Original 1958 Film Cast and Lead Actors
The 1958 film adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starred Paul Newman as Brick Pollitt and Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie the Cat. The cast also featured Burl Ives as Big Daddy Pollitt and Jack Carson as Gooper, with the screenplay adapted by James Poe from Tennessee Williams' play. The movie was produced by MGM and distributed by MGM/UA, and it received multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Newman and Best Supporting Actor for Ives according to Forbes.
Elizabeth Taylor's role as Maggie defined her early career and helped establish her as a leading Hollywood actress. The 1958 production was directed by Richard Brooks, with cinematography by William Daniels, and the film earned critical attention for its intense family drama and performances. The cast also included minor roles played by actors such as Skip Ward and Madeleine Sherwood, who portrayed members of the Pollitt family and supporting characters in the household as listed on IMDb.
Broadway and Revival Stage Actors
The original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened in 1955, with Paul Newman reprising his role as Brick and Maureen Stapleton as Maggie. The stage version featured a cast that included Eli Wallach as Gooper and Mildred Dunnock as Big Mama, with the production directed by Elia Kazan and designed by Jo Mielziner per IBDB records.
Major Broadway revivals have featured different actors in the central roles, with notable productions staged in 1974 and 1990. The 1974 revival starred Barbara Bel Geddes as Big Mama and featured a cast that included Barry Nelson as Big Daddy, while the 1990 revival included roles played by actors such as Penny Fuller and Michael Rhodes per Playbill archives.
Television Adaptations and Later Screen Versions
A 1984 television movie adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starred Jessica Lange as Maggie and Tommy Lee Jones as Brick, with the production aired on American Playhouse. The cast also included Rip Torn as Big Daddy and Kim Stanley as Big Mama, and the adaptation was produced by Republic Pictures Television for PBS per TCM database.
The 1984 version brought new interpretations to the Pollitt family dynamics, with Lange and Jones earning critical praise for their performances. The production maintained the core themes of the original play while adapting dialogue and scenes for the television format, and it featured supporting actors such as David Dukes as Gooper and Penny Fuller as Mae as reviewed by The New York Times.