Watching the new film Nonnas is enough to make anyone hungry. Written by Liz Maccie and directed by Perks of Being a Wallflower‘s Stephen Chbosky, the movie is based on a true story and filled with delicious Italian dishes. It celebrates family cooking, and features a lot of it, but it wasn’t all fun and games for one cast member. Talia Shire’s co-stars, Lorraine Bracco and Brenda Vaccaro, reveal the difficulties she had on set due to being a vegetarian.

Nonnas tells the story of Joe Scaravella (played by Vince Vaughn), who decided to open a restaurant in which real Italian grandmothers did the cooking. Susan Sarandon stars alongside Shire, Bracco, and Vaccaro as the four Nonnas. This film starts streaming on Netflix on May 9.

ScreenRant spoke with Lorraine Bracco and Brenda Vaccaro about their new film Nonnas, which beautifully celebrates women of an older generation. Because of this theme, there is a lot that the actresses could relate to, which they both explained in the interview. The two also hilariously recalled the difficult time their co-star and fellow Nonna, Talia Shire, had on set while filming the meat scenes because she is a vegetarian.

Lorraine Bracco & Brenda Vaccaro Ate Everything They Could While Filming, But Talia Shire Had A Rough Go Of It

“I Laughed Because Stephen [Chbosky] Gave Her The Steaks To Make”

It should come as no surprise to learn that the Nonnas set was filled with delicious Italian dishes, but one star had a tough time during certain sequences. When asked if they were able to eat any of the food, Vaccaro immediately admits, “everything we could get our hands, because the minute you started eating, there would be a chef that came along and put more on.“

One of the dishes featured prominently in the film is Capuzzelle, which is a sheep’s head. We asked the actresses if they tasted it, and both recoiled back saying absolutely not (we don’t blame them!). Vaccaro adds, “I don’t like eating animals anyway, poor babies.” Bracco then shares, “Talia, who is a vegetarian, I laughed, because Stephen gave her the steaks to make. He put her next to me with the sheep’s head, and the poor girl was gagging. It was so funny. She hated it.“

Vaccaro admits that she understands where Shire is coming from, however. “Oh, but I completely understand, as I get older, if I see lambs, and they’re being taken to be slaughtered, I go, ‘Oh, no.’ And I will not eat pork because I love those little pigs.” She explains that as she ages, the things that she cares most about are changing. “Somebody showed me a picture of two Grizzlies, and then you just see the leg of a doe up in the air. And you go, ‘Oh my God.’ But then you realize, that’s right, that’s fair. They have a right to do that. They live off each other, right?“

She adds, “I’ve said my piece, that’s it. But Talia was a poor thing. She suffered.“

Nonnas Not Only Celebrates Older Women, It Celebrates Female Friendships

“Usually, It’s The Younger Girl Who Hates The Older Woman”

Something that is so touching about Nonnas is the fact that it celebrates women and the positive and healthy relationships they have with one another. This is something that we do not often see on screen, and Bracco agrees. “Susan [Sarandon] talked a lot about the fact that we don’t have a lot of women our age making movies, and the fact that we end up in a really beautiful place at the end of the movie. Usually it’s the younger girl who hates the older woman.” She adds, “There’s something loving about family, not real family, but [found] family.“

Vaccaro loves that the film shines a light on older women, “and age. It’s good things about age. Just be perky. We’re showing up.” She goes on to say, “Age is not anything to denigrate, it’s something to applaud, something to celebrate. You can always be happy. You can always be perky and live your life as though there’s never another day you won’t have.“

Be sure to check out our other Nonnas interviews:

• Vince Vaughn
• Joe Manganiello
• Director Stephen Chbosky & Screenwriter Liz Maccie

Source: Screen Rant Plus