At 94, June Squibb is an action star—and finally a leading lady
“If someone says I have to throw it down Jason Statham, Come on, Jason, let’s get this over with!”
This challenge was not given by vin Diesel or Dwayne Johnson. It comes from Hollywood’s newest, oldest action star: 94 years old June Squibb.
New comedy Thelma stars the Oscar-nominated actress as the grandmother — a victim of a phone scam who vows to do anything to get her money back. This was Squibb’s first time starring in her own film, which she later followed with another leading role in Scarlett Johanssonupcoming directorial debut of Eleanor the Great. “I told my agent, ‘If it’s not the lead role and if my name isn’t the title of the movie, I’m not in it,'” Squibb said. Look: She showed off the I’m an action star!
Something like that. When I went to see Squibb at Los Angeles landmark Casa Vega, I saw the actress and her assistant Kelly Sweeney Wait patiently outside the Mexican restaurant before it opens. A regular, Squibb orders guac to the table (“Not too spicy,” she politely requests), then inspires everyone to join her in a glass of pink lemonade, because she believes that 11: 30 in the morning is a bit early for a margarita. “I can’t deal with that. June can handle that better than me,” Thelma manager, Josh Margolin, said after joining us for lunch. “Maybe I can,” Squibb agreed.
What can’t she do? A commercial stage actress, Squibb did not appear in her first film until she was 61, taking a supporting role in Woody Allen1990 romantic comedy, Alice. She immediately followed that with The scent of a woman (main character Al Pacino) And Martin Scorsese‘S The age of innocence. Things reach a new level when she finds a champion in the field of filmmaking Alexander Payne, the first to cast Squibb in the role Jack NicholsonHelen’s ill-fated wife, 2002 About Schmidt, and then comes the real game changer: like Bruce DernKate’s brutally frank wife, in 2013 Nebraska. The film earned six Oscar nominations, including best supporting actress for Squibb’s scene-stealing performance. “I got the job done but nothing that important until then,” Squibb said. “I was immediately legal.” The best part of the Oscar recognition? “You don’t have to audition anymore!”
At the age of 84, Squibb has officially arrived in Hollywood. And she’s made the most of her time since then, accumulating more credits in the past decade than in the previous eight decades of her life. She’s done Girls, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, Palm Springs, And Toy Story 4, among many other films and series. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s good,” Squibb said of his late rise to fame. “It seems like everyone is more concerned about old age. I mean, everyone gets older…. And the fact that we now have women in leadership in their 40s, 50s, 60s, is amazing. You simply haven’t seen this before and I guess I’m lucky because this is when I’m working…. I am reaping the goodwill of the elderly.”
But despite the countless roles of mother and grandmother she’s taken on recently, none of them compare to Thelma. Margolin based the film on his relationship with his own 103-year-old grandmother, who shares the same name as the character. “I can’t imagine anyone else; I thought, ‘It must be June,’” the director said. Luckily, he got his wish after passing the script to Squibb through a mutual friend. Beanie Feldstein.
