Aahana Swrup
Josh Margolin’s action-comedy film ‘Thelma’ introduces a brand new variety of protagonists within the genre, centering around a woman in her 90s who undertakes an adventure, cruising through Californian streets on a self-appointed mission. Thelma Post, whose grandson, Daniel, lives with her, becomes a victim of a scam scheme when someone pretends to be her grandson and tricks her off ten thousand dollars. However, never one to take defeat lying down, she decides to tune out her family’s concerns and sets out on a hunt across the city.
Aided by only a motor scooter—and her friend, Ben— Thelma sets out to track down the scammer and get her money back. Despite the eccentricity of Thelma’s narrative as an action-film hero, her quest remains grounded in reality as it avoids off-beat additions, organically incorporating genre essentials into the film’s storyline. For the same reason, the central character naturally compels the audience to wonder about her connections to reality.
Thelma Post: The Real Person Behind the On-Screen Action Heroine
‘Thelma’ is partly based on a true story that unfolded in filmmaker Josh Margolin’s own life. The writer/director’s grandmother, the real Thelma Post, received a phone call where a scammer pretended to be Margolin, inventing stories about a car accident involving a pregnant woman. “She [Post] got really panicked, and she called my parents—and she was so convincing that they were convinced—and chaos spread,” the filmmaker told A.Frame during a conversation. “My grandma had gotten calls like that before, but for some reason, this one got her. It was just the wrong day, wrong time,” he added.
Nevertheless, in real life, Margolin’s parents and grandmother were able to contact him before she sent anyone any money. Therefore, fortunately, no one was scammed in real life. Even so, the instance compelled the filmmaker to wonder about a “what-if” scenario. Thus, he began to imagine a story with his grandmother at its center that jumps off with the scam call and unfolds in the wake of its imagined success.
As such, the film authentically replicates Post’s real-life experiences up to the phone call—recreated almost verbatim on the screen—before expanding into Margolin’s imagination of what his grandmother would have done if she had gotten duped. Even though Thelma’s on-screen adventures with Ben are fictitious, Margolin uses his grandmother as a direct inspiration to craft the character’s narrative. Consequently, June Squibb’s portrayal of Thelma retains all the real-life attributes of Post.
In an interview with Script Magazine, the filmmaker expanded upon the extent of the same and said, “[But] In the writing process, I think what also helped was just having it [the story] be based on a real person, because I think I could usually run things through the mental algorithm of, OK, if my grandma [Post] were in this situation, as slightly heightened as it may be, at this point, or at this point, or at this point, what do I actually think she would do?” Furthermore, Squibb reportedly studied her real-life counterpart’s home videos to bring authenticity to her on-screen interpretation. Thus, ‘Thelma’s’ protagonist remains inextricably connected to the eponymous real-life Thelma Post.
Thelma Post Turns 104 This Year
After losing her husband in 2013, Thelma Post—in her nineties—lived alone in her Brentwood, Los Angeles condo for a few years. Eventually, as COVID took hold, she moved in with her grandson Josh Margolin’s parents. During this time, she often participated in his early filmmaking endeavors, namely shorts centering around conversations between the two individuals. These shorts span a number of topics, ranging from modern technology to the beauty found in nature. Fans can still find these conversations online on Thelma Post’s website.
Once Margolin commenced with his project of developing and shooting his feature film directorial debut, employing Post as his central inspiration, plans were made for the latter to visit the set. Nevertheless, the idea ended up falling through. Even so, she met up with June Squibb, who portrayed her on-screen persona in 2024. The duo met in June 2024 when the actress sat down for an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. She spoke about the experience, sharing, “I went inside and said, I’m Thelma Post, and she [the real Thelma Post] said, no, I’m Thelma Post! We both started laughing like crazy, and Josh was just sitting there, just grinning and having a wonderful time.”
Currently, Thelma Post continues living with Margolin’s parents, with the filmmaker’s old room having turned into her new living space. She has been marking off milestones surrounded by her loving family, celebrating her birthdays with them, and looking forward to turning 104 in July of this year. She can also be spotted sharing quality time with her grandson on his Instagram page. Although Post herself also has a social media presence, she prefers to keep her life private. Still, she has expressed her enthusiastic support for ‘Thelma,’ voicing her happiness with her on-screen portrayal. “I mean, how lucky can I be!” she said while discussing the film.
Read More: Thelma: Is Daniel Markowitz Based on a Real Person? Where is He Now?
