June Squibb Embarks on a Quest To Find Her Scammer in 'Thelma'

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: June Squibb Embarks on a Quest To Find Her Scammer in 'Thelma'
Air Date: July 31, 2024

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Episode Overview

This lively and insightful episode centers on veteran actress June Squibb and her starring role in the new action-comedy drama "Thelma," directed by Josh Margolin. The film follows a fiercely independent nonagenarian on a quest to recover $10,000 after falling victim to a scam. Host Alison Stewart explores character dynamics, representation of aging, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes with Squibb, offering listeners a textured look at both the film and its deeper cultural themes around agency and age.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thelma: A New Kind of Heroine

• Squibb describes Thelma:
  "Oh, I think she's a wonderful 90 year old with great grit and determination and she obviously is someone that won't let anything go by her if they steal her money. She's determined to go and get it back." (02:22)

• The character is both a victim and a fighter, refusing to accept the limitations that others expect due to her age.

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2. Intergenerational Relationships

• Chemistry with Fred Hechinger (Danny, her grandson):
  "He's so dear. He's so loving and he's so honest… I need that when I'm working. I need someone who is as honest as I hope that I am." (03:29)

• What Thelma sees in Danny:
  "She sees a wonderful young man who's just ready to blossom... he's holding himself back and if she could just help him let loose, then he will just blossom into whatever it is he wants to be." (02:55)

• The shared sense of being misunderstood:
  "I think they both feel that the world doesn't see them in their completeness… they want to have the world look at them in their fullness." (05:16)

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3. Family Dynamics—Stereotypes and Independence

• On how Thelma is perceived by her adult children:
  "I think they feel she's losing it... they see her as stereotype and she's not. She's her own." (06:16)

• Squibb observes parallels between the film and the real-life Thelma (director Margolin's grandmother, sharp-minded at 104).

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4. The Realities of Scam Victimhood

• A pivotal film scene is played (07:49–08:53): Thelma, after being scammed, struggles with limited recourse from authorities, touching on social and systemic vulnerabilities.

• Squibb reflects:
  "I think that people are very eager to help their loved ones. And I think when you're threatened, someone calling you and saying that… your grandson is in jail and… needs $10,000… it's natural that you… don't question it that much." (09:06)

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5. Determination and Proving Oneself

• Why get the money back?
  "I think it's probably a combination… it hurt her tremendously to know that she was duped… she wants to prove that she's not dumb… and she also wants her money back." (10:42)

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6. Thelma and Ben: Building a Late-Life Friendship

• Working with Richard Roundtree (Ben):
  "He was just the best. It was my birthday during the shooting, and he wasn't called that day. But he came driving up with two dozen red roses for me… with a white wig on." (11:47)

• On their different perspectives and growth:
  "I think they were able to prove to the other one that there is life and there are choices. And that they have more choices than they originally thought they had." (13:00)

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7. Age and Action—Squibb as Action Star

• Doing her own stunts:
  "Mine completely. Because when I first read that script, I thought, oh, that scooter sounds great. I can't wait to get on that… I really wanted to try things. And they let me try… And I didn't kill myself. I was fine." (14:01)

• On action-movie tropes:
  "I think the most important thing is to have a big fire behind you as you're walking off. I love that every time I see the film. I get tickled when I see that." (14:56)

• On working with Roundtree, the original Shaft:
  "I was always aware that was Shaft on the motion scooter behind me though, all the time." (15:18)

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8. The Making of 'Thelma'

• Filming process:
  "We shot 27, 28 days… It was very relaxed too. I must say it was probably the most relaxed set I've ever been on with Josh's leadership… it was a pleasure to do." (16:14, 17:14)

• On ensemble cast:
  "It's not just you standing there trying to make magic all by yourself… I appreciate constantly the people I work with." (18:04)

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9. Honest Portrayal of Aging

• What the film gets right:
  "We can do more than we think we can… you just have to say to people who say no or you can't do this, Yes, I can." (18:37)

• On not sugarcoating age:
  "Theater, film, whatever for me is reality. The closer we get to reality, the better it is. And certainly I don't think age should be sugarcoated." (19:24)

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10. Needlepoint and Other Roles

• On Thelma’s needlepoint:
  "No, Thelma herself is a needlepoint expert. So she… I don't think she did them. I sort of went in and piddle. Paddled around with it. But I didn't do too much work." (20:43)

• Voice work in 'Inside Out 2' and future projects:
  "They said we ought to do a cartoon about nostalgia… But we were all joking around." (21:24)

• Upcoming projects:
  "I just committed to an adult cartoon… I have a few other things that I'm sort of deciding on right now." (22:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On intergenerational chemistry:
  "Josh brought him [Fred] over to meet me at my apartment and we just immediately kind of fell in love with each other." (03:29)

• On being underestimated:
  "She's not a stereotype. She's her own." (06:16, Squibb on Thelma)

• On age and authenticity:
  "You just have to say to people who say no or you can't do this, Yes, I can." (18:42)

• Heartwarming on-set memory:
  "He [Richard Roundtree] came driving up with two dozen red roses for me… and he had a white wig on." (11:47)

• On action star lessons:
  "I think the most important thing is to have a big fire behind you as you're walking off." (14:56)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction to June Squibb and ‘Thelma’ – [01:04]
• On Thelma’s character and family dynamics – [02:22–06:16]
• The real-life inspiration and scam experience – [07:49–09:06]
• Thelma’s motivation, agency, and friendship with Ben – [10:32–13:46]
• Squibb on stunts and action movie tropes – [14:01–15:46]
• Film production, ensemble cast – [16:08–18:04]
• Representation of aging and realism – [18:35–19:37]
• Needlepoint, ‘Inside Out 2’, and upcoming work – [20:30–22:24]
• Closing comments and recommendations – [22:24+]

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Summary

This episode showcases June Squibb’s candid and humorous reflections on becoming an unlikely action star at 94, the rich character dynamics and subversions of aging in "Thelma," and the film’s power in challenging cultural narratives about capability and independence. The conversation mixes behind-the-scenes warmth with sharp observations about age, family, and self-determination, making it an engaging listen for movie lovers, advocates for representation, and anyone seeking to see age redefined onscreen.

Transcript

[June Squibb]

If your small business has a problem.

[Interviewer]

You could say, just my luck.

[June Squibb]

But you should say, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[State Farm / LifeLock Announcer]

And we'll help get you back in business.

[June Squibb]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

This is all of it. I'm Alyson Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for spending your day with us. I'm really grateful you're here. On today's show. Let's talk about the news. We'll speak with the author of Here now the An Inside Scoop into New York's Best Love anchors. And we'll take your calls about your favorites. And we'll wrap up our full bio conversation with Susan Page, the author of the Rule, the Life and Times of Barbara Walters. Plus, we'll hear Elizabeth Taylor in her own words speaking candidly about her life. It's part of the new film. Elizabeth, the Lost Tapes will speak with its directors.

[Interviewer]

Director.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

That's the plan. So let's get this started with 94 year old actor June Squibb. A new comedy slash drama action flick stars a lady who is on a mission. Her name is Thelma. She's in her 90s and she is scammed out of $10,000 by bad guys. Police don't have any leads and her family is wondering, is this the first sign of Thelma's decline? But don't tell Thelma that she wants her money back. Armed with a mobility scooter, a sidekick named Ben and a whole lot of wisdom, she plans to make the scammers pay. Thelma is played by Academy Award nominee June Squibb. One review read, Thelma makes questionable choices in her action packed journey, but her refusal to give up her independence or or be a victim ultimately makes her as heroic as a younger man jumping from one rooftop to another just to show us he can. Thelma was written and directed by Josh Margolin and it's in theaters now. And joining us is June Squibb.

[Interviewer]

Hi, June.

[June Squibb]

Hello.

[Interviewer]

Hello. How would you describe your character Thelma?

[June Squibb]

Oh, I think she's a wonderful 90 year old with great grit and determination and she obviously is someone that won't let anything go buy her if they steal her money. She's determined to go and get it back.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

The person who understands Thelma well is her grandson, a nice guy who can't seem to figure himself out, played by friend of our show, Fred Heckinger. We love Fred.

[June Squibb]

Oh, Fred's heaven.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

We've known Fred for a long time. What does she see in her grandson.

[June Squibb]

That others don't Oh, I think she sees a wonderful young man who's just ready to blossom and is probably. I feel that she thinks he's holding himself back and if she could just help him let loose, then he will just blossom into whatever it is he wants to be.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

Your relationship with Fred has been noted by many reviewers as you two have real chemistry together. You know, he's at the start of his career, he's in his early 20s. What made him a good partner for you in this film?

[June Squibb]

Oh, he's so dear. He's so loving and he's so honest. I mean, he's honest as a person and he's honest as an actor. And I like that. I need that when I'm working. I need someone who is as honest as I hope that I am. So it was a no brainer. Josh brought him over to meet me at my apartment and we just immediately kind of fell in love with each other.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

When you say you need someone that you can be honest with, what do.

[June Squibb]

You mean by that? In acting, you know, you're really at your best. You're giving an awful lot of yourself. And I feel that the only way to do that is to do it honestly. I mean, I don't pretend so I'm really giving a lot of myself. And Fred is the same way. He just has a real honesty about him, a very realness about him when he's working.

[Interviewer]

Given that you've been in the business a little bit longer than he has.

[June Squibb]

A little. Yes, a little.

[Interviewer]

What, what advice would you give him in terms of longevity?

[June Squibb]

Oh, God, just keep, keep going. And I think he will. He loves it, he's good at it. And he just is doing one film after the other at his age. So I mean, I think that his career is pretty much set on a really fine path.

[Interviewer]

When you see Danny and Thelma together, what do Danny and Thelma share in terms of how the rest of the world sees them?

[June Squibb]

Well, I think they both feel that the world doesn't see them in their completeness. I think they. I don't think they're naive in terms of who they are or what they are. But I think that there are things to both of them that they both feel the world doesn't see. I think Danny's problems with his girlfriend, his problems with his mother and father, and Thelma's problems with her daughter and son in law and even Ben, I mean, they want to have the world look at them in their fullness. And I think they both feel that they are not looked at in that way.

[Interviewer]

In the film, Parker Posey plays your sort of overly worried daughter and her by the book husband is played by Clark Gregg. How do Thelma's children. How do Thelma's adult children. I should say. How did they describe her?

[June Squibb]

Describe Thelma? Yeah. Oh, I think they feel she's losing it. I think they feel. And I don't know if it's because of what she's doing or just her age. You know, we. We expect it to happen at certain ages. When you get to certain ages, you're going to slow down, that your mind is going to play tricks on itself. And so I think that they. They see her as stereotype and she's not. She's not a stereotype. She's her own. And Josh's real grandmother is 104, I think, today or tomorrow. And her mind is great. And so I just don't. I guess that that is one of the big problems with the people around you and even the people you love. Because I think that Thelma loves her daughter and son in law and I think that daddy loves his mother and dad. But they realized that these people would never really understand them.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

My guest is June Squibb. She's starring in Thelma. It's in theaters now. Let's listen to a scene from Thelma. It's sort of the motivating action. Thelma gets scammed. She puts a lot of money in the mail. This is the scene. What happens when she goes to the police? She explains what's gone wrong. The police officer speaks first. This is from Thelma.

[Police Officer]

We could report a tracking number if it's with Western Union, FedEx, UPS. With the latter, our only real option is to contact the postal service. And with these types of things, the odds are slim. Especially without the address.

[June Squibb]

I think I have it here.

[Interviewer]

Such a mean thing to do.

[June Squibb]

It's just. Isn't there anything that can be done? A database of some kind?

[Interviewer]

We have no moral center as a society. This is a systemic issue.

[June Squibb]

Dad, I don't have it.

[Police Officer]

If it's any comfort, these kinds of scams are increasingly common.

[June Squibb]

Well, how do they know who I am?

[Police Officer]

They contact people at random using telephone listings and social networking sites.

[June Squibb]

Like Facebook?

[Police Officer]

Sure, like Facebook.

[June Squibb]

Well, how can Zuckerborg let this happen?

[Police Officer]

Sorry.

[June Squibb]

Shouldn't Zuckerborg be able to fix this?

[Police Officer]

Are you on Facebook?

[June Squibb]

Am I? No, you're not.

[Police Officer]

She's not. This was a tangent. I would suggest canceling your cards and freezing your accounts until you're sure you didn't provide Any information that can leave the door open to more fraud. Beyond that, there's not much we can do at this point.

[June Squibb]

Hmm.

[Police Officer]

Sorry.

[Interviewer]

That's from Thelma. So this scene in the movie actually happened to the real Thelma, the mother of writer and director Josh Margolin. How did he explain what happened to you?

[June Squibb]

Well, I think that people are very eager to help their loved ones. And I think when you're threatened, someone calling you and saying that, you know, your grandson is in jail and He's. He needs $10,000, I think it. It's natural that you. You don't question it that much. You think, oh, my God, I can get it together. I'll do that and do whatever they ask.

[Interviewer]

You know, it's really interesting. I think Thelma really has a lot going on. We see that she can get things done once she gets surprised by these people. She has money in the house. She finds it, she gets it to the scammer, she does it, she gets it to the mailbox. I think Thelma's actually pretty quick. What do you think?

[June Squibb]

Yes, I think so, too. I think Thelma is the kind of woman that finds an answer for everything. In other words, she said, but I can't Dr. And he says, we'll take a cab. And that's what she does. She takes a cab to get. I forget where she was going then, because she walked to the post office the first time and. But I think she just is able to, you know, handle things much more than anyone ever thinks she can on.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

This trip to get the money back. I'm curious. Do you think she just really wants to get the money back, or does she want to prove she can get the money back?

[June Squibb]

I think it's probably a combination of things. I think that it hurt her tremendously to know that she was duped, that she fell for this. And I think it made her feel dumb. And I think that that's natural. I think we do feel dumb when things happen to us, that it's our fault, we've done it, but it was a mistake. And so I think she just wants to prove that she's not dumb. And I think she also wants her money back. I think when she says, I want to say where this money goes, you know, I don't want it just to go off to you willy nilly.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

To make her grand plan work, she needs help. A mobility scooter.

[Interviewer]

Both come from Ben, a friend, the husband of a friend of hers who's passed away. Richard Rountree is your co pilot. Your Partner in crime.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

What was it like to work with.

[Interviewer]

Richard Rountree on what would have been his last role?

[June Squibb]

It was wonderful. He's such a good actor and such a lovely, delightful guy. And everybody loved him. He was just the best. It was my birthday during the shooting, and he wasn't called that day. But he came driving up with two dozen red roses for me. And my assistant had gotten a lot of white wigs. So that whenever I looked around that day I just saw someone wearing a white wig that looked like myself. And he had a white wig on. So, I mean, he was just the best. He really was. We were all really so devastated and hurt, you know, by his going. It was so sad to all of us.

[Interviewer]

You'll have that great memory of the birthday, though.

[June Squibb]

Oh, yeah. We have a picture, actually, of it so we could really remember that one.

[Interviewer]

The two characters have different feelings about aging. He's okay with living in an assisted situation. She likes it at home. What do you think Ben and Thelma teach each other.

[June Squibb]

The things that are important to them? I think they are able to give the other one glimpses of that. Whether it will make a huge difference, I don't know. Because I think they're both pretty set in their ways. I don't think Thelma will go into retirement home graciously or in the near future. And I don't think he will be out adventure without her. If she shows up again and says, let's do this or let's do that, he might do it. But I think that they were able to prove to the other one that there is life and there are choices. And that they have more choices than they originally thought they had.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

My guest is June Squibb. We're talking about her film Thelma. It's in theaters now. All right, so June squibbing action star. You do your own stunts. Whose idea was that?

[June Squibb]

Mine completely. Because when I first read that script, I thought, oh, that scooter sounds great. I can't wait to get on that. But everybody assumed that it would be the stunt person doing all the scooter riding and doing all of the stunts. You know, everything physical. But I sort of. I really wanted to try things. And they. They let me try, much to their dismay sometimes. And I didn't kill myself. I was fine. I didn't hurt myself. And so little by little, they let me do more.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

Had you ever shot a gun before?

[June Squibb]

I have on stage. I've never shot a gun on film, but I have shot a gun on stage.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

What did you Learn about action movies that you didn't understand before.

[June Squibb]

I think the most important thing is to have a big fire behind you as you're walking off. I love that every time I see the film. I get tickled when I see that.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

Well, I wonder what advice Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft, gave you on playing a gun toting action hero.

[June Squibb]

Well, we never really talked about Shaft that much. I keep saying that. I was always aware that was Shaft on the motion scooter behind me though, all the time. But we really didn't talk that kind of, you know, we talked about our families a lot and we did talk about some. About what we wanted to do and vacations and, you know, we just. The general things we talked about.

[Interviewer]

Tom Cruise gives Thelma the idea. She's watching Mission Impossible. She's read articles that he's still an action star in many movies that he can jump to new heights. First of all, do you know if Tom Cruise has seen the film?

[June Squibb]

I don't know. I do know he has a link or whatever they sent him so he could see it. We don't know if he's seen it yet or not.

[Interviewer]

All right, well, we'll wait to hear about that.

[June Squibb]

Yeah, I really don't know.

[Interviewer]

How long did it take to make.

[June Squibb]

The film we shot? 27, 28 days. I think it was, I'm not sure. It wasn't a long post production period. I think it was about, oh, probably a year of post production. Maybe not quite because the wonderful Josh Margolin, who wrote and directed is also an editor and he has experience as an editor. So he edited the film as well. So a lot of it was done as he went along, which they tend to do now with the new digital stuff anyway. They tend to edit quicker and as they're being filmed. So the post production is not as long as it used to be.

[Interviewer]

What did you like about a pretty brisk pace, 27 days to make a movie. What do you like about the short pace?

[June Squibb]

Well, I like getting it done. Sometimes when you have, you know, when it takes longer, you know, you get a little nutsy with it. But I, you know, it worked. We got it, you know, everything. It was very relaxed too. I must say it was probably the most relaxed set I've ever been on with Josh's leadership and all of the actors that I was working with. It was, you know, it was a pleasure to do.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

Yeah, you were talking about all the actors. Clark, Greg, Parker, Posey, Fred, Richard Roundtree, Malcolm McDowell. You are the star of the film. But it is an ensemble piece in many ways.

[June Squibb]

Oh, very much so.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

What do you like about the ensemble?

[June Squibb]

Well, I think that, you know, you feel that you're working with the other actors. It's not just you standing there trying to make magic all by yourself. So you have all these other great actors. Great, you know, that you're working with. And that's lovely. That's really great. I mean, I appreciate constantly the people I work with.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

My guest is June Squibb.

[Interviewer]

The film is Thelma.

[Radio Host Alyson Stewart]

It's in theaters now.

[Interviewer]

June, what does the movie Thelma get right about aging?

[June Squibb]

I think the fact that we can do more than we think we can. I think Thelma's right in that respect. I feel that in my own life. And I think you just have to say to people who say no or you can't do this. Yes, I can. And I think that just her grit and determination and those words are used over and over again to describe her. But that's what it is. I mean, she is determined. She's determined, you know, to right a wrong. I think she's morally and ethically someone who feels things should be right. If it's wrong, we fix it. I think that's her.

[Interviewer]

Thelma has a fall in the film. She has a moment when she realizes her friends have died. What do you like about a script that doesn't sugarcoat aging?

[June Squibb]

I think we have to. Theater, film, whatever for me is reality. The closer we get to reality, the better it is. And certainly I don't think age should be sugarcoated. It doesn't need to be sugarcoated. I mean, at any age you have negative things happen to you. So, you know, it's. It's not like a. A huge revelation when you get a certain age, all these things happen. But. And I think that the more we know about age, people are getting more and more fascinated about age. You just read more and more about it. More and more articles being written about it. Our whole population is aging. And I think everybody wants to know what's happening to us.

[Interviewer]

There's a lot of really great needle pointing going on in this film.

[June Squibb]

Oh, yes.

[Interviewer]

I love to needlepoint myself. I do love to needlepoint. Was that you? Did they have a needle pointing expert?

[June Squibb]

No, Thelma herself is a needlepoint expert. So she. I don't think she did them. I think they had somebody else do them. I sort of went in and piddle. Paddled around with it. But I didn't do too much work. I think they had to take out everything I did every day and start over again. But I was doing it all right.

[Interviewer]

You know, you have a bit part in a beloved beloved series, Inside out too. Playing the voice of Nostalgia. She comes in. It's short. Everybody loves it. Is there another film in the work featuring perhaps Nostalgia? A bit more.

[June Squibb]

I have no idea. They were laughing about that when we were doing the audio on Nostalgia. They said we ought to do a cartoon about nostalgia. And I said, a short one, maybe, I hope. And that's. But we were all joking around, so I don't know that there's plans for it. I rather doubt it. I think if they do Inside out three, God knows how long it'll take them to do it. But that would be fun to go in and do Nostalgia again.

[Interviewer]

June, what are you working on now?

[June Squibb]

I just committed to an adult cartoon. That tickled me. I thought it was pretty funny. A great idea. And I think we're starting that. They think after the first of the year. I have a few other things that I'm sort of deciding on right now.

[Interviewer]

Well, everyone should go see Thelma. It's in theaters now and is starring June Squibb. June, thank you for so much for spending the time with us.

[June Squibb]

Thank you. I've enjoyed this. If your small business has a problem.

[Interviewer]

You could say, just my luck.

[June Squibb]

But you should say, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there and we'll.

[State Farm / LifeLock Announcer]

Help get you back in business.

[June Squibb]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[State Farm / LifeLock Announcer]

Sometimes an identity threat is a ring of professional hackers. And sometimes it's an overworked accountant who forgot to encrypt their connection while sending bank details.

[June Squibb]

I need a coffee.

[State Farm / LifeLock Announcer]

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