Interview: John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush get into horror with The Rule of Jenny Pen

The two acting thespians talk the challenges of their roles, while Lithgow picks between some of his most famous villain roles.

It’s always exciting to see major actors try their hand at horror. Both John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush have never shied away from it, and always find interesting roles when they do take part. That’s no different here as The Rule of Jenny Pen provides the two thespians an absolute smorgasbord to play with. They get to play nemesis and are really able to milk each of their interactions. There’s a tension present whenever these two are in the same room and it’s because they know how to play off the small moments so well. I didn’t love the film itself (check out my review HERE) but I was floored by the performances from these two talented actors.

Talking to two absolute acting titans like John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush can be a bit intimidating. Thankfully, they’re two of the nicest people out there and truly love acting, so it made them very easy to talk to. It was fascinating to see their rapport together, with Rush asking if Lithgow had performed a certain Shakespeare play. If anything I wish I had more time with them as they had such thoughtful answers. And with Lithgow having played so many all time great villains, I asked him who had the most humanity between The Trinity Killer (from Dexter), Carter/Cain (from Raising Cain), and Dave Crealy. The answer may surprise you. Check it all out in the embedded video above!

The Rule of Jenny Pen plot:

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called “The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen’s pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy’s reign of terror.

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN IS IN THEATERS ON MARCH 7TH AND STREAMING ON SHUDDER ON MARCH 20TH, 2025.

About the Author

Tyler Nichols is a horror fanatic who resides in Michigan and is always on the hunt for the next great film. When not scouring the internet for movie news, he is usually off watching something dark, writing nonsensical musings, or playing in some fantastical video game world. While horror takes up most of his time, he still makes time for films of all types, with a certain affinity for the strange and unusual. He’s also an expert on all things Comic Book Cinema. In addition to reviews and interviews here on JoBlo.com, Tyler also helps with JoBlo Horror Originals where he’s constantly trying to convince viewers to give lesser-known horror films a chance.