Senior Planet talks to…Joan Allen

In a career spanning almost five decades, triple Oscar nominee Joan Allen, 68, has intrigued audiences with her roles in The Ice Storm, The Upside of Anger, the Bourne trilogy and many others. The long-time New York resident tells Senior Planet why she couldn’t resist the opportunity to play First Lady Sheila Mullen to Robert De Niro’s former US president George Mullen in Netflix political thriller series with a tech twist, Zero Day.

Q: What was it like working with Robert De Niro?

JOAN: It was a dream come true. I would never have dreamed that I would ever be able to work with somebody who I have admired and been inspired by, as an actor, for so many years, so it was a great joy for me. He’s very present, open, and I felt very relaxed around him. Everything feels very comfortable and it’s easy to ask questions, try different things, and experiment.

Q: Thirty years ago you played First Lady Pat Nixon opposite Anthony Hopkins in biopic Nixon. Zero Day is a fictional tale but I wondered if you’d met any real First Ladies?

JOAN: I did go to the White House once, when the Clintons were in office and I got a private tour during Christmas. I did not meet the Clintons, but I did meet their cat, Socks.

Q: Did you have any First Ladies in mind for this character?

JOAN: Not specifically. I did certainly think of Hillary Clinton who I admire so much, and women like Nancy Pelosi. I just thought of women in general who have had a long life in politics. When we were talking about backstory with George and Sheila Mullen, we decided that he had been governor of New York State. So Sheila was the first lady of New York State for many years, and she has her law degree and her own thing going on with this judgeship during the course of the series. She’s seen and experienced a lot.

Q: Walk us through the ‘Zero Day’ event?

JOAN: The zero-day event is a cyber attack where the internet, computers, all services and power go down for 60 seconds. This causes thousands of casualties due to accidents with planes, air traffic control, trains, and other systems. It’s the beginning of the series and sets the stage for the story.

Q: What is your own relationship with technology?

JOAN: I love Google and learning things. So when I want to learn about something, I can go down rabbit holes. I love the access to information. And I do like YouTube, because if I haven’t caught the Late Show, I like to see Stephen Colbert’s monologue the day after or watch Jeopardy or Rachel Maddow, and I can cherry pick that on YouTube. I also have New York Times Games on my phone, but I don’t do social media and never have.

Q: Do you have any thoughts of retirement?

JOAN: Oh, yes. And I feel semi retired. I’m very selective about what I do now, and so I pick and choose – and Zero Day checked off a lot of boxes, a wonderful project, incredible people, staying at home, sleeping in my own bed a lot of the time, and not having to go on location. You know, that gets old and so, yes, I take time. I take more time to myself.

Q: What does that look like?

JOAN: I like to garden and I now live in Connecticut. Every year I’m changing things and adding plants, and I dig the holes myself. I like doing things like that, and spending time with my family. There’s been a lot of time away with work where you just don’t get those moments and so I like to take advantage of them now. As we age, people we know and love start having illnesses, and some people don’t make it. And every moment I feel is really important, how you choose to spend it.

And I’ve made conscious choices, like: I want to be with my daughter. I want to be with my sister. I want to be with myself and take long beach walks. And I want to be with the garden…I think it’s a very individual choice about what fulfills you and how you want to spend your time.

Q: Talk about nutrition and fitness?

JOAN: There’s two people I follow on YouTube: Paul Eugene and Keoni, who does Reps to the Rhythm, a fabulous semi dance aerobics. It’s not so complicated with the choreography, where you’re not getting the aerobic benefit because you’re trying to figure out what step to do. It’s a nice hybrid, and he plays great music, and doesn’t talk too much. So I work out to those four to five times a week and I balance it with weights. It’s a very individual thing…I can turn on the computer and do a 40 minute workout. Also I use five pound weights, and do weight lifting and stretching. I don’t do yoga, but I do a serious stretch. And it all makes me feel better and I sleep better. And for nutrition, I don’t make myself nuts. I like vegetables but if I want to have a nice oatmeal cookie for dessert, I’m going to have it.

Q: You’ve been in many memorable movies including The Notebook where you starred as Rachel McAdams’ mother. Which role are you most recognized for when you’re out in the world?

JOAN: Probably The Notebook. People loved that film and I think they’ve watched it multiple times. And then of course [CIA Dep. Dir.] Pamela Landy from the Bourne films.

Q: What is your secret to aging with attitude?

JOAN: I think being kind is very important. And listening to others. And I like listening to myself more as I’ve aged and feeling more capable of saying No. Like ‘No, I don’t have to do this’, and the world isn’t going to end. And I’m not being mean to you, I’m just saying: ‘No, I don’t want to do that’. And I’ve gotten better at that, and I think it makes me happier because I am  more in control of my own time.

I also find time has just become so trippy. Things that were last week sometimes feel like they were two months ago. I find the experience of time has changed as I’ve aged, and it kind of goes fast and slow. I can’t even really articulate it, but I value how I choose to spend it more than anything.

Photo: Joan Allen (in shades) and Robert DeNiro. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix @ 2025

Zero Day is currently streaming on Netflix

Gill Pringle began her career as a rock columnist for popular British newspapers, traveling the world with Madonna, U2 and Michael Jackson. Moving to Los Angeles 27 years ago, she interviews film and TV personalities for prestigious UK outlets, The Independent, The i-paper and The Sunday Times – and, of course, Senior Planet. A member of Critics Choice Association, BAFTA and AWFJ, she wrote the screenplay for 2016 Netflix family film, The 3 Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure. An award-winning writer, in 2021 she was honored by the Los Angeles Press Club with 1st prize at the NAEJ Awards.