Jimmi Simpson talks about starring in the film ‘Audrey’s Children’

Jimmi Simpson and Natalie Dormer in ‘Audrey’s Children.’ Photo Credit: Blue Harbor Entertainment.

Actor Jimmi Simpson chatted about starring in the new movie “Audrey’s Children,” where he worked alongside Natalie Dormer.

“Audrey’s Children” is inspired by true events, and is set in Philadelphia in 1969. Ami Canaan Mann directed from the screenplay by Julia Fisher Farbman.

The synopsis is: British physician, Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer), is newly recruited to a world-renowned children’s hospital and battles sexism, medical conventions, and the subterfuge of her peers to develop revolutionary treatments, purchase the first Ronald McDonald House for families of patients and, ultimately, impact the lives of millions of children around the world.

Playing Dan in ‘Audrey’s Children’

On playing Dr. Dan D’Angio, Simpsons said, “What I liked most about him is I saw a lot of myself in him. Not in the brilliant publisher of 500 essential medical articles, not in pioneering combination therapy, but by his ability to be moved by another person, and to drop in line to see if you can help them articulate their vision.”

“So yeah, Dan was on a path, but it was really Audrey Evans’ power that inspired him to do this, and they did it right,” Simpson exclaimed.

“That was what really drew me to this guy, but the story of Audrey, Dan, CHOP, and Ronald McDonald House was just so new to me. I didn’t know the genesis story of all of these wonderful things,” he acknowledged.

“So, it was such an essential part of our current life that I didn’t know about,” Simpson added.

Lessons learned from this screenplay

On the lessons learned from this screenplay, Simpson reflected, “This screenplay taught me that I am very comfortable in supporting a powerful woman.”

“I’m surprised this story doesn’t exist in some film world already,” Simpson noted. “What Audrey and Dan showed us is that you can be part of the machine and not just the machine. You can make it better. You can enter, break a rule of two and make it so much better.”

When Audrey and Dan met, Dan was married with children. They respected and admired each other’s brilliance, a true marriage of the minds, and Dan had a way of getting through to Audrey like no one else could. He had confidence and a calm demeanor that allowed her to lean in and listen.

That was the first time in her professional life that Audrey had a support system. For once she wasn’t pushing the boulder uphill alone.  

“55 years after they met or so, they got married,” Simpson revealed. “You couldn’t write that ending.”

Success

Regarding his definition of the word success, Simpson concluded, “Success, for me, is ending the day feeling like you did your best and feeling you did right. Success is always measured internally for me, so that’s that.”

For more information on “Audrey’s Children,” check out its official website, and its Instagram page.