Tilda Swinton, the actress, Oscar winner, and endlessly intriguing screen presence, turns 55 today — if you believe she has an age at all. Let's celebrate her provocative goodness with a quick recap of her seven essential roles. Jump to the bottom for a gallery of her finest onscreen looks.
“I Am Love”
A lot happens in “I Am Love” (including a bizarre death that still haunts me) but its most notable scene is an erotic version of “Babette's Feast.”
“Snowpiercer”
Tilda has made a number of polarizing movies, and “Snowpiercer” is no exception. Her teeth and glasses may be its most dystopian elements.
“Orlando”
The definitive Tilda movie. “Orlando” is based on Virginia Woolf's complex text, and the film is one of the few in Tilda's filmography to rise to her peculiarity. She swaps genders, deals with some horrible dude characters, and looks ravishing in incredible period garments.
“We Need to Talk About Kevin”
The rare downtrodden, emotionally bereft Tilda performance. Kids are always nightmares but this one was particularly lame.
“Michael Clayton”
Sometimes you just want to see Tilda be as corrupt as humanly possible. And apparently AMPAS does too.
“Constantine”
Never forget that Tilda actually played an androgynous half-breed angel. Even with on-the-nose bizarre roles, she successfully adds to her mystique.
“Trainwreck”
It's a small role, but Tilda's role as an obnoxiously insensitive boss in “Trainwreck” shows her off knack for hilarious caricatures. She makes the line, “Thank you, you inspire me” deliciously slimy.