No matter which version of Spider-Man you like, Aunt May is an integral part of Peter Parker’s story. But the actresses who have brought the character to life don’t seem to care for the role. Marisa Tomei and Sally Field have both expressed their regrets about playing Aunt May—but for different reasons.
Marisa Tomei Talks Aunt May Role
Tomei, who first portrayed Aunt May in Captain America: Civil War, voiced her dismay at agreeing to the role because it might have typecast her as a “maternal character” on screen. When asked about playing maternal characters in a recent interview with Collider, she responded…
“I really regret starting down this road, and I really regret starting to do that. I was, you know, talked into it. Not this, but I mean just that change. And I really always felt like, ‘Oh, I could play a lot of things.’ Honestly, it’s probably more of a stretch than other things. But, it’s, yeah, I guess I said it all.”
“I think every actor and actress has a lot of dimensions to them, and if the scope of what is being written and being made is narrow, and you want to keep working, you do what you can. I mean, I do. I tried it. It was maybe not the right road, but you know, I do try to make the most of it.”
Another Aunt May Actress Agrees
Tomei isn’t the only actress who regrets her time as Aunt May. Sally Field, who played Aunt May in Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man movies, said she didn’t really like the movies and didn’t put a great deal of effort into her performance.
In an interview with Howard Stern, Field said she made the films as a favour to her friend Laura Ziskin, who was severely ill at the time.
“My friend Laura Ziskin was the producer, and we knew it would be her last film. She was my first producing partner, and she was a spectacular human. It’s really hard to find a three-dimensional character in it, and you work it as much as you can, but you can’t put ten pounds of sh*t in a five-pound bag.”
While Sally Field’s time as Aunt May ended years ago, Marisa Tomei last appeared as the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s not clear if she will reprise the role in any future Marvel Spider-Man movies – maybe in flashbacks?
RELATED: Spider-Man 4: Will Ned Leeds Become The MCU’s Venom?
What do you think? Is Marisa Tomei a good Aunt May in the Spider-Man franchise?
What happened to Liz Toomes (Laura Harrier) after Spider-Man: Homecoming? No Way Home gives us a few clues.
Spider-Man: No Way Home |
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With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear. |
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| Studio: Marvel Studios |
| Running Time: 148 minutes |
| Release Date: December 17, 2021 |
| Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire |
| Director: Jon Watts |
| Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Superhero |
| Box Office: $1.923 billion |
My respect for both these actresses just went out the window. First, there’s nothing “wrong” with “maternal characters”, so I hate hearing that gripe; I don’t know how “typecasting” works in Hollywood, but, I’m assuming that if you are a truly versatile actor/actress, and you have a decent agent, you should be able to get other roles. So, don’t blame one role for getting typecast. But, even more than that, recognize the value of the role you played and don’t denigrate the work you’ve done. Second, Sally’s lack of effort is apparent in her acting and was no “favor” to her dying friend, so it shows what kind of a horrible person she is that she takes a role as a favor to her dying friend, and then is lazy and doesn’t put any effort into that role.