'On the Basis of Sex' star Felicity Jones says Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave her 'enormous confidence' to portray the justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is no typical Supreme Court justice. The 85-year-old has risen to pop culture stardom -- and Hollywood has taken note. A new film about the justice's life, "On the Basis of Sex," is set to be released widely this Friday.
Felicity Jones (who you may know from "The Theory of Everything" and "Star Wars") took on the role of Ginsburg and talked about the weight of portraying such a notable real-life person.
"It's very intimidating taking on someone who's so deeply beloved and so revered," Jones said in a recent appearance on "Popcorn with Peter Travers." "It was definitely nerve-wrecking initially. I was kind of like, 'Where do I start?'"
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Jones said she prepared for the role by focusing on Ginsburg's life leading up to the time she stepped into the spotlight as a justice.
"It was all the immense struggles that she went through. She was trying to operate in a world that wasn't designed for women to be there," Jones said. "They didn't want her there. So it was incredible to see her pushing back against that system and managing to change it and change it for the better."
Jones added, "There was so much prejudice against her. But she managed to use that frustration and turn it into something incredibly positive."
Jones met with Ginsburg several times to make certain her role truly reflected the justice, and she asked her for advice before taking on the part.
"She very sweetly said, 'I've seen your work, Felicity, and I know you can do it,'" Jones, 35, told Travers. "So that gave me such enormous confidence."
"On the Basis of Sex" will be in theaters everywhere this Friday.
Watch the full interview with Peter Travers and Felicity Jones in the video above.
