INTERVIEW: Joanna Cassidy on getting lost in her characters
Photo: Joanna Cassidy is featured in the new movie Uppercut. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate / Provided by KWPR with permission.
For cinephiles, Joanna Cassidy needs no introduction. The accomplished actor has been a film and TV star for decades, and she continues to be a thrilling performer, someone who turns out memorable roles in a variety of shows and movies. Fans know her work in Blade Runner, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Six Feet Under, and her latest role is Rita in Uppercut, a Lionsgate film about a female boxer trying to break down barriers in the world of sports. Cassidy is joined in the cast by Ving Rhames, Luise Grossmann and Jordan E. Cooper, while Torsten Ruether writes and directs.
“I thought it was very interesting to do,” Cassidy said in a recent phone interview. “Well, I was a huge fan of the Rocky films when they were coming out, and I like that people transform. And I like resistance in film.”
Cassidy said that to play Rita, a physical therapist who is pivotal to the narrative, she relied on her own experiences as a mother. In life, the actor has tried to teach her son and daughter various lessons, but without too much passion attached. “I don’t want to come across as a dictator, so I just put it in there,” she said. “I try to say it directly and straightforwardly and truthfully, the best I can.”
Before Cassidy signs on the dotted line for a new cinematic project, she has a mental checklist of different items that she’s looking for (and hoping for). She wants to ensure that any indie film she signs up for has a good director of photography, and she also checks out the previous work from the director. “I liked Torsten’s style,” she said. “I love Luise; she’s great. And when they said they had Ving Rhames … it’s very exciting to find other actors that you’ve respected and admired in your lifetime.”
One of the challenges of Uppercut was when production occurred near the time of the actors’ strike last year, and there were questions about the future of the project and how Cassidy would finish her part. The actor said the pressure was on to get the acting complete before time ran out, but it caused some headaches trying to figure out if she would shoot in Los Angeles, where most of the film was shot, or if she would head to New York City.
“I was very happy that Torsten didn’t give this part to a 30-year-old because frankly they don’t have the wisdom and the evolvement that someone of my generation has,” Cassidy said. “We’ve been through it. We’ve had these experiences, and life hasn’t always been easy. So we know from whence we speak.”
She added: “You evolve into a character. You want to get lost in that character, but, oh, authenticity is major, major for me and most actors. It’s a thinking game, but the physicality is enormously helpful when you’re trying to develop that being. And even before the shoot starts, I mean, one of the things that I do is say my lines by being on the move or dancing or doing a fight scene. I will say my lines to get it in my body.”
Cassidy continues to create art decades after her first film role in the 1970s. She is constantly trying to challenge herself as a performer and find that authenticity. As she takes on future parts, one consideration she doesn’t have are the many characters from her past. She likes to look ahead.
“I was just saying to somebody yesterday that I forget to smell the roses,” she said. “I forget to look back unless I’m doing something like this [interview]. I don’t even think about my career. I rarely think about it and pat myself on the back for what I’ve done. I don’t want to sound trite about this, but I think every acting job gives an actor an opportunity to be a teacher. It does. You’re showing another facet of what it is to be a human being. I always like to bring something that’s kind of likable to the screen so people can learn from that.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Uppercut, featuring Joanna Cassidy, is now available in theaters, on digital and on demand. Click here for more information.
