Fresh Air: Scarlett Johansson & June Squibb on "Eleanor the Great"

Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Tonya Mosley
Guests: Scarlett Johansson (director), June Squibb (lead actor)

Overview

In this episode, Tonya Mosley sits down with Scarlett Johansson, making her directorial debut, and June Squibb, the 94-year-old Oscar-nominated actor, to discuss their new film Eleanor the Great. The film follows Eleanor, an elderly woman who, while grieving the loss of her closest friend, begins to tell her late friend’s Holocaust survival story as her own. The conversation covers the film’s themes of identity, grief, and moral complexity; intergenerational friendship; the importance of Holocaust remembrance; and both guests’ outstanding careers and approaches to creative risk-taking.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Heart of "Eleanor the Great"

• Premise: Eleanor, age 94, moves back to Manhattan after decades, grieving her best friend and feeling invisible. She claims her friend’s Holocaust survival as her own story, a choice both deceptive and deeply human.
• Casting Real Survivors: Johansson intentionally cast Holocaust survivors in the film's survivor support group scenes for authenticity and respect.
  • “It just felt very important and a must, an absolute must that we identify survivors that wanted to participate and then were able to participate.” – Scarlett Johansson [09:19]

June Squibb on Eleanor & Aging Authentically

• On what drew her to Eleanor:
  • “She was such a human character and had so many feelings… she kept revealing herself. Something new about her constantly.” – June Squibb [04:16]
• On asserting presence as an older woman: Squibb discusses how Eleanor's sharp wit hides vulnerability and a desire to be seen, reflecting societal invisibility of the elderly.
• Industry Recognition Late in Life: Squibb shares how varied roles, especially post-Nebraska, have given her a late career renaissance.

Scarlett Johansson’s Directorial Journey

• First reading the script:
  • “This is a character who suffers this devastating loss … and all of a sudden, this plot twist… this lie that Eleanor tells, in a moment of real, deep loneliness... it was surprising. It’s rare to feel surprised when you read a script.” – Scarlett Johansson [05:26]
• Balancing Humor and Heavy Subjects:
  • “It was written in... that humor felt familiar to me. It was like dialogue vocabulary that I just got.” [07:19]
  • “If I do my job right by the end of the film, [the audience] is able to abandon any judgment and have empathy and compassion for the characters...” [08:26]
• Emerging as a Director: Redford’s example on The Horse Whisperer set inspired her, but Johansson describes needing time and life experience—particularly motherhood—for the confidence to direct.
  • “I don’t think I could have directed a film before now. Not with the same confidence, which is what you need.” [29:14–30:02]

Holocaust Memory and Family History

• Personal Connection: Johansson recounts discovering family lost in the Holocaust and the profound weight of seeing their names in historical registers.
  • “It's so profound and moving and horrifying just to hold that document.” – Scarlett Johansson [13:10]
• Silence and Storytelling: Johansson and Squibb reflect on the importance—personally and for society—of both telling and preserving stories as the survivor population dwindles.
  • “We make people look at it and remember and understand.” – June Squibb [10:57]
  • “A lot of survivors live, you know, holding those stories like a horror they don't want to recount or relive. And so there's a lot of these stories that… are kind of lost in time.” – Scarlett Johansson [14:36]

Intergenerational Friendships and Influence

• Film Example: The film centers a friendship between Eleanor and a young writer, Nina.
  • “If there’s one thing I’ve learned—and you can write this down—you have to talk about the things that make you sad... If you don’t, it can just eat you alive. 80 years later and you’ll still be there.” – Eleanor (June Squibb) [36:52]
• Real Life: Both Squibb and Johansson cherish intergenerational relationships, noting how such connections enrich their lives and work.
  • Squibb: “It just seems natural to me. If somebody’s interesting, they’re interesting no matter what their age is.” [39:56]

The Craft: Theatre, Film, and Career Shifts

• June Squibb’s Career: She started in musical theater and Broadway, notoriously dubbed “the dirtiest mouth on Broadway” [17:03]. Transition to film came late, by her own agency and persistence.
  • “I went to my agent and said, everybody I know is working in film... And in a week, I had an audition for Woody Allen...” [31:52]
• Acting in Different Mediums:
  • “With theatre, you’re trying to reach a larger audience... with film, you’re in love with that camera.” – June Squibb [33:17]
• Objectification of Women in Hollywood:
  • Johansson discusses breaking out of the “bombshell” typecasting by seeking substantive roles and experiences on stage.
    • “I felt really frustrated... suddenly I was playing either like the other woman or the girl piece… It’s your own responsibility to get yourself out of those tight spots. No one’s gonna do that for you… That play (A View from the Bridge) was a real turning point for me.” [42:27]
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actress: Validation came not just from awards, but from acceptance by the Broadway theater community. [44:38–45:34]
• Navigating Career Types:
  • Squibb discusses how her shift from musicals to more dramatic acting was self-driven, supported by her second husband, an acting teacher:
    • “He was determined almost more than I was that I was going to become a fine actress… I started going … regional theater … off Broadway.” [46:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• June Squibb, on writing Johansson to direct:
  • “Will you come and do the film?” [04:43]
  • Johansson jokes, “And then June offered me a large cash sum, which I still have not yet received.” [05:06]
• On humor and authenticity:
  • “Those very biting lines … are some of them verbatim her grandmother’s words.” – Johansson [07:19]
• On preserving Holocaust memory:
  • “If you have a living relative who's lived through the Holocaust, … the work that the Shoah foundation does to preserve those stories is so vital.” – Johansson [14:36]
• On being typecast:
  • “It’s your own responsibility to get yourself out of those tight spots. No one’s gonna do that for you, you know.” – Johansson [42:27]
• On intergenerational friendships:
  • “If somebody’s interesting, they’re interesting no matter what their age is.” – Squibb [39:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:16–04:16 | Introduction of film and guests; Squibb discusses Eleanor | | 04:36–05:19 | Squibb’s letter, Johansson’s response; early director interest | | 05:26–07:02 | Johansson on her emotional reaction to the script | | 07:19–09:06 | Balancing humor and heavy themes | | 09:06–10:52 | Casting Holocaust survivors and importance | | 12:02–13:03 | Squibb’s personal connection to Judaism | | 13:10–15:34 | Johansson discovers family Holocaust history | | 16:34–17:47 | Squibb’s stage origins; “dirtiest mouth on Broadway” | | 18:24–20:22 | Johansson’s NYC childhood and influence of her grandmother | | 22:07–29:14 | Johansson’s move to directing; Redford and The Horse Whisperer | | 31:52–33:17 | Squibb’s move from theater to film | | 36:17–37:39 | Diner scene with Nina; wisdom about grief and storytelling | | 42:27–44:38 | Johansson on typecasting and fighting for complex roles | | 47:12–end | Squibb’s transition from musical theater to acting |

Flow and Tone

The conversation is candid, warm, and often humorous—mirroring the balance of poignancy and wit in Eleanor the Great. Both guests speak with humility and openness about vulnerability, risk, and change, offering insights for artists and audiences alike about the power of stories, the responsibility of memory, and the necessity of self-advocacy in creative careers.

For Listeners

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in nuanced storytelling about aging, memory, and moral ambiguity on screen; the experience and wisdom of two barrier-breaking women in film; and the relevance of Holocaust remembrance in our current era.