2 June, 2025 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 2 categories
Oct 8, 2010 - Peter Travers interviews the actress on her role in "Secretariat", the playing a real live person and acting with horses.

Popcorn with Peter Travers – Diane Lane on Secretariat…

On Oct 8, 2010, Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers interviewed Diane Lane for the 2010 film Secretariat, where she portrayed the real woman Penny Chenery, owner of the 1973 Triple Crown Winner and record setting throughbred horse Secretariat. Lane discusses with Travers what it was like to play a real life person and act with horses.

Oct 8, 2010 - Peter Travers interviews the actress on her role in "Secretariat", the playing a real live person and acting with horses.
Oct 8, 2010 - Peter Travers interviews the actress on her role in "Secretariat", the playing a real live person and acting with horses.
Oct 8, 2010 - Peter Travers interviews the actress on her role in "Secretariat", the playing a real live person and acting with horses.
Directed by Randall Wallace, Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, Edited by John Wright, with Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Mayhem Pictures, Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. (2010)

Secretariat is a biographical sports drama produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Randall Wallace with a screenplay by Mike Rich and Sheldon Turner. Loosely adapted from William Nack’s 1975 book Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, it tells the true story of the legendary Thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat, who captured the Triple Crown in 1973 and is often hailed as the greatest racehorse in history. Diane Lane stars as Penny Chenery, a determined housewife who unexpectedly inherits her ailing father’s horse stables in Doswell, Virginia. Despite having no prior experience in the sport, she partners with seasoned trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) and defies industry expectations in a male-dominated field, ultimately guiding Secretariat to historic victory after a 25-year Triple Crown drought.

Directed by Randall Wallace, and Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, and Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, and Edited by John Wright, and Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, with Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, and Mayhem Pictures, and Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures logo
Randall Wallace filming "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Writer/executive producer Mike Rich atends the "Secretariat" film premiere at The El Capitan theater on September 30, 2010 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Writer Sheldon Turner attends The Hollywood Reporter's and the Mayor of Los Angeles' Oscar Nominees' Night presented by Bing and MSN at The Getty House on March 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images
William Nack with 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
The remarkable true story of one of America’s finest racehorses. When her beloved Meadow Stables is faced with closure following her father’s illness, housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over. Despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge she calls in assistance from trainer Lucien Laurin and a host of successful jockeys. Pitted against the Phipps’ racing dynasty, Penny takes the decision to breed her mare Somethingroyal to the Phipps’ Bold Ruler, the nation’s favourite stallion. With the toss of a coin it is agreed that one family will take Somethingroyal’s first foal with the losing stable taking the colt out of Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal’s second foal. Penny loses the toss, but the wait for the unborn foal proves fortuitous when a bright red chestnut colt is born, Secretariat. Nicknamed “Big Red,” with Laurin’s guidance, Penny manages to navigate the male-dominated business of horse racing, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time. Now, more than 30 years after its initial publication, the story of "Big Red" continues to be a classic. Secretariat is the tale of a great racehorse but also a testimony to the dedication of Penny Chenery. Following her triumph with Secretariat she was elected as the first female member of The Jockey Club, changing the face of American horse racing forever.
Triple-crown champion racehorse Secretariat, April 29, 1973. © Bettmann/Getty Images
Kentucky Derby – May 5, 1973 Secretatriat went off as a 3-to-2 betting favorite, a touch better than Sham who went off at 5-to-2. While Sham ran near the front for much of the race, Secretariat methodically hunted every horse down, running each successive quarter mile faster than the previous meaning he was still accelerating near the end of the race. Ultimately, Big Red as he was known, won by a touch more than two lengths in a still-standing Derby record of 1:59.4. Preakness Stakes – May 19, 1973 It was more of the same for Secretariat in Baltimore as jockey Ron Turcotte allowed the rest of the field to go out and then picked his way through to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham, again. This race was not without controversy, however, as there were timing discrepancies. The infield teletimer had been damaged so its time of 1:55 was called into question and the Pimlico Race Course timer showed it at 1:54.4 and the Daily Racing Form at 1:53.4. It was not until 2012 when the Maryland Racing Commission was asked by Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, to conduct a forensic review of all footage and determine the time. It was deemed to be 1:53 which set a new Preakness Stakes record (39 years after the race was run and 23 years after Secretariat had died). Belmont Stakes – June 9, 1973 Secretariat pulled away from Sham (who later was diagnosed with an leg injury) near the end of the backstretch and just kept pulling away. The track announcer referred to him as a “tremendous machine” along the way and even had trouble estimating the margin of victory; announcing it at 25 lengths, but official reviews put it at 31 lengths (over 250 feet). And the time! The time of this race was 2:24 flat, which obliterated the world record for a mile-and-a-half dirt track by 2.6 seconds.
Diane Lane as Penny Chenery in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Penny Chenery and her most famous horse, Secretariat. Paul Schafer/BloodHorse photo
Lucien Laurin, Secretariat's trainer, in Belmont Park, Elmont, New York, circa 1973. Photo by Michael Gold/Getty Images
Margo Martindale, John Malkovich and Diane Lane in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Diane Lane and John Malkovich in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Otto Thorwarth as Ron Turcotte in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Baker, Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis, and Otto Thorwarth in "Secretariat" (2010) Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Sunday News - Secretariat! Sweeps Triple Crown With A Record Smashing Belmont (1973)

Watch the full interview with Diane Lane Below:

Directed by Randall Wallace, and Written by Mike Rich, and Sheldon Turner, and Produced by Mark Ciardi, and Gordon Gray, Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, James Cromwell, Kevin Connolly, Scott Glenn, with Cinematography by Dean Semler, and Edited by John Wright, and Music by Nick Glennie-Smith, with Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, and Mayhem Pictures, and Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Secretariat is available now with a subscription to Disney+…

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