2024 Action Comedy Is Giving A Beloved Actor Their First-Ever Lead Movie Role Aged 94

Summary 2024 boasts top-notch action films with diverse styles, from martial arts to indie thrillers to explosive blockbusters.

At 94, June Squibb has finally landed her first lead role in the action-comedy film Thelma.

An unconventional action-comedy, Thelma boasts both hilarious and heartfelt takes on aging.

From Dev Patel's directorial debut Monkey Man and the Kristen Stewart-led Love Lies Bleeding to Jason Statham's action-packed The Beekeeper, 2024 has seen its fair share of top-notch action films. Not to mention, the year's best action movies run the gamut. Some are full of impressive martial arts and nuanced choreography, while others are indie thrillers or packed with explosions. Essentially, there's an action movie out there for every type of viewer, and enough record-setting blockbusters to inspire faith in summer 2024's slate of popcorn movies.

An unlikely competitor that's partly inspired by Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible...may be the year's best action-comedy movie.

Most recently, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt's The Fall Guy received rave reviews for being a pitch-perfect action-comedy flick. Like the year's previous action-comedy releases — Argylle and Drive-Away Dolls are prime examples — Gosling's Fall Guy under-performed at the box office. While audiences may have enjoyed their time with the thrilling-yet-humorous Fall Guy, the film will face some steep competition come June. In fact, an unlikely competitor that's partly inspired by Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible, and led by a beloved 94-year-old actor, may be the year's best action-comedy movie.

Beloved Character Actor June Squibb Plays The Lead Role In Thelma

The 94-Year-Old Actor Even Performed Most Of Her Own Stunts

Set to hit theaters on June 21, 2024, Thelma stars beloved character actor June Squibb in its titular role. An unconventional action-comedy flick, Thelma was written and directed by Josh Margolin, and based, in part, on the filmmaker's own grandmother. In the film, Squibb plays Thelma Post, a 93-year-old woman who's living on her own for the first time ever. Since her husband's passing, Thelma has been surrounded by family. As Thelma grapples with her shifting autonomy, her relationship with her down-on-his-luck grandson, Danny (White Lotus' Fred Hechinger), serves as the film's heart.

Using her social "invisibility" and grit, Thelma channels her inner Tom Cruise...

One afternoon, a frantic Thelma is duped by a phone scammer who pretends to be Danny. After she mistakenly sends the scammers thousands of dollars, Thelma enlists the help of her friend, Ben (the late Richard Roundtree), and his motorized scooter, and sets off across Los Angeles. Using her social "invisibility" and grit, Thelma channels her inner Tom Cruise to prove to her family that she's more than capable. A deft, heartfelt, and hilarious subversion of the action genre, Thelma has delighted on the festival circuit, from the Sundance Film Festival to the SFFILM Festival.

Related Thelma Review: June Squibb Is Hilarious In Josh Margolin's Delightfully Irresistible Comedy June Squibb proves she's still on top of her acting game in an energetic, charming adventure comedy that is actually genuinely funny.

What Else June Squibb Has Appeared In Before Thelma

The Actor Earned An Oscar Nomination For Nebraska

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Although June Squibb began her acting career during the 1950s, she stuck to stage productions for decades. By the early 1990s, Squibb had transitioned to acting on the silver screen as well, landing parts in The Age of Innocence, Meet Joe Black, and Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven. The actor's breakout film role came in 2013 when she played Kate Grant in the black-and-white comedy-drama road film Nebraska, which was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or. Performing opposite Bruce Dern and Will Forte, Squibb was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Despite decades in show business, June Squibb has never been the lead actor in a film or TV show.

On television, Squibb has appeared in a variety of hit comedy and drama series, including HBO's Girls, Getting On, Grey's Anatomy, Shameless, Modern Family, and Good Girls. The Oscar-nominated actor has also lent her voice to several big-name animated films, like Ralph Breaks the Internet, Toy Story 4, Soul, and the upcoming Pixar movie Inside Out 2. Despite decades in show business, June Squibb has never been the lead actor in a film or TV show. Needless to say, the 94-year-old's starring turn in Thelma is exciting for many reasons.

Related 10 Criminally Overlooked Movies From 2013 That Deserve More Attention Between satirical crime dramas and even an “art house” movie from Michael Bay, 2013 is full of overlooked movies more than almost any other year.

Thelma's 93-Year-Old Protagonist Uses Her Invisibility To Make A Crucial Point About Aging

Thelma Is Laugh-Out-Loud Funny Yet Deeply Poignant

In Thelma, the titular character's daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg) take the scam as evidence that Thelma shouldn't be in charge of her own life. More than anything, Squibb's character wants to enjoy living independently, though she still finds the whole thing strange. In grappling with how society views her — and her abilities — Thelma comes to realize how much she prizes her autonomy. Although the movie is incredibly funny, it's also deeply moving. By putting viewers in the title character's perspective, Thelma illustrates both her limits and her abilities, underscoring just how crucial it is to see the nuance in others' lived experiences.

Thelma is set to premiere in theaters on June 21, 2024.