Amy Ryan is one of the best actors working today, period. She has proven it over the course of her long career, appearing in projects such as “Gone Baby Gone” (which earned her an Oscar nomination), “The Wire,” “Birdman,” and “Bridge of Spies.” And her latest film, “Worth,” sees Ryan turn in another awards-caliber performance opposite co-stars Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci.
Recently, Amy Ryan joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about her role in “Worth,” the film’s depiction of 9/11 and its aftermath, the chances of “The Office” returning, as well as her next project with filmmaker Ari Aster.
“Worth” tells the true story of Kenneth Feinberg (Keaton), who is tasked with leading the group that would come up with the method of distribution of funds for families of 9/11 victims. It’s a hard-hitting film that shows the lengths someone has to go to when trying to answer the question about how much is a human life worth financially? As you might imagine, any film about 9/11 is going to be an emotional experience, but for Ryan, working on the film reminded her of the time immediately after the tragedy, when the United States came together to support the victims and their families.
“I was so struck by New York at that time, seeing all the different license plates on first responder vehicles—ambulances, fire trucks—I was just so grateful of communities coming together,” she explained. “It wasn’t about the politics at that moment. I hope we go back to that at some point, though it doesn’t feel like we will at this moment.”
Ryan added, “In that way, ‘Worth’ isn’t just a museum piece about what happened on that day, it is a reminder of something we lost—not only the lives of fellow Americans, but also when we were able to put grievances aside and come together. That really stuck with me.”
Obviously, considering how “The Office” is such a massive show, even this long after its finale aired, you can’t speak with Ryan without mentioning her iconic role as Holly Flax on the NBC sitcom. And even though it’s been so long, she can’t escape the resurgence, as she admitted her 11-year-old daughter has already binged it three times. But for many fans of her film work, seeing Amy Ryan do a silly comedy was a shock, at the time. And the actress credits the series for reminding her that not all of her jobs have to be so dark and serious.
“[‘The Office’] was so much fun. It was soooo much fun. It was also an epiphany,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh, you can go to work and be happy!’ [Laughs]”
However, even with her love of the time she spent at Dunder Mifflin, Ryan isn’t sure a revival of “The Office” is ever going to happen, despite the studio really wanting it to happen.
“I think [an ‘Office’ revival] is unlikely because that amazingly talented cast, how are you ever going to get them all on the same free schedule? They’re off doing other projects,” she explained, adding that she would still “love to do anything with Steve Carell, so I wouldn’t limit myself to just Holly and Michael reuniting.
Even though “The Office” reunion seems like a distant possibility, Ryan just finished production on another major project that many are excited for, “Disappointment Blvd.” This is the new film from “Hereditary”/“Midsommar” filmmaker Ari Aster, starring Joaquin Phoenix. While she can’t talk much about the project, it’s clear she didn’t hesitate when accepting the offer to join the cast.
“I get these no-brainer choices along the way and [‘Disappointment Blvd.’] is one of them,” Ryan explained. “Joaquin Pheonix? He’s on my bucket list of people to act with. And Ari Aster? He’s so talented. Oh my God! He’s so young and deeply kind. It’s magical. It’s weird. It’s funny. And it’s scary. And it’s dark. And I can’t tell you anything else about it. But it was such a joy to work on…Ari is no joke. He’s a real artist, a real filmmaker.”
But before we get to “Disappointment Blvd.,” everyone can watch Amy Ryan act opposite titans such as Stanley Tucci and Michael Keaton in “Worth,” when it debuts on Netflix on September 3. You can hear our full discussion below:
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