
Nevertheless, the same year she wrapped up Cleopatra, Claudette Colbert was done being typecast as a Hollywood lush. So, how was Colbert in the role? As Cinemagraphe notes, this version of Cleopatra involved some seriously cool Depression-era feminism, with Colbert playing "a gal who can take anything life throws at her, and whose own suicide is played as a clever triumph over one more foolish Roman." Teaming up again for Cleopatra, DeMille's flick "cost about $1,000,000 to produce, employed 5,000 people, was 14 months in the making" (via Vanity Fair). As Vanity Fair explains, she also starred as "Poppaea, Emperor Nero's lascivious wife," in the director's 1932 historical drama, The Sign of the Cross. It wasn't the first time Colbert worked with the legendary DeMille, either. As noted by The Guardian, Suzman directed Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra in an on-stage production of Antony and Cleopatra at the Liverpool Playhouse. It looks like playing Cleopatra really left a mark on Janet Suzman, as in 2011, she decided to step back into the ruler's sandals - yet this time as a director. Starring in a plethora of Shakespearean roles throughout the '60s and '70s such as "Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Ophelia in Hamlet," the actress mused to the outlet that she believes Tinseltown is "conservative." Elaborating, Suzman explained, "If you've worn a tiara, they are always looking for tiara parts for you." As The Guardian wrote years later in 2011, "Janet Suzman was one of the giants of the British stage in the 60s and 70s," adding that she was even poised for Hollywood - yet never made it. The starlet is truly mesmerizing to look at as the queen of the Nile, and as it turns out, she was already an acting heavyweight at the time.

We've rounded up the best portrayals of Cleopatra on-screen, ranking them from those that aren't too memorable to the ones we'll immediately recognize. A "coin bearing a portrait of Cleopatra" was discovered in 2007 dating back to 32 B.C., " a rather homely Cleopatra with a large nose, narrow lips and a sharp chin." As the mag notes, "ancient historians never characterized Cleopatra as a great beauty, and in her time she was not considered a romantic heroine." Thankfully, for fans of cinema, Tinseltown tends to embellish the truth.Īs the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote in 2000, "Cleopatra holds title of longest-running screen siren." That being said, it takes more than slapping on some kohl eyeliner, a blunt bob for a wig, and calling it a day. However, according to Smithsonian Magazine, that may not have been the case.


While many have often wondered what Cleopatra looked like, Hollywood has taken the approach of portraying her as a breathtaking beauty.
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She's inspired a Shakespeare play, been in countless flicks and TV series both bad and good, and even served as influence for the most bizarre music videos (yeah, Katy Perry, we're looking at you). and has since become an instantly recognizable part of pop culture. Cleopatra, the commanding and impressive queen of the Nile, acted as the ruler of Egypt during the 1st century B.C.
