Talia Shire interview: ‘Working Man’
“Everybody needs a reason to get up in the morning; a purpose,” declares two-time Oscar nominee Talia Shire (“The Godfather, Part II” and “Rocky”) about what was her key takeaway from her role on “Working Man.”
“It’s sad and it’s beautiful and it’s bittersweet and it definitely hits home that in this moment in time a human being needs to have meaning,” she says. Watch our exclusive video interview with Shire above.
In “Working Man,” Peter Gerety stars as Allery, a factory worker in a small Rust Belt town, who defiantly shows up at work every day after the plant is closed. Shire co-stars as devoted wife Iola alongside Billy Brown as Walter, a passionate former co-worker who befriends Allery.
Reviews have been favorable for “Working Man,” scoring a 73 at Metacritic and certified fresh with an impressive 93% at Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been praised for first-time writer/director Robert Jury‘s moving screenplay and direction, as it paints a compelling picture of a man finding a sense of purpose amidst the despair of the Rust Belt and his own personal grief and loss. All three of the film’s main cast – Gerety, Shire and Brown – have also received positive reviews for their touching performances.
“What attracted me [to the role] was the beauty and the audacity of the piece and the importance of it,” Shire explains. “So many people, especially because we’re in a pandemic, people are losing their jobs. They can’t get up in the morning. That sense of purpose and humanity is all up for grabs right now as we try to define this particular moment.”
