Did You Know? These 10 Actors Played the Role of Nora in A DOLL'S HOUSE!

A Doll's House is officially back on Broadway! This all new revival is led by Jessica Chastain, taking on the iconic role of 'Nora Helmer' in Henrik Ibsen's landmark drama.

This strictly limited 16-week engagement began previvews at Broadway's Hudson Theatre on Monday, February 13, 2023 and officially opened on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

The play has been around for nearly 150 years, premiering at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, with hundreds of productions, and several film adaptations since. While Chastain is the latest star to portray Nora, many have done so before her. Here is a list of 10 actors you may not have known played Nora in A Doll's House!

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Julie Harris

Julie Harris took on the role of Nora in the 1959 film adaptation of A Doll's House. This adaptation premiered on television on November 15, 1959, as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame anthology series. It is directed and produced by George Schaefer, from a teleplay by James Costigan, based on Ibsen's play.

Harris stars alongside Christopher Plummer as Torvald. The pair had previously co-starred in Little Moon of Alban. The cast also includes Hume Cronyn as Nils Krogstad, Eileen Heckart as Kristine Linde, and Jason Robards Jr. as Dr. Rank.

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Jane Fonda

Iconic actress Jane Fonda played the lead role in the 1973 film adaptation of A Doll's House.

This rendition is directed by Joseph Losey, and extensively adapted the original source material. Entire new scenes were developed by British dramatist David Mercer and integrated through a number of invented sets.

David Warner co-stars as Torvald in a cast that includes Trevor Howard as Dr. Rank, Delphine Seyrig as Kristine Linde, and Edward Fox as Nils Krogstad.

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Claire Bloom

An additional film adaptation of the play was released in 1973, directed by Patrick Garland, and starring Claire Bloom as Nora. Bloom stars alongside Anthony Hopkins as Torvald Helmer with Ralph Richardson as Dr. Rank and Denholm Elliott as Nils Krogstad

In 1996, Bloom released an autobiography with a title referencing the iconic play. Leaving a Doll's House: A Memoir is a collection of Bloom's writing about her life, career and relationships, including her first marriage to Rod Steiger. The main focus is on her troubled relationship with writer Philip Roth.

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Liv Ullmann

Liv Ullmann took the stage as Nora in A Doll's House on Broadway in 1975, beginning previews on February 21 and opening on March 5. The production played 14 previews and 54 performances before closing on April 20.

The cast also included Sam Waterston as Torvald Helmer, Barbara Colby as Kristine Linde, and Michael Granger as Dr. Rank. Judith Light also played Helene, the maid.

Ullmann was nominated for both a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role.

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Cheryl Campbell

Cheryl Campbell played Nora in the 1982 London revival of A Doll's House at the Barbican Theatre, for which she won an Olivier Award for her performance.

Beginning previews on 4 June, the production opened on 17 June, and closed on 20 October. The production was directed by Adrian Noble, with choreography by David Toguri, designs by Kit Surrey, lighting by Leo Leibovici, and music by Peter Washtell.

Alongside Campbell, the cast included Stephen Moore as Torvald Helmer, John Franklyn-Robbins as Dr. Rank, Marjorie Bland as Kristine Linde, and Bernard Lloyd as Nils Krogstad.

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Juliet Stevenson

Another film adaptation of the play was made in 1992, starring Juliet Stevenson in the role of Nora. Directed by David Thacker, the made-for-television film was first broadcast on BBC 2 on 21 November 1992, and was later shown on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre in the United States.

The cast also included Trevor Eve as Torvald Helmer, Geraldine James as Kristine Linde, Patrick Malahide as Dr. Rank, and David Calder as Nils Krogstad.

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Janet McTeer

Janet McTeer starred in the next Broadway revival of A Doll's House, which opened in 1997. The production played 150 performances at the Belasco Theatre from April 2 - August 31. Following its official closing, there was one additional performance on September 1, 1997 as a benefit for the Actors Fund.

McTeer won several awards for this performance, including a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award. The production also won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, and the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival of a Play.

The cast also included Owen Teale as Torvald Helmer, John Carlisle as Dr. Rank, Jan Maxwell as Kristine Linde, and Peter Gowen as Nils Krogstad. Teale also won a Tony Award for his performance.

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Gillian Anderson

In 2009, the play was revived in London again, starring Gillian Anderson as Nora. This new translation by Zinnie Harris opened at The Donmar Warehouse on May 14 and played through July 18. The cast also included Toby Stephens as Thomas, Anton Lesser as Dr. Rank, Tara FitzGerald as Christine Lyle, and Christopher Eccleston as Neil Kelman.

Anderson was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance.

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Hattie Morahan

The production was revived in London once again in 2012, starring Hattie Morahan as Nora. The play first began previews on 29 June 2012 at the Young Vic and opened 9 July, closing on 4 August. The production then returned on 28 March and closed on 20 April.

The same production returned once again the following year, this time at the Duke of York's Theatre. The play began previews on 8 August 2013, opening 14 August and closing on 26 October.

The cast also featured Dominic Rowan as Torvald Helmer, Steve Toussaint as Dr. Rank, Susannah Wise as Kristine Linde, and Nick Fletcher as Nils Krogstad.

In 2012, the Young Vic Theatre released a short film titled Nora with Morahan portraying what a modern-day Nora might look like.

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Laurie Metcalf

While Laurie Metcalf never actually starred in A Doll's House, she appeared on Broadway in the role of Nora in the sequel, A Doll's House, Part 2. The play, by Lucas Hnath, opened at Broadway's John Golden Theatre on April 27, 2017.

Directed by Tony Award-winner Sam Gold, the new American play picks up after Henrik Ibsen's play concludes. The cast also featured Chris Cooper, Jayne Houdyshell and Condola Rashad.

In the final scene of Ibsen's 1879 ground-breaking masterwork, Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children, and begin a life on her own. This climactic event - when Nora slams the door on everything in her life - instantly propelled world drama into the modern age. In A Doll's House, Part 2, many years have passed since Nora's exit. Now, there's a knock on that same door. Nora has returned. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind?