Five Female Characters Who Break The Mould

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A little while ago, we celebrated some of the amazing women who are making their mark on the world IRL. Now, it’s time to take a look into TV and film, and check out the women who are breaking the mould, doing things their own way, and inspiring people just like you…

Eloise Bridgerton - Bridgerton

In a world where women are expected to be quiet, subservient, and want nothing other than a man to marry, Eloise Bridgerton is having none of it. She believes she’s destined for so much more. Alongside her quest to find out just who Lady Whistledown is, Eloise is on a mission to disrupt the norm. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, calls out the privilege and freedom that her older brothers get, dreams of going to university, and wants more for her life than fancy dresses, high tea, and marriage. And, while her sister Daphne has very different views to her, she is still incredibly supportive of her choices.

Tiana - The Princess and the Frog

Tiana is a little different to most of the Disney princesses in that her dream in life is not to meet a prince and fall in love...but to work hard and take control of her own destiny. Even when (spoiler alert) she’s turned into a frog, with a prince, she’s the one who has the plan to get back to human-hood! Tiana’s goals are clear - she wants to own her own restaurant and be a world-class chef, in honour of her late father. The fact that she falls in love along the way is kind of a side-note, and not something that consumes her every day. It’s all about the food, the restaurant and the life that she wants, for herself.

Sara Howard - The Alienist

The year is 1896, and Sara Howard is the first woman to be hired by the New York Police Department, as a secretary to Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt - and is based loosely on the NYPD’s real life first female detective, Isabella Goodwin! For Sara, this job is just a stepping stone, as she has higher aspirations to become a detective. She faces sexism on the daily and is made to feel inferior by her male colleagues, but it never stops her. She’s rebellious, driven, and hard set on affirming her place in a world dominated by men. Because of her tenacity, she soon becomes a liaison on a big case, and finds herself increasingly involved in the pursuit of one of New York City's first serial killers. Then, in the second season of the show she becomes a private detective with her own agency - which, at the time, was seen as a blasphemous career for a woman!

Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson & Dorothy Vaughan - Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures tells the story of Katherine, Mary and Dorothy, real life NASA mathematicians during the Space Race in 1961. The women - who were hired as ‘human computers’ (literally people who did complex maths problems) were invaluable in their contribution to sending people into space and played a pivotal role in some of NASA’s biggest achievements, such as America’s first human spaceflight and sending astronaut John Glenn around Earth. But, it’s 1961, in Virginia, USA, which means that segregation between white and Black people is still a thing. So the women work in the ‘coloured only’ section and face blatant acts of sexism and racism at work every day. But their determination for a better, more explored life - both on ground and in space! - keeps them going. Katherine, the only Black woman in a team of white men helps map the exact path Freedom 7 would need to take from liftoff to splashdown; Mary petitions in court to take graduate courses at the segregated high school, making her NASA’s first Black female engineer; and Dorothy figures out programming for a computer system to work and trains an entire team of women to operate the machine too, becoming NASA’s first Black female supervisor!

Jesminder Bhamra - Bend It Like Beckham

Jesminder has a calling: she wants to be the greatest footballer in the world, just like her idol, David Beckham. But, her conservative Indian family forbids it, as it goes against the traditional gender-based roles in their culture. But Jes is adamant that she can do it. So, with a bit of sneaking around and help from her best friend Jules, she finds ways to play the game she loves, and try and please her family. It doesn’t always work out though. And while she might want to be a certain way for her parents, she sometimes struggles to find ways to stay true to herself without shattering their dreams for her. Throw in the consistent comparisons to her older sister Pinky - who is a stereotypical vision of femininity - and one that is far more acceptable to her parents, and Jes’s feelings get even more mixed up. Regardless though, she keeps on kicking - footballs and expectations - and shows the audience just what you can achieve if you stick to your guns and go for your dreams.

Which women do you think are breaking the mould when it comes to TV and film? Let us know over at @NCS!