I had my first chat with Jane Levy in March 2013. Twelve years and a slew of interviews later, she finally joins me in-studio for a Collider Ladies Night conversation in celebration of one of my favorite performances she’s ever delivered, playing Tammy opposite David Strathairn in Angus MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer.

As many well know, I went quite hard covering 2013’s Evil Dead and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. I adore those projects and love a considerable amount of the work that Levy’s delivered over the years. Tammy in A Little Prayer, however, is different. As Levy explained, “I found her to be extraordinarily brave, like heroically brave, but also so kind.” Levy also joked the character doesn’t have the “acerbic scary side” many of her other characters do. But it’s more than that. Tammy is impossibly thoughtful and loving. She’s the type of big screen character who’ll leave you thinking, “I wish I had more people like Tammy in my life,” or, “I wish I was more like her.” In fact, Levy herself even noted, “I thought, ‘I want to be more like Tammy.’ And I actually still think that.”

A Little Prayer puts the spotlight on the next-level special bond between a man and his daughter-in-law, Strathairn’s Bill and Levy’s Tammy. Bill is a pillar of his community, a quietly authoritative veteran who leads his family and his business with kindness and warmth. However, after bringing his son David (Will Pullen) into that business, Bill questions David’s ability to keep himself afloat at the office, and also if he’s remained faithful to Tammy.

With A Little Prayer now playing in select theaters, Levy swung by the studio to discuss the film's journey from Sundance 2023 to its 2025 theatrical release. She also looked back on working on Suburgatory, discussed the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist cancellation, and teased her upcoming film with Josh Brolin and Austin Abrams, Whalefall.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.