likely be as nuanced as the character demands. In addition to starring in Victoria Woodhull, Larson will also produce the upcoming film — yet another way for her voice to be heard in the projects Hollywood releases.
We need more movies about the often forgotten activists of the early women's rights movement. Just as many people were unaware of the advancements that the women of Hidden Figures made to the United States space program, we simply don't learn enough about the women who made history in our history books.
Larson's new role will bring Woodhull's journey into the spotlight. I, for one, can't wait to learn more about the woman we owe quite a lot to.
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