Not only did the two become fast friends, but they also appreciated one another’s talents when making the poignant character-driven movie about an elderly woman’s struggle to navigate loss and transition.
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“Eleanor’s character feels impossible at times,” she adds, “but by the end of the film, the audience understands her actions, and that it comes from a place of loneliness, grief, and love.”
June Squibb in Eleanor the Great. Photo Credit: Anne Joyce/Sony Pictures ClassicsRelated: For These Legendary Actors, Turning 80-Years-Old Was Just the Beginning of an Exciting New Chapter (Exclusive)
The funny and tender film from Sony Pictures Classics explores themes of aging, friendship, truth, and more.
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June Squibb and director Scarlett Johansson for Eleanor the Great. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics“My grandmother would have been proud that I directed a film,” she says. “She was always encouraging of the different directions my career took. She was there on opening night when I did my first play, and every step along the way. She always made me feel like there was nothing that I couldn’t do.”
“I feel so fortunate that I had my grandmother in my life in that way for a long time just to have her support and her perspective,” she shares. “It’s a very important relationship for me.”
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June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, in Eleanor the Great. Photo Credit: Anne Joyce/Sony Pictures ClassicJohansson says directing came naturally to her because she was able to draw on her work as an actor for more than 30 years. “I’m used to this process, and it was amazing for me to finally be able to direct something and have that kind of validation that I didn’t even know I needed.”
Kellyman says every day with Squibb was “extremely sweet,” and the younger actress appreciated her new friend. “I was surprised that she was so willing to take me under her wing. I think there are just some people in life that you click with, and June is one of them for me.”
She adds that the importance of role models and mentors, like Johansson and Squibb, is extremely important to her. “To have my scenes with June and then be directed by Scarlett gave me the best of both worlds. There was an automatic trust on this set. I felt immediately safe, and it's always important to see representation of yourself on and off camera.”
Scarlett Johansson directs her first film, Eleanor the Great. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures ClassicsSquibb adds that on the surface, Eleanor the Great is about a mistake, but it is really a woman’s journey to find herself. It just so happens that it’s a 90-year-old woman who is trying to find out who she is, what she wants, and where she hopes to go in life.
Ejiofor tells us he was attracted to the film because, “it was dealing with themes that I hadn’t seen very often in films, and was done with sensitivity, truthfulness, and honesty. I felt that these themes, and the importance of friendship, and the grief that can be related to friendship, were something that was beautifully explored.”
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