June Squibb Discusses Scarlett Johansson, Eleanor the Great, and Her Career

“If I’m called ‘**icon**’ one more time, I’m going to scream,” laughs June Squibb from her Los Angeles home.

It’s been a big year for the **95-year-old** actress. **Thelma**, Squibb’s first leading feature film role, became one of the biggest success stories at the specialty box office last year, earning over **$12 million** at the global box office. This film has also become the **highest-grossing movie** ever for distributor Magnolia over its two-decade history. She also voices a character in **Inside Out 2**, which has achieved the distinction of being the **highest-grossing animated film** of all time. This kind of run is something anyone would dream of, especially for someone in their **seventh decade** in entertainment.

While flattered by the attention that comes with being Hollywood’s favorite **nonagenarian**, Squibb sometimes finds the fawning a little ridiculous. “A 70-year-old will say, ‘I want to be you when I grow up!’” she explains, reminding everyone that she has simply been doing the same job she’s always enjoyed, from off-Broadway shows and **cabarets** to collaborations with iconic filmmakers like **Martin Scorsese** and **Alexander Payne**.

Nonetheless, the hits continue as Squibb prepares for the **Cannes Film Festival** premiere of her latest movie, **Eleanor the Great**. This film marks the directorial debut of **Scarlett Johansson**. “When I called June to tell her, ‘Oh my God, June, we’re going to Cannes,’ she said, ‘Well, that’s marvelous,’” recalls Johansson. “But then she added, ‘I was there about 10 years ago [for Payne’s Nebraska], so I know the drill.’ I just said, ‘June, you’re the best.’”

In **Eleanor the Great**, which will be released by **Sony Picture Classics** post-festival, Squibb portrays the titular character—a woman who returns from Florida to her native **New York** after the death of her best friend and roommate, seeking to build a new life close to her daughter.

For Squibb, embodying a character returning to New York City after years away was not a leap. “I lived there for **65 years**,” states the actress, known for her breakthrough in New York stage productions like the **1959 musical Gypsy**. “I’ve been in California for about 20 years. But I certainly knew everything there was to know about New York.” Filming took her through various parts of the city, including **Brooklyn** and **Queens**, and she was surprised at how much it has transformed. “[Brooklyn] has been gentrified like crazy,” she notes. “My memory of Brooklyn is that Brooklyn Heights was the only place anyone ever went.”

As Eleanor explores themes of **Jewish heritage**, as well as **grief** and **aging**, Squibb had an additional challenge—memorizing Torah readings for her role. “I learned the bat mitzvah Torah readings and actually did it on camera,” she explains. “My assistant and I were living in an apartment together, and I woke up one morning saying, ‘Oh my God, in my dreams, I was doing the Torah!’”

As for being directed by one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Squibb felt an immediate connection with Johansson. “I just felt I knew who this person was. She’s very—what is the word? It’s not matter of fact. She is herself,” Squibb describes. “She doesn’t make you look at someone she wants you to see; it’s just her. And that’s what was so great about her direction.”

Working under a fellow actress turned director is a new experience for Squibb, who notes that Johansson was adept at providing both notes and the necessary space to shape the scene: “Not many directors can do that, even if they know a little about acting. They couldn’t replicate her precision; she knew exactly where I was emotionally, how long it might take to achieve that.”

Returning to the **Cannes** red carpet for the second time, one of Squibb’s most vivid memories involves assistance from her **Nebraska** director Payne and co-star **Will Forte**. “I still remember going up those stairs,” she shares, recalling the Palais’ iconic steep red steps that lead audiences and talent into the Grand Auditorium Lumière. “I was in my 80s at the time. Will Forte took one arm, and Alexander Payne took the other, pulling me up the stairs.”

It was well worth the effort; **Nebraska** debuted to a rapturous **10-minute standing ovation**. “I can still remember, by the end of it, I grabbed Alexander around the waist and cried on his chest,” Squibb reminisces, reflecting on her **Oscar nomination** for her performance.

Squibb has no plans to rest on her laurels or retire anytime soon. Lately, she has been inundated with scripts. Hollywood, long fixated on youth, is now embracing stories centered around **older adults**. “People are really interested in aging now that we’ve got an aging population,” she explains. “People understand **90-year-olds** better; we have more of them. I have friends that are 100! They want to see aging because they want to know: What should I expect?”

However, not all material fits her. “One script was written for a **70-year-old**. I have to laugh because I thought, at 90, I can’t do some of the things I did when I was 70. They wanted me to ride a horse!” She laughs and then ponders, “Now, I’m not even saying I couldn’t [ride a horse]. I used to ride, so I don’t know, maybe if they got me on, I could stay on.”

And if Squibb does happen to ride again, please—don’t call her an **icon**.