Fresh Air Weekend – October 4, 2025
Episode: Best Of: Scarlett Johansson & June Squibb / Mark Ronson
Host: Tonya Mosley
Guests: Scarlett Johansson, June Squibb, Mark Ronson
Episode Overview
In this “Best Of” episode, Tonya Mosley interviews two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb about Eleanor the Great, Johansson’s directorial debut focusing on the morally tangled journey of its nonagenarian protagonist. The second half features Mark Ronson, Grammy-winning producer and DJ, discussing his memoir Night People—a vibrant reflection on New York’s nightlife and DJ culture in the 1990s. The episode dives into storytelling, identity, creativity late in life, and the enduring power of music.
Part 1: Scarlett Johansson & June Squibb on Eleanor the Great
Film & Story Background
[02:47]
- Eleanor the Great centers on Eleanor (June Squibb), a 94-year-old widow displaced and grieving for her best friend, who begins claiming her late friend’s Holocaust survival story for herself.
- The film is both poignant and humorous, marked by real-life details and emotional complexity. Johansson was moved to tears upon first reading the script.
Quote Highlight:
"It's deceptive and morally complicated, but for Eleanor, it's the first time in years she truly feels seen."
— Tonya Mosley [02:47]
Character Depth and Casting
[04:25]
- June Squibb’s character demonstrates a trademark sharp wit; a scene is played where Eleanor sternly instructs a young grocery clerk about kosher pickles.
Quote Highlight:
"We've been coming here every Friday for the last 16 years. Can you count to 16, Charlie? ...Now, I know it's complicated. But stay with me and you'll find the pickles that my friend needs. Okay? Okay. Go fetch."
— June Squibb as Eleanor [05:19]
- Squibb describes what drew her to the role:
"She was such a human character and had so many feelings...it was well written. So I just felt, yeah, I want to do this."
— June Squibb [06:44]
- Squibb recounts writing a letter encouraging Johansson to direct the film, adding humor about a "large cash sum":
"June offered me a large cash sum which I still have not yet received."
— Scarlett Johansson [07:35]
"Maybe a mocha blended or something like that, but not money."
— June Squibb [07:39]
Directorial Approach & Moral Complexity
[07:55]
- Johansson explains what surprised her about the script:
"It's rare to feel surprised when you read a script. A lot of times, scripts are very formulaic...But this one just felt really original and unique."
— Scarlett Johansson [08:32]
- On balancing humor with heavy subject matter:
"As a director...if I have any judgment, I'm probably not the right person to be supporting the story. I hope that the audience...is able to abandon any judgment and have empathy and compassion for the characters and certainly for Eleanor's deception."
— Scarlett Johansson [10:26]
Casting Real Holocaust Survivors
[11:35]
- Johansson speaks on her commitment to authenticity:
"It just felt very important and a must...that we identify survivors that wanted to participate."
— Scarlett Johansson [11:46]
- June Squibb underscores the importance:
"The population is dwindling...We must keep the story. We must do it, which is what I think Scarlett and I did with this."
— June Squibb [13:21]
Personal Histories and Reflections
[13:49]
- Squibb talks about learning Torah for the film and her conversion to Judaism in the 1950s.
"I would think back to that time when I was studying Judaism...It was very exciting. I loved doing it, and I loved meeting him [the rabbi]."
— June Squibb [14:43]
[15:35]
- Johansson discusses discovering her own family's Holocaust history via Finding Your Roots:
"I knew that I had lost relatives in the Warsaw Ghetto, but I certainly didn't know how many...To see the handwritten names, ages, children...It's so profound and moving and horrifying just to hold that document."
— Scarlett Johansson [15:35]
Memorable exchange:
"I think a lot of survivors live, you know, holding those stories like a horror they don't want to recount...there's so many stories still lost in time."
— Scarlett Johansson [16:43]
Relationships & Aging
[20:03]
- Squibb reflects on six decades in acting, her comedic side, and being known for her sharp tongue.
"I was very quick with the curse words and I looked about 12...But I had a dirty mouth."
— June Squibb on becoming "the Dirtiest Mouth on Broadway" [20:48]
[22:23]
- Johansson speaks about her deep bond with her grandmother and how that informed her understanding of elder women’s stories:
"She was like a safe haven for me...We would talk about everything, our family dynamics...her experience aging...We had such a profoundly special, deep friendship."
— Scarlett Johansson [22:23]
Closing Thanks
[23:49]
"Thank you so much for this film and this conversation."
— Tonya Mosley [23:49]
"Thank you."
— Scarlett Johansson & June Squibb [23:56]
Part 2: Mark Ronson on Night People
Origins and First DJ Memories
[25:51]
- Ronson recalls his first musical high at age 10, DJing for his mother’s wedding:
"I remember standing inside the house looking through the window as my stepdad pulls my mom in for a slow dance...It was like the first time in my life I genuinely have a memory of having done something right."
— Mark Ronson [27:08]
‘Night People’ Defined
[28:11]
- Ronson discusses the difference between people who simply go out and true “night people”:
"The people that I saw out night after night were people that the daytime was just...too much...Maybe they were running from something, running towards something, looking for community. So I realized, you know, I came up with the term night people because I thought that applied to our little cracked community."
— Mark Ronson [28:28]
Family Roots, Musical Heritage
[29:44]
- Ronson’s stepfather, Mick Jones of Foreigner, would wake him up at night for mix feedback:
"I just remember thinking it was so cool that he valued my opinion...His home studio was my favorite room in the house."
— Mark Ronson [29:47]
- Tells how “I Want to Know What Love Is” was written about his mom:
"He wrote, Waitin’ for a Girl Like You before he tried to convince my mom that he wrote it for her too...she was like, ‘but you wrote that four years before you met me.’"
— Mark Ronson [31:51]
Physical Demands and Changing Times
[34:13]
- Ronson illustrates the literal heavy lifting of ’90s DJing:
"Standard was probably three crates, with 100 records each...You had broken a sweat before you were even in the cab on the way to the club."
— Mark Ronson [34:13]
[35:54]
“I have this crazy arthritis in my right foot from 25 years...The doctor...noticed you kind of like really aggressively tap your foot while you're DJing. I named it DJ Foot because I just want it to be like my own.”
— Mark Ronson [35:56]
- Now, instead of calling a dealer after gigs:
"Now I'm making an appointment with my acupuncturist online as I'm leaving the club because my back is just so jacked."
— Mark Ronson [37:05]
The Power of the DJ/Reading the Room
[38:27]
- Tonya Mosley asks Ronson to read from his book about a pivotal club moment:
"There was a half second delay as their Brains processed what just happened. And then they ignited like an energy rocket from floor to ceiling."
— Mark Ronson [39:29]
- On mixing and the crowd’s reaction:
"The whole crowd is this thing that you're able to mold together...It's kind of why I can't stop DJing. It's like still a feeling that I only get from this one thing."
— Mark Ronson [41:24]
Identity, Authenticity, and Evolution
[42:00]
- Ronson reflects on being both an insider and outsider:
"I was horribly embarrassed of all of it, but...the scene was just about showing, improving...But yes, I did have advantages that other people really didn't have...But I also, you know, worked my ass off."
— Mark Ronson [42:00]
[45:11]
- On courage and musical innovation:
"It was the kind of club that if I played and fallen on my face, like...a bottle could be thrown at the booth...By the second time the riff came round, the club just kind of erupted...it did help me find my own sound and identity."
— Mark Ronson [45:11]
DJ Etiquette
[48:09]
- Pet peeves:
"It was a cardinal sin to really play a record more than once in the night...There was this thing like, never play all the big records when you're the opener...The idea of playing huge records to an empty room."
— Mark Ronson [48:20–49:36]
- On “reading the room”:
"It's the interplay between you and the crowd...if the crowd isn't with you and you don't have a relationship with them, that's what it all comes down to."
— Mark Ronson [50:14]
Closing
[50:47]
"Mark Ronson, it's such a pleasure to talk to you and thank you so much for this fun read."
— Tonya Mosley [50:47]
"Thank you so much."
— Mark Ronson [50:51]
Notable Quotes
-
Scarlett Johansson:
- "It's rare to feel surprised when you read a script...this one just felt really original and unique." [08:32]
- "If I do my job right...the audience...is able to abandon any judgment and have empathy and compassion for the characters." [10:26]
-
June Squibb:
- "She was such a human character and had so many feelings...it was well written." [06:44]
- "I had a dirty mouth. There's no other way to describe it." [20:58]
-
Mark Ronson:
- "The whole crowd is this thing that you're able to mold together...that's why I can't stop DJing." [41:24]
- "Now I'm making an appointment with my acupuncturist online as I'm leaving the club because my back is just so jacked." [37:05]
Key Timestamps
- [02:47] Introduction to Eleanor the Great
- [05:19] Kosher Pickle Scene
- [06:44] Squibb on character depth
- [07:55] Johansson on taking the film
- [13:21] Importance of Holocaust survivor stories
- [14:43] Squibb on learning Torah/conversion
- [15:35] Johansson’s family’s Holocaust history
- [20:48] "Dirtiest Mouth on Broadway"
- [22:23] Johansson on her grandmother
- [25:51] Ronson's first DJ memory
- [28:28] Definition of ‘night people’
- [34:13] Physicality of DJing
- [39:29] On igniting the crowd
- [42:00] Being an insider/outsider in 90s NYC nightlife
- [45:11] Breaking musical genre boundaries
- [48:09] DJ etiquette
- [50:14] On reading the room
Episode Tone
Poignant yet humorous, candid, and reflective, this episode weaves together personal stories of grief, identity, cultural memory, and creative joy across generations and creative disciplines. Both interviews offer behind-the-scenes detail and emotional honesty, inviting empathy and insight for those who haven’t experienced these worlds firsthand.