Interview with Bridget Regan, cast member of Sarah's Oil

When I first read the script of "Sarah's Oil," I was stunned that I didn't know about Sarah Rector. This is an absolutely true story, and I was surprised and saddened that I never learned about Sarah in school or had never read about her. Her story is remarkable and inspiring, and I feel the same way about the woman I play, Kate Barnard, an absolutely trailblazing woman, who, in our movie, helps Sarah along her journey of claiming what's hers. 

It is such a transcendent, thrilling, heartwarming, moving film and story that is truly for everyone. It is the kind of story that you want to watch with your family. I cannot wait to show my kids this movie because it is one about standing up and claiming what is yours and what you deserve. And that story, that message is really for everyone. Where do I start with Kate Barnard? She helped write the Oklahoma State Constitution. She was the first woman elected to state post in the state of Oklahoma, the second woman elected in the country. She helped put 30 laws into power, um into law. She helped um get children out of coal mines. She made school compulsory in the state of Oklahoma. 

She did tremendous prison reform and reform efforts for young inmates after they graduated. Mental health, she helped, um, people that were chained up in asylums. Like it was incredible the the amount of people that she touched, predominantly orphans and poor. And in the end of her career, she started helping Native American orphans, whose land was trying to be taken from them. And, similar to our story where Sarah's land now has value, now that we learn about the mineral rights and the oil that are on it, a lot of people want to take it from these innocent children. And that's when Kate became a marked woman. And Standard Oil and a lot of greedy, greedy people ran her out of power and managed to close her Department of Commissions and Charities, and she was basically run out of town after they bought up the newspapers. 

She no longer had the power of the press, which was her secret weapon. She was also an incredible orator. Farmers, um, farmers, labor unions, everyone from all over the state of Oklahoma would travel to hear her speak. She was an incredible orator and really the voice of the people. Such an important time. It couldn't be a more important time for this movie. And the great thing about it is this movie has an incredible message, but it also is so heartwarming and fills you with hope, which is so much what we need right now. What drove her throughout her entire life and career was really about what's doing what's right and what is fair. And at these times there was tremendous abuse of power going on, and um, she's really about standing up for those that don't have a voice, and or their voice isn't able to be heard, like in Sarah's case. 

I've loved working with Cyrus. Cyrus is also one of the writers of the film, him and his wife Betsy wrote this beautiful film. And I love working with writer-directors because they they've been with this project for so long. Cyrus knows this story inside out, and he's eating, sleeping, breathing it. And getting to step into Kate's shoes, um Kate's boots rather, and uh and bring it to life is an absolute joy. He's so Cyrus is so enthusiastic and positive and fun. I think audiences are going to want to see this in the theaters because of the exquisite, sweeping landscapes of Oklahoma. 

We are out here filming on location, and yeah, sometimes we're working in 110-degree heat, but it is worth it because Oklahoma is delivering on the majestic beauty. It is beautiful. And look, this is an Oklahoma story, and I love it when I get to work on a project that is filming on the real location, because I feel like a story about the history of the land, it's important to be standing on that actual land. There is energy and history in that soil, and we are on it.