With so many projects to choose from, Thomas Jane’s favorite role so far in his career may come as a surprise: a 2001 niche made-for-TV baseball movie.
“My favorite experience was shooting ’61*’, a baseball movie directed by Billy Crystal,” Jane said. “I was able to train with Reggie Smith. We were able to play baseball all day and make a movie. It was a strong moment. It’s also a very good movie. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame a few years ago in Cooperstown. It’s very popular with baseball fans.”
As Mickey Mantle, Jane stars alongside Barry Pepper as Roger Maris as the pair attempt to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record in the 1961 New York Yankees season .
“We worked hard to get it right and make sure the actors looked like they knew what they were doing,” Jane said. “Billy recreated every game, every inning of that season, 1961. Billy knew everything from the Yankees perspective, back and forward. Every inning and every hit, every fly ball – these are all recreations of a real event from the actual Yankees season in 1961. It was really, really special.”
Jane’s latest film, “Murder at Yellowstone City,” is in theaters now and available on demand and digital.
