Golda Meir, the “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics who was one of the signatories of the 1948 declaration of independence and prime Minister over the Yom Kippur War is the subject of a bio pic, controversially starring Helen Mirren. The casting seemed an odd choice but the photos on the net indicate Mirren has managed her usual miraculous transformation this time into a grey-haired grandmother.
Meir was born 14 May 1898 (NS) with a questionable birth time of 11.58pm in Kiev, Ukraine. The family fled persecution to the US in 1906, and Meir honed her political ideas at debates on Zionism, literature, women’s suffrage and trade unionism when living with her married sister. She moved to Palestine in 1921 with her husband to live in a kibbutz and became involved in politics, going to the USA pre-independence to raise $50 million from Jewish Americans to buy arms.
Although she was a fervent Zionist she called the mass exodus of Arabs before the 1948 War of Independence “dreadful”, and likened it to what had befallen the Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe. She travelled widely during her years as labour and Foreign minister, taking over as the first female prime minister of Israel in 1969. She had to deal with the fallout of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes and the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacked, which is the focus of the film. After it was over she resigned. Most historians agree she was a success as Secretary of Labour and Housing, but a failure as prime minister.
She was born with her Taurus Sun within a degree of the Israel 1948 8th house Sun so had a deep connection to the country she helped found. She also had the signature idealistic though often confused and obsessed Neptune Pluto in Gemini of that generation in her case in a tough-minded opposition to Saturn. Her Mars in pro-active Aries was trine her Saturn and sextile Pluto so she was tenacious, courageous, stubborn and used to hardship.
There’s never much point in matching actors to the characters they play since their talent is in being not-themselves. But Mirren’s Jupiter in Virgo is exactly trine Golda Meir’s Sun which will help. Mirren was born 26 July 1946 2am London with a Russian émigré father and a maternal grandfather who was a London East End butcher, so she’s multi-cultural enough to understand a multiplicity of backgrounds.
She also has Venus and Uranus in Gemini to match Golda Meir’s Venus, Pluto, Neptune in Gemini.
Mind you actress Maureen Lipman, 10 May 1946, who first raised the criticism about a non-Jewish actress being given the role, also has Venus Uranus and North Node in Gemini. Like Golda Meir she is a Sun Taurus, with a ferociously determined Mars Pluto in Leo – which latter clashes with Mirren’s Leo Sun Pluto.
The suggestion that a player has to mirror the part exactly is a nonsensical argument as comments to all the newspaper stories indicate. Actors act and novelists use their imagination to brew up characters different from themselves.
Thank you Larissa for reminding me of Ingrid Bergman’s marvellous performance. But also Leonard Nimoy played her husband.
But if we are expected to accept black actors ĺike: Guenevere in Merlin, and Dr. Watson in The Irregulars. Then it shouldn’t be such a stretch accepting Helen Mirren as Golda Meir. And then we can perhaps stop sniping about actors from the past who portrayed those of different ethnicity. For example Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov Tony Randall, Lesley Anne Downe, Peter Sellers, Elizabeth Taylor, Omar Sharif and many others.
“The suggestion that a player has to mirror the part exactly is a nonsensical argument as comments to all the newspaper stories indicate. Actors act and novelists use their imagination to brew up characters different from themselves.’
Yes!
From an artists point of view the current policing of imaginations and creativity is intolerable, infuriating and entirely ironic in an atmosphere where reality is being upended daily. Neptune in Pisces sextile Pluto in Cap, the corruption of institutions rainbow and green washing their images via totalitarian enforced ‘kindness’ is quite some sleight of hand. And riven by head scratchingly bizarre double standards.
To me its all a continum from Brexit unicorns, to Trumps madness, flat earth, Qanon and now this.
Alice in Wonderland in Jackboots, or at least till the changing of the guards into Aires and Aquarius respectively.
Though god knows what Uranus in Gemini will bring re divisiveness. Referring to their national chart I do hope we pull back from Americas cultural infuence before its too late.
If you feel inclined Marjorie, it would be interesting to look at the two nations current relationship on that basis.
Given Maureen Lipman’s comments concerning non Jewish actors portraying Jewish individuals, I can’t wait to hear her reaction if and/or when she is denied a role because she is Jewish and the person she would be portraying is a Gentile.
Great point!
A formidable and fascinating woman. Very interesting to see how it plays out in her chart. Worthwhile exploring the astrology around the Munich massacre and it’s aftermath (Entebe; death of Netanyahu (ex presidents older brother), and the alleged tracing down of all the perpetrators by the Israeli secret service). One for another day Marjory?
I had no idea that a biographic film about Golda Meir was in production. Me being the history buff that I am, I know I’m going to have to watch it once it’s released. And I’m particularly happy to read that Helen Merrin will be playing Golda Meir.
Helen Mirren is one of my favorite contemporary actresses – right along with Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, Amira Casar, Glenn Close, Glenda Jackson, Gemma Jones, and the late Debbie Reynolds and Olympia Dukakis. I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every single film I’ve ever seen starring Mirren. Of course, I still think the Prime Suspect series was Helen Mirren’s crowning achievement – to this day, I still see her as the fictional DCI Jane Tennison.
As for actress Maureen Lipman making a fuss over a non-Jewish actress playing the role of Golda Meir, she’ll just have to deal with it. It’s not that big of deal. Helen Mirren is a wonderful, talented actress and she always plays convincing roles. I believe she’ll play the role quite well. Perhaps, Maureen Lipman is just using the ethnicity thing as a smokescreen – Lipman could be jealous of the fact that Mirren is a better actress than her (and more well known too).
And I say this as a person with both ethnic Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jewish ancestry. My Mother is mostly Orcadian Scottish and “Colonial” Mid-Atlantic Anglo-American heritage….but my maternal great-grandmother who lived to be 100 (she died in 2008) was born in Gomel, Belarus into an ethnic Ashkenazi Jewish, Yiddish speaking family. To be more specific, she was born into the Hasidic Sanz-Klausenburg sect and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland before leaving the sect and Judaism altogether and marrying my great-grandfather who was a Bermuda-born, Maryland-raised Orcadian Scotsman. I’m also of ethnic Sephardi Jewish heritage via my Father’s side (my paternal grandparents were from Andalusia, Spain and the Canary Islands and both of them were devout Catholics but of “Converso” heritage).
Anyway, I can’t wait to see the film. I can’t say I agree with all of the late Gold Meir’s politics. However, I do admire her for breaking the glass ceiling and becoming Israel’s first woman Prime Minister. Meir did prove to the world that she was no shrinking violent and definitely not a pushover.
Thank you for that post, I found it most interesting.
The old joke was that Golda Meir was really Lyndon Baines Johnson in drag.
Apparently, no one ever saw them appearing at the same event at the same time
Ingrid Bergman has also plaid Golda Meir. Her final role. She wasn’t jewish.