It’s summertime, and the first idea that pops into Vancouver-born actress Jud Tylor’s head is baseball.
It could be she’s a fan, but it’s more likely because she appeared in Brian Helgeland’s new biopic 42, based on the life of athlete Jackie Robinson — the man who broke baseball’s colour barrier.
Jud — pronounced the same way as in the famous Beatles song — admits she’s not much of fan of the game, but after playing the wife of former Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, she’s gained an affinity of it.
While in the midst of auditions in sunny Los Angeles, she threw UMM some fastballs about working with some of Hollywood’s greats like Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson’s War) and threw a few curveballs about how there really is crying in baseball and her thoughts on which team is going to win the World Series.
Now you starred opposite of the Harrison Ford, how was that experience for you?
I grew up loving Harrison Ford movies, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones was a hero to me growing up and I actually had the Han Solo action figure. So getting to work with him was an amazing experience. He’s a lovely man.
And Tom Hanks too?
He was exactly how you would expect him to be. I spent about three days with him — self-deprecating humour, really supportive, really conscientious, he’s just a really great guy. I think he plays himself mostly — just that really nice all-American guy.
How did you score the role of Leo Durocher’s wife in 42?
I went and auditioned for the casting director, she really liked me and brought me in to meet Brian Helgeland and I booked the role. I knew after reading the script that it was a project I really wanted to be a part of — I couldn’t get through the script dry-eyed.
Tears? To borrow a Tom Hanks line, “There’s no crying in baseball”.
There’s a famous quote said in the movie, that Harrison Ford says, he wants someone with the guts not to fight back. (Jackie Robinson) knew that if he fought back — with all of this aggression being directed towards him — that the only thing that people would remember would be that he fought back, not what he was fighting against. So he had to turn his back and walk away from people who directing the most horrible, inhumane attacks at him and just focus on sports and baseball. And he needed to do that to pave the way for other African American players to come up.
So who’s going to win the World Series?
I don’t know enough baseball to say intelligently. (laughs)
What if we said the Dodgers have the highest payroll?
Okay, I’ll say yes then. (laughs)