Top 8 Actresses Who Took on the Role of Mary Magdalene (3 of 5)

4. Anne Bancroft — Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Noted for her method acting, Anne Bancroft is one of a handful of individuals to have achieved an acting “triple crown,” which consists of an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony. Her first film was the 1952 Marilyn Monroe vehicle Don’t Bother To Know. Although she had no problem finding roles in movies and theater throughout the 50s and 60s, it was her portrayal of Mrs. Robinson in the 1967 classic The Graduate that legitimized her as a star. She played Mary Magdalene in the 1977 TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, which was a ratings hit and featured several other top actors of the day, including James Earl Jones, Laurence Olivier, and Anthony Quinn.

5. Juliette Binoche — Mary (2005)

The Paris-born Juliette Binoche wasn’t a particularly good student, but she had developed a knack for acting as a teenager and performed in her high school’s theater productions. She played a few bit roles on French TV shows as a teen but quickly came to realize that a career in movies was her calling. By her early 20s, she was receiving nominations for her acting, including a César. She reached international stardom after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1996’s The English Patient. Binoche played Mary Magdalene in the 2005 movie Mary, which premiered at that year’s Venice Film Festival, where it won 4 awards, including the Special Jury Prize.