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Martie and ‘Julie Paris’

Excerpted from Production Journal - August 2006 (Post Casting Session) 

“…so it turns out Martie Ashworth – our first choice from the mountain of headshots and resumes we studied – is going to play Julie. Amazing that all of our first choices, Julie, William, Dora (and Zak having found Gabe and Amber for the next film)… All of our gut instincts have turned out to be right. 

…there are so many talented actors over 45, over 50, over 60 and above in this town-it is astonishing. The talent pool at this age is incredible – it’s truly a wonder why more films aren’t made with, by and for this age bracket. I think Martie will be one of the great ones –Julie was described in the script as being in the autumn of her life – Martie is when the leaves are at their most beautiful…”

When we brought Martie to improvise with Larry, it was chills all around: suddenly William and Julie were Real. Here are excerpts from a bio that Martie sent to me before she had even read the script. 

From an email sent on August 13, 2006 by Martie Ashworth 

…It’s hard when a person wakes up and realizes they are unfulfilled and that they are stuck. Most times the thought that they have choices never comes to mind. This is it, and there’s no way out. 

If a person’s soul could curl into a fetal position, Julie’s had. William had lost his joy long ago, he was unhealthy from sitting around for so long, and he was now experiencing age-related health issues. Worse of all, he was chronically depressed, and forever complaining about how bad he felt. 

A person who doesn’t know that change can be made, has a mind that tends to make up scenarios that ease their angst. The dreams of William miraculously recovering and becoming vital again were eventually replaced with thoughts of his car running off of the road and going over a cliff. The idea that he would suddenly have a revelation that Julie was sad or lonely and that he needed to get his act together, was replaced with William getting food poisoning and dying in the hospital. Dying in the hospital was replaced with William dying in his sleep before anyone could even get to him to try CPR. Such was her desperate and lonely life. 

But, in the end, Julie knew that “till death do you part” was a vow that she must not ignore. So, she clung to memories of how William had supported her, held their baby son, had came home with “stolen flowers” that she loved so much, and how they fit together so well as they curled up upon one another as they slept. 

They would find their way… 

Martie