Interview: Ian McShane on the Powerful and Personal ‘Jawbone’

Drew Dietsch
Movies
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Jawbone tells the story of Jimmy McCabe (writer/producer Johhny Harris), a former boxer who is facing the toughest chapter of his life. He is being evicted from the apartment he grew up in, his mother has recently passed away, he’s unemployed, and he’s struggling with alcoholism. In the midst of this, he decides to revisit his youth and get back into boxing.

He’s given access to a gym by his old trainer, Bill (Ray Winstone), and begins looking for an unlicensed fight in order to make some money. It’s here that he gets in contact with an old business associate, Joe Padgett (Ian McShane), who sets him up with a rough and dangerous fight.

We sat down with McShane and talked about the film, which was clearly a very personal project that he wanted to support.

Fighting Yourself

McShane met Johnny Harris when the two worked on Jack and the Giant Slayer and they struck up a friendship. Years later, Harris asked McShane if he’d look at a script he’d written and would consider playing a part in it. It struck a chord with McShane since the main character, Jimmy McCabe, is fighting with staying sober. It’s a personal conflict that both McShane and Harris share. McShane said:

“It’s about one guy and his view of life. Will he retain his sobriety? Who knows?”

McShane is referencing a scene in the film where Jimmy faces his alcoholism, but the story is left at a point that acknowledges this difficult struggle while not offering an easy ending.

A Unique Point of View

jawbone johnny harris
Jimmy McCabe (Johnny Harris) is a man on the edge of self-destruction.

McShane felt compelled by that perspective in Jawbone, especially since it’s one that isn’t often represented in a lot of bigger budget films. He mentioned how the movie is strictly from Jimmy McCabe’s point of view and that it doesn’t always paint a pretty picture:

“It’s the other view of London. [Jimmy’s] constantly looking across the river at what could have been, at what his life could have been.”

And it’s that wish to recapture the past that leads Jimmy to McShane’s character, Joe. McShane’s pivotal scene isn’t one that lingers on unnecessary filler, and that appealed to McShane:

“I loved the fact that you didn’t need much backstory. You knew who [Joe] was.”

That stripped down mentality applies to a lot of Jawbone and it’s one of the reasons the film is so effective. We strongly recommend you see the film for yourself when Jawbone releases on home video January 23.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.