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Sue was involved with a lot of charity work at the school. She feels equally important in the eyes of the family, and she’s very involved with the school. She’s extremely supportive and extremely loyal. I don’t think of her as a doormat or something. Generally or historically, a great man is supported by a great woman. Were you conscious of that or was it something you tried to make richer with your performance?

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When they make a movie about a man, sometimes the wives are relegated to “supporting wife” roles. People are very loyal to their teams in Pittsburgh.Īs soon as the hockey season ends, it’s time to put on the football jersey. Whether it’s football season or hockey season or baseball season.

I’ve shot there a couple of times, and I’ve noticed that whatever season it is everyone is walking around with that jersey on. I’m from Pittsburgh, so I’m aware of how nuts Steelers fans can be. And you look up to the people who run the college and run the football program and you live and die whether you win the games.

Your grandfather went there and now your kids. It’s kind of like Notre Dame and their alums. So you were probably aware of how Penn State football is a religion? There was a team that Sister Jean was involved with and this 90 year old nun was their mascot. I don’t follow basketball too much, but during March Madness I love the underdog team that just keeps winning. Lots of times I love an underdog in other sports. So, sometimes I’ll do that-I’ll follow one person and that’s why I’ll be connected to the team. But I love Aaron Rodgers because he went to Berkeley. I went to Berkeley, and of course we never have a good team. And then I switched over to college football, and I love an underdog.

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Well, I used to be a huge 49ers fan in the Joe Montana era, and so I was rabid about professional football. Do you follow both college and professional football? But I didn’t know anything about his wife. Of course, I knew about the terrible crimes that Sandusky committed and the connection to the school. I’m a sports fan, and I knew about Joe Paterno and his team. She is asking questions, but she might be afraid to hear the answers.

With another actress, you may have gotten overwrought theatrics, but Baker understands the relationship between this couple. It’s the best scene in the film, because of how Baker handles it. There is a scene near the end of the film where Sue gently confronts Joe about letting Jerry Sandusky swim in a pool with their children. That isn’t to say that Sue blindly supports her man. Baker’s Sue provides strength and resilience for the family when they are experiencing the worst moment of their lives. People often criticize feature films and television movies for neglecting to flesh out the roles of the women behind the famous man at the center. Her faithfulness to the family and her husband is evident as her Joe Paterno takes his time to make a statement regarding the scandal. As Baker points out in my conversation with her, Sue Paterno is the backbone of the Paterno family.īaker’s portrayal of Sue Paterno is a respectful one, and she makes her presence known in scenes where she may not have a lot of dialogue. The crimes of Jerry Sandusky feel alarmingly relevant in this post-Weinstein/Kevin Spacey era, and we get a glimpse of how the Paterno family reacted to the scandal in Barry Levinson’s film. Kathy Baker provides a much-needed warmth to HBO’s Paterno. Kathy Baker details how she didn’t make Sue Paterno your standard ‘supporting wife’ for HBO’s Paterno.