PARK CITY, Utah (AP) 鈥� June Squibb is perhaps the busiest 94-year-old in Hollywood. This year alone she鈥檒l voice a role in 鈥淚nside Out 2,鈥� head to New York to star in directorial debut and film a television series that she can鈥檛 quite talk about just yet.
And for the first time in her rich and varied career which has brought her from the stage to , she is the lead of a film, 鈥淭helma.鈥� It鈥檚 a grounded but also 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥�-inspired comedy about a grandmother trying to get her money back from a phone scammer. Thelma goes on a scooter ride across Los Angeles, with the late Richard Roundtree in tow, to right the wrong.
鈥淢y friends all laugh at me, like 鈥榃hat are you doing next?鈥欌�� Squibb said in an interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淪ometimes I say to my agent, who is here, why are people still asking me to work? But I love it and I do it and it鈥檚 been great.鈥�
The charming film from first-time director Josh Margolin premiered Thursday at the in Park City, Utah, where it quickly became one of the must-sees. The filmmakers are looking for distribution partners at the festival.
鈥淚 just knew that the minute I read it that I wanted to do it. That鈥檚 how I decide, because I truly read everything,鈥� Squibb said. 鈥淚 thought it was beautifully written. And I got excited about that scooter right away. I thought that would be a hoot to drive around on that.鈥�
Thelma is the name of Margolin鈥檚 grandmother, who was an inspiration for the story. Squibb was on his mind while writing, too, and it was a mutual friend, Beanie Feldstein, who connected them.
鈥淏eanie knows my sister and he knows my real grandma and she was like, 鈥極h, you writing about your grandma? It鈥檚 got to be June,鈥欌�� Margolin said. 鈥淚 said, 'Yes that鈥檚 exactly what I want.'鈥�
Feldstein had recently acted in 鈥� 鈥� with Squibb and texted her: 鈥淚鈥檓 going to send you a script.鈥� One read and a 30-minute conversation later and she was in.
In 鈥淭helma,鈥� she鈥檚 a widow living alone in her beautiful apartment. Her family is busy living their own lives but also concerned about her and wondering when they鈥檙e going to be able to convince her to go into assisted living. Thelma is especially close with her grandson, played by 鈥淭he White Lotus鈥欌�� Fred Hechinger, who feels personally responsible that his beloved grandmother has gone missing. Of course, the audience knows she hasn鈥檛 simply wandered off 鈥� she鈥檚 on a mission, which she knows well she has to do on her own as her family would never let her do anything that potentially dangerous. It鈥檚 something that resonated for Squibb.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e all stronger than anyone thinks we are, in many different ways,鈥� Squibb said. 鈥淚 mean, I have friends that don鈥檛 get out of the apartment, but they have strength in other areas.鈥�
Her accomplice in this is Roundtree, who is delightful in one of his last film roles as the owner of the scooter she so desperately needs. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and . Squibb hadn鈥檛 known the 鈥淪haft鈥� star before 鈥淭helma.鈥� The first thing she said was, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about time.鈥� She鈥檚 not entirely sure why she said it, but was glad that 鈥渉e thought it was funny.鈥�
鈥淗e was so good and lovely. He was just a joy,鈥� Squibb said. 鈥淎nd he would have gone on working. He was only in his early 80s.鈥�
Squibb loved shooting 鈥淭helma鈥� all over the Valley and Brentwood in Los Angeles, with co-stars like Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell, who made a big impression in his two days on set. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a hell of an actor,鈥� she remembered telling her assistant.
鈥淲e all knew, I think, that we were doing something special,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e had no idea that people would relate to it and react to it the way they are.鈥�
The real Thelma and Squibb have yet to meet, but they鈥檇 like to. She gave the actor a 鈥渂eautiful needlepoint pillow鈥� and they鈥檝e spoken over the phone about their favorite cop shows.
鈥淢y favorites are the 鈥楩BI鈥� on Tuesday night 鈥� all three of them,鈥� Squibb said. 鈥淥h, boy. You can鈥檛 drag me away, I love them.鈥�
She doesn鈥檛 seem too impressed with the leading lady designation. For her, it doesn't change the work and some of her favorite roles have been 鈥渟upporting,鈥� especially those in Alexander Payne's 鈥淎bout Schmidt鈥� and 鈥淣ebraska,鈥� for which she received her first Oscar nomination 10 years ago. Both were turning points in her career, she said.
鈥淚'm aware of what Alexander Payne did for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t made a tremendous difference.鈥�
One thing that hasn鈥檛 changed is her refusal to watch 鈥渄ailies,鈥� the raw, unedited footage made during the making of a film.
鈥淪ome editors go crazy with me because they try so desperately to get me to come in and watch what鈥檚 been shot. And I will not do it. I just don鈥檛 want to,鈥� she said. "When I worked with Jack Nicholson, he wanted me to come in. I said, 鈥楴o, I鈥檓 not.鈥� My early training was on the stage and you really learn not to look at yourself. Don鈥檛 think about yourself. You just do it. And I think I鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 probably what it is.鈥�
She has no trouble watching the finished product though 鈥� she can even dissociate and just watch it as a film. And she鈥檒l keep working as long as she keeps finding interesting parts.
鈥淲hen I came out of the womb, I said, 鈥業鈥檓 an actress.鈥� I did it at a very young age and I decided 鈥楾his is it.鈥� And I never varied from it or wavered,鈥� Squibb said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just something that I have always loved doing.鈥�
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
