JIMMY SMITS READS INTO BOOK CLUBS

Jimmy Smits stars in The Jane Austen Book Club dealing with the decline of his 20 year marriage to Amy Brennerman, who finds her own emotional outlet with a group of friends when they get together to discuss the novels of Jane Austen.

Jimmy’s character is not involved with the book club but because of his wife’s transformation he decides to read into what has changed her.

“Each of the characters is affected and seeks parallels in each Jane Austen novel that they’re reading in terms of what’s happening in their lives. In the latter movement of the film my character does get the inspiration to step up and read Persuasion. There’s something in there for him with the Wentworth character that he can relate to that helps in the resolution of the relationship he has with Amy Brennerman’s character who plays my wife Sylvia.”

Smits who has spent his life communicating through acting sees book clubs as a way to reconnect personally with one another.

“The lack of interpersonal relationships nowadays because of Blackberrys and e-mail and just society moving and that we really need that human to human interconnection and it really nourishes us in a good way. The seeming simple thing of having a book club helps these characters and it just reminds people to keep in touch.”

The Jane Austen Book Club which also stars Hugh Dancy and Maria Bello is currently playing in theaters. You can also catch Jimmy in his new series Cane as the patriarch of a family owned rum business on CBS.