UPPERCUT: The Legendary Joanna Cassidy Chats About Her New Boxing Drama!

Synopsis

Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames, Luise Großmann, and Joanna Cassidy star in Uppercut, an electrifying film about Toni (Großmann), a determined female boxer trying to break down barriers as she redefines what it means to be a woman in today’s world. When Elliott (Rhames), a tough ex-boxing champion, accepts the challenge to train Toni, the two mismatched characters form an unlikely alliance. Their sparring and Elliott’s keen insights show their young fighter that real strength comes from the challenges you overcome when life throws its biggest punches your way.

The Legendary Joanna Cassidy

Joanna Cassidy is a veteran actress whose career spans over five decades, with standout roles in both film and television. She is perhaps best known for her role as Zhora in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic Blade Runner and as Dolores in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Cassidy’s ability to portray strong, complex female characters has made her a beloved figure in Hollywood, earning her a Golden Globe award and multiple Primetime Emmy nominations.

In Uppercut, Cassidy takes on the role of Rita, a seasoned physical therapist who’s seen it all. Rita’s character is a blend of tough love and nurturing wisdom, providing guidance not only to the fighters she treats but also to Toni, whom she takes under her wing.

Cassidy’s portrayal of Rita adds a rich, emotional layer to the film, as she embodies the role of a mentor who has lived through her battles and now helps others navigate theirs. Her experience and gravitas bring a deep sense of authenticity and authority to the character, making Rita an integral part of the story’s emotional core.

Interview

Cinema Scholars’ own Glen Dower recently interviewed actor Joanna Cassidy about her new boxing drama Uppercut. Co-starring Ving Rhames and Luise Großmann, Uppercut will be in theaters, on digital, and on-demand on February 28, 2025.

Lightly edited for content and clarity.

Glen Dower:

Ms. Cassidy, how are you, Ma’am?

Joanna Cassidy:

Great, thank you. Very good.

Glen Dower:

Excellent. First, let’s discuss your new movie, Uppercut, in which you play Rita. What can you tell us about her? 

Joanna Cassidy:

Rita is a physical therapist to this young man. I want to say that she’s a woman of many talents. There are many things that Rita does. She works with him psychologically in this particular movie, and I think that Torsten Ruther (writer/director) is going to follow up with a second movie, depending on how this goes, to open up the characters to find out who they are, and what is it about them. So we’ll take it out of the boxing ring into their personal lives. But in this movie, we’ll see Rita, who is a powerful mother figure as well as a healer, she has come aboard to be all things. Whatever you need, whenever you need, she’s going to be there for you.

Glen Dower:

I get that idea with Rita, it feels like there is a lot more story to uncover. We want more time with Rita.

Joanna Cassidy:

We want more time.

Glen Dower:

But there’s that moment, just after the hour mark, where you come in and you give this amazing pep talk to the main character, Toni, and you think that’s why Rita is in the movie. This epic monologue that you have about female empowerment, being a role model, and women playing in a so-called man’s world. And I wrote down while watching: ‘This is why you get Joanna Cassidy.’ It was a real treat, just that moment. And then it was gone. And I thought ‘Oh, when is she coming back? Is she coming back?’

Joanna Cassidy:

‘Oh come on, keep rolling, keep rolling!’

Glen Dower:

Yeah, keep rolling, that’s it. But what can you tell us about working with Luise Großmann, because this is her first movie, right? And what a narrative she has, because we’re going back and forth in time. She’s picking up these words of wisdom from Ving Rhames, of course, and then putting them into action when she’s a boxing manager and promoter. What was it like working with her? Were you like a mentor/mother figure offscreen also, like you say?

Joanna Cassidy:

Well, she’s very young and new. And they are a pair, you know, they’re partners in this whole thing. And so knowing Louise, knowing Torsten – our director – is adoring them both. They have such phenomenal energy. You just go, ‘OK, I’m in. OK, let’s go. Let’s go wherever, let’s do this.’ I don’t know whether you know, but my scene with her was very last minute. We were in the middle of the strike and it was not going to happen for a while. And all of a sudden I got a call that said, ‘Hey, get on a plane. We could shoot this, get ready to come in.’ And that’s what it was.

And I was prepared and I knew them from before. I had spent time with them. And she’s so adorable. I mean, this is a young actress. She has no ego, nothing. She and Torsten are just an adorable couple and excitable filmmakers. They want things to be good. They want everyone to be happy. And, you know, when you walk on a set like that, do you want to give a thousand percent? OK, I’m there with you.

Glen Dower:

Let’s do it!  And why do you think we as an audience just love boxing movies? Because you would think they’ve said everything they want to say by now. Raging Bull, the Rocky/Creed franchise, Southpaw, Ali, Million Dollar Baby. But why do we as an audience still love going back and seeing a good boxing movie?

Joanna Cassidy:

It’s the basic thing in human beings that we don’t get to express. You know, we were hunter-gatherers before. You know, when do we get to do that now? I had a dream last night that I was beating up somebody! I don’t generally go out and do that, you know?! But here I am dreaming that I’m punching out a guy. Where does that come from? It’s about a lot of things. It’s about protection. About presenting yourself in the world. And it’s about being independent, strong, and capable of handling yourself in a situation that we need to handle ourselves. The world is changing so fast.

You have to be ready for everything. It’s a vicarious thrill to see someone in a ring and blood flying, muscles bulging, a physical presence of violence and energy. It’s like a lion catching its prey. ‘I’m going to eat you alive. I don’t care what you do. I’m going to win. I’m going to win.’ And that’s what I think so much of it is about. It’s a vicarious experience of having that win.

Glen Dower:

Oh, yeah. And with a good boxing movie, you will be involved as you watch it. You will dodge and you will feel it, like you said. It’s an interactive experience, isn’t it? It doesn’t just wash over you. You are there in the ring.

Joanna Cassidy:

More so than a tennis game, you know? But your heart is still racing. You still want a certain player to win. You still want this to happen. And you know, you want him to lose. You want him to fail. You want him to do something, you know? And I think it’s a very innate desire, a mental experience that we can have through someone, you know, through someone else who’s showing us something.

Glen Dower:

And Uppercut is a worthy addition to the genre, I think. So as we are Cinema Scholars here, we have to look at your career, Ms. Cassidy. Growing up, one of my favorite movies, every day, home from school, VHS, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Joanna Cassidy:

Oh my gosh!

Glen Dower:

I just adore that movie. And I will tell you something else. Forget Jessica Rabbit. My crush was on Dolores…

Joanna Cassidy:

Really? Oh, gosh.

Glen Dower:

I would take Dolores for a gin. I would say, Eddie, stand aside.

Joanna Cassidy:

Yeah, that’s great! Well, Eddie was, you know…they were all dumb in that movie. I was the babe! She was drawn that way! I had to struggle with that a little bit because they said, ‘Well, you can’t have your red hair. You have to have another color because one of our leads is a redhead. I said, Jesus, you know, you guys, you guys, you’re falling in love with a cartoon. I’m here! I’m right here!

Glen Dower:

I get that! And again, we could talk about your leading men, Mr. Harrison Ford, Mr. Gene Hackman, and Mr. Bob Hoskins. We could talk about some of your directors, Sir Ridley Scott, Robert Zemeckis, John Carpenter…but let’s forget about them. What I want to ask you, Ms. Cassidy, is when I look at your movies, you disappear into the roles.

Just with the ones we have talked about, Dolores, and Zohora from Blade Runner, even Rose from Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. Of course, you are a master of performance but I’m also guessing you have a lot of input into their looks too because just those three characters are completely different. And you disappear into all of those. Is it because maybe of your modeling background, your artistic background, where you have a say, ‘I think she should have this look and this one should have this look’? What is your input on those iconic characters?

Joanna Cassidy:

Thank you for the compliment. I’m happy to hear that. Some input, yes. The name of my memoir, if I ever get it finished, is called Luminous Ghost. And I feel like I’m a ghost in a way. I’m presented with things that I can just, like you said, disappear in. That’s a very ghost-like word. And it’s my job and pleasure to act a character in a certain way. I know people when they watch me sometimes go, ‘I didn’t know it was you, but then you laughed. And I knew your laugh.’ That’s wonderful. That’s all I want to hear.

Another movie I have coming out soon is called Killing Faith. It’s with Guy Pearce and Bill Pullman. And I play a mid-1800s woman on the plains. I can’t tell you what I become because you’ll see it! I disappeared in that one too so this is good to know. Sometimes I have input. Sometimes I have input with the makeup. I’m very fussy with makeup. I like to do my makeup in a lot of cases. I don’t know how I got that red wig in Babysitter, but the woman who was doing my makeup then was an artist. She understood a face.

She and I talked a lot about how this woman needs to appear and how it will help with the character. But that was such a walk-in. I loved that character so much and I could have made her mean and bitchy, but I figured that this boss has to be so adorable and so lovable. I like to bring that somehow in all my characters. You may hate her, but there’s something about her that you kind of attach yourself to. The same thing with Margaret Chenowith in Six Feet Under.

Glen Dower:

Of course. Ms. Cassidy, my time is up, but it’s been an absolute pleasure. ‘Little Glen’ is so happy he’s met Dolores, and I’m so happy to have met you. Thank you so much.

Joanna Cassidy:

It’s been a real pleasure, Glen. I appreciate your time. 

UPPERCUT presented by Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment Group, will be in theaters, on digital, and on-demand on February 28, 2025.

Read more Cinema Scholars interviews!

THE MIRACLE CLUB: An Interview With Director Thaddeus O’Sullivan

THE WRATH OF BECKY: An Interview With The Directors And Star Lulu Wilson

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