Actor Thomas Sadoski has joined Patricia Clarkson in an upcoming film about the life of pay equity activist Lilly Ledbetter.
Sadoski, of HBO’s “The Newsroom,” has booked the key role of Jon Goldfarb — the civil rights attorney who backed Ledbetter all the way to the Supreme Court in her compensation battle. In 2009, President Barack Obama named a piece of legislation for her.
A David vs. Goliath tale, the film will follow the aggrieved Alabama wife and mother who railed against being paid 40% less than her male factory worker counterparts over a 20-year period. Beginning production this August, it aims to show one woman’s fight for justice while also painting a heartbreaking personal story about the tension-filled stakes behind her political achievements.
Goldfarb was by Ledbetter’s side from her first trip to Washington D.C., to her audience with the country’s highest court, to Obama’s signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act.
Goldfarb also has an MA in film, and worked with “Lilly” filmmaker Rachel Feldman in securing Ledbetter’s life rights. The movie was written by Feldman and Adam Prince, and will be directed by Feldman (a veteran director and gender equity activist). The pic will be produced by J. Todd Harris (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”).
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Sadoski’s upcoming films include “Devotion” (directed by J.D. Dillard, and co-starring Glen Powell and Jonathan Majors) and “Killing Eleanor.” The latter took home the award for best narrative feature at the Savannah Film Festival. His past credits include Jean Marc Vallee’s “Wild,” the “John Wick” franchise and the series “Life in Pieces.” He is represented by UTA, Industry Entertainment and The Spotlight Company.