Judy Greer discusses role in new film 'The Long Walk'

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — This week, dystopian thriller “The Long Walk,” directed by Francis Lawrence and based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Stephen King, released in theatres. On Friday, WIVB spoke with actor Judy Greer, who plays the main character’s mother in the film, about her role and the film’s production.

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Greer said her preparation for the role consisted of reading the book to understand the film’s plot and to know what to prepare for behind the scenes.

“With this, it was really all on the page,” she said. ‘I don’t tend to make a lot of adjustments depending, you know, people ask me that a lot, like, ‘Oh, is it different doing a comedy than a drama?’ Well, obviously it is, but the tone is already set on set. I don’t really have to rein it in or do anything different. I just have to tell the truth.”

She said working with Cooper Hoffman, who plays her character’s son in the film, did increase that challenge a bit, as they got along so well behind the scenes, that it made it harder for them to “rein it in” sometimes.

The film, which follows 50 young men on a nonstop walk until there is only one man left standing, all while being followed by armed guards, has numerous heavy moments throughout, particularly one heartbreaking scene involving Greer about halfway through the film.

“That was a rough one,” she said. “I remember when we shot that, everyone at the video village watching the monitor was crying and people were — we were all really upset when we were shooting that scene. It was awful. It was a really hard — that was a tough one because I think of all the parents out there who have to say goodbye to their children and send them off to war, let’s say, to a great unknown, and how do you function? How do you deal with that? How do you put on a tough face? Do you put on a tough face?”

Despite the devastating nature of the film, Greer said Francis Lawrence, who also directed “The Hunger Games” franchise, kept set light, which helped with the cast’s communication, creativity, and ability to have fun.

“I wasn’t there as often as the boys, obviously, so they might have different answers,” she said. “But I really feel like there is so much beauty and love and hope in this film.”

Though the film is set in a dystopian landscape, Greer noted that the relationships in the film also bring hope.

The film does a great job exploring the complexities of the relationships between young men who just met each other and know that their newly formed friendships won’t last long. The men come to face their own mortality, as well as the others’, all while dealing with hopes and dreams, friendship, sacrifice, and love. Additionally, “The Long Walk” takes on the challenge of filming a constantly moving group of subjects, only standing still for a brief flashback scene.

Alongside Greer and Hoffman, the film also stars David Jonsson and Mark Hamill.

The full interview can be streamed at the top of this page or watched in the video player below.