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Mira Sorvino
The Lady: Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Sorvino has a loyal fan following thanks to her roles in ditzy comedy Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion , Guillermo del Toro's Mimic and Val Kilmer vehicle At First Sight .
The Part: Oh, you know, just a prostitute named after a Greek goddess that earned Sorvino a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Rolling Stones praised her, calling Mighty Aphrodite “a showcase for Sorvino, who gives a sensational performance, shows startling humour and heart without trading on sentiment.”
In With A Chance? He bagged her that Academy Award, so she definitely owes him.
Christina Ricci
The Lady: A child star who’s made it into adulthood with minimal Hollywood scarring (that we know of), Ricci first made waves as Wednesday in The Addams Family , and has become the poster child for oddball female characters.
The Part: Sadly, Ricci got lumbered with one of Allen’s famed bad eggs, playing the object of Jason Biggs’ affection in Anything Else . At least Quentin Tarantino liked it.
In With A Chance? Considering it’s been almost universally slated, we’re going to go with “no”. Stockard Channing looks keen, though.
Elaine Stritch
The Lady: Now an impressive 84 years old, Stritch is currently making us giggle and guffaw on 30 Rock , and headed up her own one-woman show in 2001’s Elaine Stritch At Liberty .
The Part: Just one Allen credit to her name, Stritch putting an unforgettable turn as Mia Farrow’s brazen, stormy mother in 1987’s September .
In With A Chance? Stritch is more interested in working than marrying, apparently.
Radha Mitchell
The Lady: Most recognisable as the Ripley-nodding, alien-killing heroine in Pitch Black , Australian Mitchell is an indie queen – though this year she branched back into horror with seminal The Crazies . Not to be confused with Melissa George.
The Part: Despite writing the part of Melinda (uh, in Melinda And Melinda ) for Winona Ryder, Allen cast Mitchell when Ryder’s shoplifting scandal meant it was impossible to get anybody to insure her. The result is a middling Allen outing.
In With A Chance? “I was excited by the idea that Woody Allen was going to direct it,” Mitchell effused at the time. Slight possibility there, Woods.
Ta Leoni
The Lady: Leoni has survived Will Smith ( Bad Boys ), giant meteors ( Deep Impact ), dinosaurs ( Jurassic Park III ) and being married to David ‘I have sexual addiction!’ Duchovy.
The Part: In Hollywood Ending , she's a high-powered wife who helps her hubbie (Allen) out when his directing lifestyle takes a turn for the worse. Sadly, this is one of Allen’s most panned movies.
In With A Chance? If you were married to Duchovny, would you give Allen a second look?
Anjelica Huston
The Lady: Terrified kiddies as the Grand High Witch in the movie adap of Roald Dahl’s The Witches , then gave us weird feelings as Morticia in The Addams Family . Non-kid films include Prizzi’s Honour and The Grifters .
The Part: Houston crops up in both Crimes And Misdemeanors and Manhattan Murder Mystery , two of Allen’s most loved movies, and excels in both.
In With A Chance? “He’s a fantastic director, so I was very excited and enjoyed it tremendously. It was a little panicking. He made my heart race,” says Huston. Make of that what you will.
Louise Lasser
The Lady: Famous as the Mary Hartman in ‘70s soap parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman , Lasser has worked steadily on TV and short films throughout her career.
The Part: A long-suffering wife in Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Se x, and a social activist in Bananas , Lasser got her fair share of roles in Allen’s movies.
In With A Chance? Uh, yeah she was his second wife. They divorced three years after they exchanged vows.
Stacey Nelkin
The Lady: You’d have known her better if her part as another replicant in Blade Runner hadn’t been cut thanks to budget restraints. Instead, Nelkin’s most recognisable as Ellie in Myers-less Halloween III: Season Of The Witch .
The Part: Just one Allen credit to her name, Nelkin crops up in Bullets Over Broadway as Rita.
In With A Chance? She’s never worked with him again – take that as you will.
Janet Margolin
The Lady: Tragically taken from this world aged just 50 after suffering from ovarian cancer, Margolin made her greatest mark with her final movie, Ghostbusters II, as attorney ‘Kitten’.
The Part: Margolin appeared in two early Allen films – opposite the man himself as his girlfriend in Take The Money And Run , and as a social-climbing wife in Annie Hall.
In With A Chance? When she knew Allen, he was too busy wooing Diane Keaton. His loss.
Elaine May
The Lady: May has leant her talents to numerous movie scripts, though often goes uncredited ( Tootsie , Labyrinth and Dangerous Minds all passed over her desk). She has just seven acting credits to her name.
The Part: Small Time Crooks was May’s sole Allen credit, though it was a role that won her much acclaim. She gave a small but spellbinding turn as May, exerting her comedic talents to magical effect.
In With A Chance? She’s clearly an intelligent broad. Maybe that scared Woods off, as with Hall?
