ShowBiz Direct’s new biopic Reign Offers a closer look at the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the 40th President of the United States. The film hits theaters Friday, August 30, and is told from the perspective of KBA agent Viktor Petrovich, whose life becomes intertwined with Reagan after the Hollywood actor draws Soviet attention. Directed by Sean McNamara, Reign Starring Dennis QuaidJon Voight, Penelope Ann Miller, Mena Suvari, Lesley-Anne Down, David Henrie, Kevin Dillon and Amanda Righetti.
Righetti plays the role of Nelle Wilson Reagan, a devout Christian who has dedicated her life to raising her two boys. The president held his mother’s Bible when he was sworn into office, paying homage to Nell almost twenty years after her death. While Righetti knew little of Nelle’s life before joining the film, she was excited to learn about the historical figure and her influence on Reagan’s presidency. Righetti shares that the biopic inspired her to examine her own life, and she plans to carry what she learned from Nelle into future roles.
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Screen Rant Chat with Righetti about what drew you to it ReignHow Nelle helped shape the former president, and what she believes Hailey is still up to The OC.
Righetti was excited to be part of a film set in the Roaring ’20s
“It was the beginning of a transition for women at the time.”
Screen Rant: What drew you to it Reign And made you want to get involved in the project?
Amanda Righetti: I’m a sucker for period pieces, which was a big selling point. I think they are part of something historical, and the challenge of being able to represent and help tell the story of Reagan’s life, and not only his policies as a politician and president, but what shaped him. I thought that was exciting. I felt like there hadn’t been anything done on Reagan before.
Do you have a favorite period piece or biopic?
Amanda Righetti: Gosh, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing. I think, especially on a historical basis, The Crown was a really great, successful historical biopic. I also love stuff from the Roaring ’20s, which kind of appealed with Reagan, because I play his mother in the ’20s. This was the beginning of a transition for women at the time.
As you said, your character is based on a real person. How much did you know about Nelle Reagan before you took on the role?
Amanda Righetti: I knew nothing of Nelle Reagan before this was offered to me. It really opened me up to learn, not only about his mother, but about him, and how his mother influenced him and impressed upon him at a young age things that he really carried with him throughout his life. It helped shape him as a person, which then led to some of his policies and the ways he became a leader.
Even in a biopic, creative freedom is always taken. Do you feel that the character as written accurately represents what you have learned about Nelle?
Amanda Righetti: Yes. It’s about as accurate as it gets in terms of dialogue and moments that Reagan talked about in his autobiography. There were people in his upbringing who were interviewed for various books that were written about him and his life. Many things in the movie are really true to the stories, and they tried to just stick with it to a tee. I felt like it was a good representation of who she was to him. They also chose the most pivotal moments in his life to share about things she imparted to him.
Reagan is broken into three different phases of life
“It was his younger life and upbringing, and then the college and SAG years, and then his presidency.”
with Reign Being a period piece, can you talk a little about what it was like to go back in time and encapsulate that moment in history?
Amanda Righetti: We filmed in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and what’s really neat is a lot of the buildings are from the late 1800s, so it felt like you were stepping back in time on that basis. I think they brought in over 100 Model T cars to really finish the set pieces in this way. When I’m building a character, it sounds silly, but the shoes are always something that’s really important to me.
I think they find the ones for you and the clothes – there were a lot of social norms at the time that dictated how women should dress and behave. So that I could marry those two things, I think, was really important to not only stay true to the times, but also true to Nelle. I also just love playing with all the old vintage clothes.
Do you take different acting approaches when you’re playing a real person versus a purely fictional character?
Amanda Righetti: Yes. It’s a little more red tape, I’d say, but not in a bad way. Just in terms of a guiding post. Because she was a real person, it is also important for me to understand how she was raised. The Reagans are dirt poor, which is also something I wasn’t fully aware of until I started researching about him and her.
In that kind of environment of where they lived and how they lived and all that stuff, there were a lot of pressures on you to meet where Jack Reagan fell short. She picked up the slack in a lot of ways. It shaped her, but it also shaped her opinion on how to protect her children. A lot of it was giving them a sense of optimism that no matter what they were facing in their day-to-day lives, there was something greater for the purpose of what they were living at the moment.
The film has an all-star cast. What can you share about your experience with everyone?
Amanda Righetti: It was fast and furious, because I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare the character. The film was broken into, essentially, three different movies. There was his younger life and upbringing, and then the college and SAG years, and then his presidency. I was just a part of his upbringing and those years, and so unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to collaborate with Dennis Quaid, or Jon Voight, or Penelope Ann Miller, or any of those aspects of the cast.
I was able to meet them and appreciate them in the press tour and things like that. When we got together with Justin Chatwin, who plays Jack Reagan, we talked a lot about what the relationship might have looked like. It was really a collaboration between him and me. The way Sean, the director, took us through it was a collaborative experience, and it was a real joy to be a part of.
Righetti shares her theories about Hailey’s future after the OC
“Maybe she’s burned enough bridges in her life that she’s finally grasped the fact that she just needs to relax and grow up.”
How do you feel that playing Nelle has helped you stretch new creative muscles that you haven’t had the opportunity to use in past roles?
Amanda Righetti: I think what’s interesting about playing Nelle is that she was such a humble woman, and her life was dedicated to the poor and helpless and giving back to her community. There was such a strangeness about her. Playing a character like you makes me question some of my own motivations in life. Some of your insights about life are really beautiful. It was a nice piece of her that I felt like I was able to carry with me while playing her and after.
Before I let you go, I’m a big fan of The OC And I’m curious what you think Hailey is up to today. Do you have any personal theories?
Amanda Righetti: Maybe Hailey grew up a little bit. Maybe she burned enough bridges in her life that she finally got hip to the fact that she needed to just chill out and grow up. [Laughs] I love her. She was really fun. I loved that wild unpredictability she would bring to a scene. It was so much fun to play.
More About Reagan (2024)
Dennis Quaid brings to life a story that transcends the boundaries of a traditional biopic, offering a profound exploration of the enduring impact of one man’s power to overcome the odds, sustained by the love of a woman who loved him. supported in his journey. Rated PG-13 for violent content and smoking.
Check out our other interviews with these Reign Character:
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