The actress spoke with VOS after the premiere of Palmer, the film in which she stars alongside Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen.
One Temple may not be one of the most famous faces in Hollywood, but she is a multifaceted actress who has worked alongside great personalities, such as James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom, and has a vast career behind her.
One of his last acting challenges was Palmer, a dramatic film directed by Fisher Stevens, starring Justin Timberlake, who plays a former American football player who is released from prison after 12 years and becomes the guardian of Sam, an outgoing boy. played by Ryder Allen.
In the film, Juno plays the role of Shelly, Sam's young mother who is also addicted to drugs. Although the scenes in which we see the actress in the film are few, they are very powerful and make Temple's acting ability very clear.
In a chat with VOS, Juno delved into her character in the film.
Your role in Palmer is particularly very raw, very "natural", it does not fall into clichés on the subject of addictions. How did you prepare for the role, acting and personally?
I really empathized with the character. Shelly became a mother at an age when she did not have the tools to be one. I'm not a mother in real life yet, but it's something I really want to be one day. I loved Ryder, who plays Sam, so much that the idea of having to let go of such an extraordinary human being from me, because you couldn't be the mother I needed you to be, is extremely distressing.
Preparing for the role, I did a ton of research on methamphetamine use, because that's what Shelly is addicted to. It's one of the most horrible things you can ever take; She makes you feel like you can handle anything, like you have superpowers, like you can handle any situation, and I understand the need to have something that makes you feel better about yourself sometimes, but she steals the life out of you. That scared me, and it scared me for my character. I can't tell you how much anguish filming it caused me.
Regarding what the experience of working with a child-like Ryder was like, Juno explained that the most important thing was “talking about everything.” “I loved every second with this little man. I am so proud of him and that the world can see his performance because he is honest and genuine.”
Additionally, the actress referred to the COVID-19 pandemic and commented on why she believes that telling stories like Palmer's is important during these times. “It's exciting to be part of a film that came out at a time like this because its message encourages people to feel comfortable in their own existence, regardless of shape, color, past, or gender.”
Shelly has few scenes, but they are very intense and in those moments we see that your character is very vulnerable, but at the same time strong and capable of making an extremely altruistic decision concerning her son. Do you see any of these Shelly traits in yourself? Do you think you learned something from playing her?
My character is very vulnerable and delicate, but she is also intense and scared. She really wants to keep up with herself, but at the same time, she would probably need to pause for a moment.
I learned that taking a moment and really taking in what is happening in front of you and around you, listening to the people around you, leads you to make good decisions.
Sometimes people tend to look the other way when it comes to someone with addictions. But it doesn't all depend on you, it is chemistry in the brain, It is the product of your environment, of the people you know, of the sadness that you create and the happiness that you gain, it is reactionary. I am very lucky to have put myself in the shoes of a mother who is also an addict because I understood that being one does not mean that you always make bad decisions, or disrespect everyone, but that as long as you pay attention to what is happening in front of you you can make a good decision.
