In a powerful interview with the Telegraph this week, Ellen Burstyn said that she can “no longer make a living” from acting. It’s a depressing and indicative statement from an award-winning actor who, at the age of 83, has found herself cast aside by an industry that continues to deprioritise older women, regardless of their talents.

This week, we get a brief but vital reminder of Burstyn’s underused screen skills in Todd Solondz’s ensemble comedy Wiener-Dog. She plays a regretful grandmother looking back on the decisions that led to her predicament. We can also look forward to seeing her take on, yes, small roles in The Tale, with Laura Dern and Common, and The House of Tomorrow, with Asa Butterfield and Nick Offerman.

But what have been her greatest performances?

The Last Picture Show

After roles on Broadway and the small screen, Burstyn broke out at the start of the 1970s with a role as Cybill Shepherd’s mother in Peter Bogdanovich’s small-town drama. She actually read for three different characters and was so impressive that she was allowed to pick, ultimately choosing the disillusioned housewife eager for an escape. She deservedly picked up her first Oscar nomination for her performance.

The Exorcist

Two years later, she made the swift move from supporting player to lead in William Friedkin’s phenomenally successful supernatural horror. As the mother of a young girl possessed by a demon, she ensures that her emotional breakdown never dissolves into overplayed histrionics, rooting a fantastical story in a very real framework and securing another Oscar nomination.

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Burstyn followed up The Exorcist with another unconventional maternal role in Martin Scorsese’s forward-thinking comedy drama. As a widow taking her son on the road to pursue her singing career, she found the script unique for the time in its ability to utilise “a woman’s point of view”. She won the best actress Oscar for her lively, funny and grounded performance.

Resurrection

Another Oscar nomination followed for her lead performance as a woman who has a near-death experience in this 1980 drama. Her character develops healing skills which turn her into an unlikely and unwitting celebrity. While the film frequently borders on silliness, Burstyn remains compelling and sells the more sugary elements with confidence.

Requiem for a Dream

It took a while for someone to give Burstyn another role with some grit but in 2000, Darren Aronofsky cast her as a TV-obsessed widow who develops an addiction to weight loss pills. It’s a fully committed, devastating performance entirely devoid of vanity, and she picked up her sixth Oscar nomination.