Margo Martindale helped John Krasinski land Richard Jenkins for The Hollars

Actor Richard Jenkins only agreed to sign on for John Krasinski’s new film The Hollars if Margo Martindale would star as his onscreen wife.
Krasinski stars in and directs the new drama and after taking over the reins of the long-gestating project, which he had first been offered a role in “six or seven years ago”, he decided to reach out to The Americans actress Martindale to feature as the ailing matriarch of a dysfunctional family.
The pair had previously worked together in a TV commercial for U.S. discount retailer Marshalls in 2002, and John insists Margo was his first and only choice for the part of Sally Hollar.
The Office funnyman told U.S. breakfast show Today, “She’s my only call. And to be completely honest, I don’t know if I would have directed the movie had she said no. That’s how important she is not only to me, but to the movie, she’s the centrepiece of the movie.
“For me, you can’t get any better than her… She plays real in a way (that) in every single character, she’s never the same, but she plays it so real you believe her.”
Margo showed an “immediate” interest in the project, but John reveals co-star Richard’s involvement was contingent on the 65-year-old actress’ commitment to the film.
“Richard Jenkins wrote me an email and he said, ‘I like the script. If you get Margo Martindale, I’ll do it.’ And I wrote, ‘Hahaha’, and he wrote back, ‘I’m not kidding!'” John recalled, adding, “So as soon as we got Margo, we got Richard.”
And Margo admits making The Hollars was a real pleasure, because it didn’t feel like real work.
“It was an unusual experience, it felt like a home video,” she told news show New York Live. “It didn’t feel like there was a camera there, so it was a joy to make, it really was.”