The Goonies star Martha Plimpton on 80s nostalgia, Ke Huy Quan’s Oscar hopes and playing a criminal mama

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2023

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Martha Plimpton has played a host of roles across film, TV and stage throughout five decades, but for many she’ll always be associated with the role she played as a 14-year-old – Stef Steinbrenner in The Goonies.

One of the most beloved films of the 1980s, many of the young teens who starred in it – including Plimpton – defied the curse of the child star and continued their screen success as adults.

And in a twist of fate, one of the original Goonies – Ke Huy Quan, who found it harder than most to get work due to a paucity of parts for Asian-American actors – is now taking Hollywood by storm after being cast in multi-Oscar nominated Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The film is the most nominated at this year’s Oscars. So far he’s won a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and SAG award, and will potentially add an Academy Award to his haul on Sunday.

It’s a Hollywood comeback Plimpton couldn’t be happier to see. She tells Sky News: “I’m especially excited for Ke [Huy Quan]… My gosh, he’s just the dearest human being and the sweetest man and that he’s experiencing this wave of appreciation and love from all over… it’s just really lovely. I’m really excited and happy for him.”

Visibly proud of her co-star, she admits she’s unlikely to be watching the ceremony live – it’s available exclusively in the UK from 11pm on Sky News and Sky Showcase – but says she’ll be rooting for him nevertheless.

Oscars aside, Plimpton is in fact here to talk about her latest project – A Town Called Malice – a very different prospect, which sees her play Mint Ma, the matriarch of a South London crime family – the Lords – who have re-located to the Costa del Sol in a bid to improve their lot.

Described by its creator Nick Love as a “neon Western”, it’s also a love letter to the 80s, filled with all the bright fashion, big hairstyles and memorable music you’d expect from the era.

Plimpton credits the crime drama’s “camp quality” as part of the attraction – indeed there are moments in the show when the characters break into song and dance.

The New York-born star worked with a dialect coach to nail her English accent, which is impeccable throughout. Partly, no doubt, due to the fact she now lives in the UK.

She explains: “I love my Sunday roast and I love the culture, I love the people. I think the British people are extraordinary and have a great sense of humour and a wonderful self-deprecating nature to them that is really just lovely and charming.

“Despite this country’s problems, which, believe me, I’m familiar with, especially coming from the United States… I think that there’s something to the English character that makes dealing with those problems sort of charming, hilarious, and funny.”

It’s no surprise, then, that she jumped at the chance to play a British character, albeit one on the wrong side of the law.

“I loved the idea of this woman from South London – her stealth and her commitment to her family,” she says.

“And I love the idea of playing a mum to all of these gorgeous young men and being a part of this crazy crime family.”

In the show, her youngest son Gene and his girlfriend Cindy are on the run from police following a hit and run.

Spain offers them safe haven thanks to a breakdown in an extradition treaty with the UK, but matters only become more complicated once on the Costa del crime.

Plimpton says it’s a theme rich with dramatic possibilities: “Our fascination with crime probably has some primal reasons for it that I’m not qualified to list, but it’s the excitement and it’s the unpredictability. And people who live life on the edges of society, on the outer edge of what we all consider acceptable.”

And setting it in the 1980s adds a colour and energy to the show that only that era could.

She calls her costumes – including terry towelling swimming costumes, tight white jeans and lots of shoulder pads – “absolutely phenomenal”.

And as for the soundtrack which accompanies each episode, she says: “I’m already immersed in eighties music, those were my teen years. So, I’m pretty familiar with that musical era, and I’m not ashamed to say I still listen to it quite regularly.

“I think we always cling to the music that we grew up with and that connects with us as young people. It’s not necessarily nostalgia for me, it’s an ever-present reality.”

While she agrees the 80s was a great time to grow up as a teen, she admits: “It was also a difficult time to be a teenager. The world was changing spectacularly during that time. It was a scary time, we were terrified of nuclear annihilation.

“The AIDS crisis began in the late seventies, early eighties. It was the beginning of Reaganomics and Thatcherism, which was a huge shift in both of our countries away from a sort of post-war idea of collective responsibility and moving into an era of greed and personal enrichment philosophy that’s unfortunately stayed with us. But it was a very, very interesting time to be a young person.”

But she’s optimistic about today’s youth: “There’s a wonderful quality to the young people now that I think is really extraordinary. Their willingness to be accepting, their openness to new stories, new realities, their eagerness to challenge the status quo and be responsible for their own futures is extraordinary and impressive.”

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Now 52, Plimpton herself has been working since she was just a child. Starting off in a Calvin Klein advert, before moving on to film, as a teenager she played opposite her then boyfriend River Phoenix in Oscar-nominated Running On Empty and Keanu Reeves in Parenthood. Both movies were Oscar-nominated.

More films, plus theatre followed, and TV shows including Raising Hope, and The Good Wife, with the latter earning her an Emmy.

On her enduring career, Plimpton says: “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. And, you know, I’ve been very fortunate. I mean, there have been periods of downtime and dry spells like there are in any person’s career or work life. But, yes, I’ve been very lucky to generally have made it without having to get a civilian gig.”

She’s previously spoken about the UK’s “appreciation” of its older actresses, in contrast to the US which she says has been “really slow” on the uptake.

However, she says America’s getting better at showcasing its more mature female talent, citing the growing number of streaming services “telling a lot more stories. A lot of different stories. A lot of stories we traditionally haven’t been exposed to”.

And of course, one of those stories has to be the multi-verse madness that is Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has propelled her former Goonies co-star Quan back into the spotlight.

Looking back on The Goonies – the movie which changed both their lives – she says its success has been a happy surprise: “I’m certainly impressed by the fact that it’s really taken such a hold in popular culture. And I don’t think any of us expected that it necessarily would when it came out. I mean, we all had an extraordinary time filming it. And, you know, I guess ultimately it did change all of our lives, really. It’s just wonderful.”

While she hasn’t stayed in touch with Quan, now 51, Plimpton says: “I do follow him on Instagram and I see all of his adorable selfies and it’s really sweet.”

Along with the rest of us, Plimpton will be cheering Quan on come Sunday night, hoping his unexpected showbiz return has a happy ending worthy of Hollywood.

A Town Called Malice is available on Sky Max and streaming service NOW from 16 March.

You can watch the Academy Awards on Sunday 12 March from 11pm exclusively on Sky News and Sky Showcase. And for everything you need to know ahead of the ceremony, don’t miss our special Backstage podcast available on Friday morning, plus a winners’ special episode from Monday morning.

Entertainment

Glastonbury 2025 line-up revealed

Published

11 hours ago

March 6, 2025

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The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo will be among the stars headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, it has been announced.

Glastonbury organisers have revealed the line-up for this summer’s event, taking place between 25 June and 29 June, after months of speculation.

The 1975 will take to the iconic Pyramid Stage on the Friday to headline, then Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young will perform on Saturday and Olivia Rodrigo on the Sunday.

Other big names performing include British pop sensation Charli XCX, rapper Loyle Carner electronic group The Prodigy.

The announcement comes after Sir Rod Stewart was booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot and Young was confirmed as a headliner earlier this year.

Young’s announcement in January came amid some confusion, as he had days before told fans he was pulling out of the festival because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.

The Canadian singer-songwriter later said this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.

The 1975 will be headlining for the first time, having made their Glastonbury debut in 2014.

The Cheshire band, known for hits such as Somebody Else and Chocolate, have regularly made headlines due to the antics of frontman Matty Healy.

Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.

Appetite for the esteemed festival saw standard tickets sell out in 35 minutes in November.

They cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, up £18.50 from the price from the 2024 festival, and were sold exclusively through the See Tickets website.

The date for the resale – where tickets not fully paid for are put back up for purchase – is set for some time in spring.

The headliners last summer on the iconic Pyramid Stage were Dua Lipa, SZA and Coldplay, who made history as the first act to headline the festival five times.

2026 is likely to be a year off for Glastonbury, with the festival traditionally taking place four out of every five years, and the fifth year reserved for rehabilitation of the land.

Entertainment

Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2025

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Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX BRIT Awards appearances spark hundreds of Ofcom complaints

Ofcom received 825 complaints over the Brit Awards, with the majority relating to Sabrina Carpenter’s raunchy performance and Charli XCX’s outfit, the media watchdog says.

US pop star Carpenter, 25, sported a red sparkly military-style blazer dress for her performance at the awards show on Saturday night, paired with stockings and suspenders for a rendition of Espresso.

The song was mixed with a Rule Britannia mash-up, as dancers in military parade dress followed her.

She then switched to a red sparkly bra and shorts for her next song, Bad Chem, which she performed alongside dancers in bras and shorts while sitting suggestively on a large bed.

Carpenter later received the global success award at the ceremony, and was also nominated in the international artist and international song of the year categories.

But much of the buzz on social media surrounded her performance, which took place before the 9pm watershed.

Ofcom said some of the complaints were also aimed at British pop sensation Charli XCX, who dominated the night by winning five awards, including album of the year.

Some viewers took issue with her outfit – a black see-through dress.

The singer addressed the concerns during her acceptance speech for artist of the year, saying: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”

Carpenter paid tribute to the UK in her acceptance speech, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”

Entertainment

Why is Noel Clarke suing The Guardian?

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2025

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Actor Noel Clarke begins his High Court libel case against The Guardian’s publisher today.

Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over a series of articles it published about him in April 2021.

They were based on the claims of 20 women Clarke knew “in a professional capacity” who allege his behaviour towards them amounted to sexual misconduct.

Clarke, known for his roles in the Kidulthood trilogy and Dr Who, “vehemently” denies “any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing”.

What will the trial cover?

Clarke is suing GNM for libel, sometimes also referred to as defamation.

It’s a civil tort – not a criminal offence – defined as false written statements that have damaged the person’s reputation. This means Clarke can seek redress or damages but no one will face charges or prison.

Clarke claims the articles The Guardian published in 2021 altered public opinion of him, damaged his reputation, and lost him work.

He said after the allegations emerged: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me.

“If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian is defending the claim on the basis of truth and public interest.

It said in its statement: “Our reporting on Noel Clarke in 2021 was based on the accounts of 20 brave women. After we published our first article, more women came forward.

“At trial, 32 witnesses are set to testify against Mr Clarke under oath. We look forward to a judge hearing the evidence.”

The trial will only focus on liability – not the amount of damages to be paid if Clarke is successful.

The actor tried and failed to get the case struck out in January, with his legal team saying it had “overwhelming evidence” of “perversion of the course of justice”.

His lawyers told the High Court three of the journalists involved in the articles had “deliberately and permanently” deleted messages, which meant he could not get a fair trial.

Lawyers for GNM told the court there was “no adequate evidential basis” for Clarke’s application for a strike out and said it sought “to smear Guardian journalists and editors without any proper justification”.

The trial, which will be presided over by judge Mrs Justice Steyn, is expected to last between four and six weeks.

What has happened since the articles were published?

A month before the articles about him were published in April 2021, Clarke received BAFTA’s outstanding contribution to British cinema award.

However, once the allegations against him emerged, he was suspended by the organisation and the prize rescinded.

His management and production company 42M&P told Sky News they were no longer representing him and Sky cancelled its TV show Bulletproof, starring Clarke and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters as the lead roles.

ITV also decided to pull the finale of another of his dramas, Viewpoint, following the Guardian articles.

The Met Police looked into the allegations against Clarke for any potential criminal wrongdoing, but in March 2022 announced they “did not meet the threshold for criminal investigation”.

Clarke filed the libel claim the following month and has attended several of the preliminary hearings in person.

He says he has faced a “trial by media” – and that the ordeal has left him suicidal and in need of professional help.

‘Rising star’

Clarke made his TV debut in a revived version of Auf Wiedersehen Pet in 2002.

Soon after he played Mickey Smith in Dr Who and Kwame in the six-part Channel 4 series Metrosexuality.

He wrote and starred in the film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood, which were based in west London, where he grew up, and explored the lives of a group of teenagers given time off school after a bullied classmate takes their own life.

It was a box office success and eventually saw Clarke given BAFTA’s rising star prize in 2009.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.