Dennis Quaid & Penelope Ann Miller discuss new movie ‘Reagan’

[Music] Dennis Penelope thank you uh for joining me today on Presse hey there thank you congrats on this wonderful film I watched it uh actually late last night with my father we enjoyed this very much uh the first question I have for both this is for both of you uh bringing the life for one of these most iconic couples in American history how did you approach capturing the en essence of the nany well that you know I was I think it was on first right yeah I think so and uh I didn't say yes or no to the part because he's like Muhammad Ali for sure yeah but he's like Muhammad Ali is known everywhere in the world and so I I wanted to when I play real people I want to play from their point of view and be respectful but also want to capture something more than just a Saturday night life impersonation so is uh that off camera for fun yeah but when I went to the Reagan Ranch I could feel him there and that's what made my decision and then she came on and was like easy I mean honestly I was scared about playing this woman because she was so iconic and wellknown and and like Dennis said I mean maybe not quite the Muhammad Ali but everybody knows I mean most people unless you're really young remember Nancy and they she was the fashion icon and she was this sort of stoic Regal woman and behind her husband who she was completely devoted to but I think there was a a misinterpretation and I think she felt misunderstood of being sort of cold and aloof and um but anyway as I delved into it and read her book and her biography autobiography and and read books that other people wrote I realized she was very human and and had a lot of colorful aspects to her and um but I wanted to do her justice I wanted to honor her Legacy and so I didn't want it to do some impersonation I just wanted to capture her like you said her Essence and be as authentic and real as possible and you can't judge that person when you're playing that person I don't think she made major policy decisions and everything she left that to him but she protected him she was a she protected him in life she which is as yeah there wouldn't have been a President Reagan if it hadn't been for Nancy yeah this is true I mean she definitely supported him and lifted him and I think the relationship in the movie as you saw is the heart of the film and I think it makes seeing their love story and seeing that relationship evolve and seeing that incredible partnership between these two people who were madly in love I mean he wrote her love notes every day I mean he does that and those are sides of Reagan I never knew I mean they show and that to me is what's interesting about seeing the movie it's what you don't know and their uh relationship it's front and center I think it's at the core of the movie I mean you certainly Reagan was the first uh divorced president uh ever in this country and you know we had the relationship with Jane Wyman which you see in the film what the that does and you it's you know it's about like what a what a relationship how it can lift you up uh in a way you know what it does for your self-esteem what it does for uh the the way you think and you just everything you know let's uh a good relationship I think you are your best self right and he was that other person could bring out your best self yeah and he was pretty destroyed by his first marriage because he believed you marry once and I think Jane Wyman cared about her career whereas Nancy was willing to give up her career she was an actress too to just be by her man and support him people can misinterpret that and I think to me that's a beautiful Noble thing that she said don't need to be in the Limelight I can lift him and support him and being the great man that she believed he was and I think that's why he did become president and because of her belief in him and their love for each other and their partnership so I think it's a but yes it was a daunting task overall being that they were so iconic and people know them so I hope we did it justice uh last question for both of you one sentence what do you hope the the viewers get out of this film hope they're entertained number one that's what movies are for you know we don't go to to movies to see things we go to movies to feel things yeah and you you feel uh what this country used to be what this country still can be and um it's not like a you're sitting in a classroom but uh it's in a political Stadium or something I think to me it's about who these human beings were and what made them who they became and I think it's you know he Reagan was really funny and very charming and um there were a lot of sides to him that I think people don't know so I hope that people will just come away feeling moved like Dennis had entertained um learning something too which is doesn't hurt um especially nowadays I think seeing what America was at that time during the Reagan years it was it we grew up in them so we know and um yeah it's uh we just hope people really enjoy it even you know the whole family amazing Dennis and Pen I want to thank you for giving forid today on press day and good luck with the film thank you so much have a great day