Show notes
Oscar-nominated actor June Squibb joins Steve Kmetko on Still Here Hollywood for a funny, honest, and deeply inspiring conversation about longevity, craft, and what it really means to keep working at the highest level in your 90s.
June looks back on her early days in theater, including working with the legendary Ethel Merman in Gypsy, learning Broadway discipline, and why she always knew, even as a child, that acting was not just something she wanted to do, it was who she was. She also talks about Law & Order, Nebraska, Thelma, Marjorie Prime, Yellowjackets, and what it feels like to still be headlining films when most people have long stepped away from the spotlight.
The conversation also explores aging in Hollywood, how Scarlett Johansson directed her in Eleanor the Great, what made Jack Nicholson such a generous scene partner, why realism matters so much in her work, and how Nebraska changed the way the industry saw her. June also shares her thoughts on inspiration, criticism, ambition, and the simple wisdom she would send back to her 35-year-old self.
If you love great actors, great stories, and proof that a second act can turn into seven acts, this episode is for you.
Support the show and get early access and extras at patreon.com/stillherehollywood
00:01 Intro: June Squibb and a breakout decades in the making
00:37 Why some people still call her Miss Squibb
01:06 Working with Ethel Merman in Gypsy
02:57 Learning to bump and grind on stage
03:37 Knowing she was an actor from the very beginning
04:18 If she had done anything else, it might have been forensics
04:46 Law & Order memories and Jerry Orbach
05:28 Broadway discipline and arriving early to the theater
06:20 Her backstage ritual before curtain
07:17 How June prepares for a role
08:04 Seven decades of acting, and still going strong
08:29 What she looks for in a script now
09:18 Aging in Hollywood and what audiences want to see
10:32 Why older stories matter more than ever
10:53 What has not changed in Hollywood
11:45 How age changes the roles she gets
12:37 Scarlett Johansson, Eleanor the Great, and using the cane
13:19 Working with Scarlett as a director
14:19 Oscar night for Nebraska and sharing it with her son
16:22 Patreon break
17:20 Nebraska cemetery scene and that unforgettable moment
18:16 Why she never thought “why did this take so long?”
18:57 How Nebraska changed the way she saw herself
20:00 Thelma, action comedy, and strength at any age
21:11 The best thing about her life right now
21:48 What roles she still wants to play
22:51 What quality makes people want to work with her
23:56 What performance of hers she recommends people watch
24:49 In & Out, comedy, and Frank Oz
25:19 Working with Woody Allen on Alice
26:15 Can you separate art from artist?
27:25 Who made a big impression on her, Jack Nicholson
28:20 Fame, recognition, and being known for the work
28:31 Marrying her acting teacher
29:07 What makes a director great for actors
30:17 Was she ever typecast? Yes, as a bimbo
31:17 Roles that felt too familiar
31:47 Supporting player vs leading lady
32:26 Seeing her younger self on screen
32:48 How old she feels now, 35
33:16 Does she watch her own performances?
33:44 The one truth that shaped her whole life
34:09 Her secret to looking good and feeling healthy
35:13 Being called inspiring, and that word “icon”
36:09 A June Squibb documentary may be coming
36:44 What she hopes people say about her work
36:59 Still hoping to work with Robert De Niro
37:30 At 96, does she think about mortality?
38:05 What she would tell her 35-year-old self
39:17 Closing thoughts and wrap-up
Show Credits
Host/Producer: Steve Kmetko
All things technical: Justin Zangerle
Executive Producer: Jim Lichtenstein
Music by: Brian Sanyshyn
https://stillherehollywood.com
http://patreon.com/stillherehollywood
Suggest Guests at: stillherehollywood@gmail.com
Advertise on Still Here Hollywood: jim@stillherenetwork.com
Publicist: Maggie Perlich: maggie@numbertwelvemarketing.com
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