Older women tend to be invisible in our society, and many of them don’t care about that at all. However, one show on TNT seems determined to change the way we see women over 50 and older—or at least one specific old woman: Janine Cody, who is the matriarch of the Cody family on Animal Kingdom, and also happens to be played by award-winning actress Ellen Barkin. Janine Cody was born in 1945 in Baltimore, Maryland and raised there until her family moved to Oceanside, California in 1963 when she was 17 years old. The Twisted Love of Janine Cody
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Who Is Ellen Barkin Play Role Janine Cody
Ellen Barkin is known for her roles in movies such as Sea of Love and Diner, but a lot of people will remember her from when she starred in NBC’s Another World from 1984 to 1985. That’s not all though, because Ellen also has done some other movies that are worth seeing including, Sex, Lies and Videotape, as well as Stephen King’s novel-turned-movie classic called Misery. She was born on July 30th, 1954 in Forest Hills, New York City. On top of acting for television and movies, Ellen has been casted for a couple plays, including Julie Hebert’s Broadway play called A Streetcar Named Desire.
The first Smurf
When we’re introduced to Ellen Barkin as Janine Smurf Cody in season 1, she has been locked up for four years and is being released from prison. Her eldest grandson, J (Ben McKenzie), who has become a police officer with a new family of his own, is shocked by her return. She confronts him: You look good, boy. Cleaned up real nice. Wearing that badge—like it comes natural now? I thought you were smarter than that.
This scene establishes how tough Janine is, but also shows us how much she loves her family and how much they love her back. The show makes sure to reinforce these points throughout its run: She may be involved in crime, but she does so because she wants to provide for those closest to her.
Meet the real life woman behind Smurf
Ellen Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress. Barkin is known for her roles in films such as Diner (1982), Sea of Love (1989), Always (1989), Switchback (1997), Before and After (1996), and Another Day in Paradise (1998). She has been nominated three times for Golden Globe Awards, winning once for her role in A Time to Kill. She was also nominated for two Emmy Awards, winning one, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2014, she began starring as Janet McTeer’s ruthless business rival Pat Jones in the Fox comedy-drama series Rake.[1]
Who is Queen Bee?
In crime dramas, you’re often given a glimpse into a supporting character’s backstory. In Oceanside, California, that supporting character is Ellen Barkin’s Janine Smurf Cody. For five seasons and more than 50 episodes on Animal Kingdom, Smurf has been running her criminal enterprise alongside her sons Kyle (Ben Robson) and Craig (Frank Grillo). But who is Queen Bee? What made her so tough and cold? And how did she end up as one of TV’s greatest big bads? Let’s take a closer look at Smurf and see if we can find out what makes her tick…
Battered wife syndrome
A psychological condition which develops in some women who are abused by their husbands. The term was coined by Dr. Lenore E. Walker, a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at Denver University, in a 1978 paper titled The Battered Woman. By definition, it is characterized by an enduring relationship between husband and wife in which one or both partners’ use physical violence against each other and an accompanying set of coercive behaviors that undermine victims’ sense of self-worth, damage their feelings about themselves and incite them to remain in abusive relationships. It can also include indirect abuse such as stalking, using children as leverage or telling her she’s not allowed to leave (whether there’s physical force involved or not).
Why can’t we leave women like Smurf alone?
Janine Smurf Cody (Ellen Barkin) isn’t exactly living her best life—and she knows it. She lost custody of her son, J, years ago and she has been struggling to make a living ever since. Instead of getting better with age, Smurf has become increasingly bitter about what could have been and what she feels was stolen from her by J’s mother Cammie (Amy Smart). In tonight’s episode Back in Town, Smurf is starting over by moving to Oceanside, California to be with her daughter Angelina Angie Cody (Daniella Alonso), who along with husband Ryan (Billy Lush) runs a grift operation on an unsuspecting public.
Addict with a heart of gold or an evil manipulator?
Janine Cody is a character we love to hate. As one of S1-S4’s main antagonists, Smurf constantly manipulates and uses her own family as pawns in order to get what she wants. However, when you peel back her layers, Smurf reveals an interesting dynamic. Beneath all that manipulation and deceit lies a woman who truly loves her family—even if that love isn’t exactly expressed in healthy ways.
