Patricia Clarkson teases potential Easy A sequel “in the works”

There’s so much to love about the 2010 teen comedy Easy A. Much of its brilliance has to do with a star-making turn from Emma Stone, showcasing her powerhouse potential that would someday win her an Oscar. But almost as beloved as the movie’s protagonist are her parents, played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. The pair brought a sexy, playful energy to the standard mom-and-dad routine that set the film apart from its predecessors in the teen canon. Speaking with The A.V. Club, Clarkson still remembers the experience fondly—and in fact, she’s ready to sign up for more.

Joking that she’s “starting the rumors,” the Oscar nominee confirms that “there’s a potential sequel in the works.” She says, “I would look forward to that. I had a glorious time. And Stanley is still one of the funniest men on the planet. I’d work with him any day, anywhere, any time.”

Tucci is actually the reason Clarkson was involved with Easy A in the first place: “Stanley and I are dear friends, and he convinced me to do this,” she explains. “And then we meet Emma Stone, a future star—but we knew she was a star right then and there. Just a divine, delicious gal. I mean, everyone in the cast, our director. And Stanley and I kinda got to do some crazy stuff,” she laughs.

An Easy A sequel was first announced back in 2019, when Bert Royal, who wrote the original script, signed on to pen the follow-up. It’s been mostly quiet since then, though cast member Aly Michalka in 2021 described the sequel as “semi real,” telling E! News, “It would be kind of like a new retelling but you’d see some of the characters from the original come back into the story.”

Given Clarkson’s enthusiasm, it seems likely that the sequel could include some of the original family members. In the meantime, she’s promoting her latest film Monica, a very different kind of “family story.” The movie stars Trace Lysette as a transgender woman who returns home after many years away having transitioned; Clarkson plays her mother Eugenia, who is dying of brain cancer, “in and out of lucidity,” and doesn’t recognize her daughter.

“It’s heartbreaking, but life affirming in the end,” Clarkson says. Regarding what drew her to the role, she said “I was drawn to the movie, because it was not lost on me that a transgender actress was finally going to lead a beautiful film, be at the center of a really substantial, amazing film. But I was drawn to this movie also because I liked the journey of Eugenia. It was challenging to play someone in the final months of their life.”

“It’s a very emotional part, it’s still hard for me to talk about it,” the actor goes on. “I don’t want to sound pretentious, but when you play certain roles in your career, they don’t leave you. And it’s still with me—but in a good way, because I loved shooting this film in Cincinnati. I loved our crew, I loved the cast, I loved everything about it.”