In the new supernatural thriller We Go On, Annette O’Toole plays the fearless, competent, and uncompromisingly protective Charlotte Grissom, a woman whose dedication to her son transcends the physical world.

With substantive mother roles few and far between in Hollywood films, the script—which centres around Charlotte, her adult son, Miles (Clark Freeman), and their journey into the unknown—appealed to O’Toole from the first read.

“The relationship between Miles and Charlotte in We Go On was the reason I took the part,” O’Toole says. “It was refreshing and sweet. I had never seen a relationship quite like it in a film, but especially in a horror/supernatural one—there is nothing on the nose or trite about the situation or the mother-son bond.”

Fresh look at the afterlife

Written and directed by Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton, the film explores what happens after we die. It’s a cinematic road that’s been travelled many times before, but here the subject gets a fresh look, with twists and turns—and a number of chills—which will likely please even the most jaded horror-movie fan.

In the film, Charlotte is at first dismissive of the idea of the afterlife, telling her son that we simply “go out like lights” and that “it’s ugly to beg for more”. But when asked about her own views, O’Toole turns out to be a little more open-minded.

“I am hopeful,” she says, “that pretty much sums it up. I would like to think you go back to where you were happiest and spend time with those you loved and those you missed knowing—Mark Twain, my great-grandfather who was a Texas Ranger, Isadora Duncan, etcetera…and there is always perfectly brewed tea whenever you want it.”

One area where O’Toole clearly is like Charlotte, however, is in the way she approaches motherhood.

“I would do pretty much anything for my kids. I am lucky that they are a well-adjusted bunch and have no phobias like Miles has in the movie. I am only required to do mundane things like dog-sit every so often or make Mexican lasagna and chocolate-chip cookies. These are not hard requests to fulfill, but if they needed it, I'd lay my life down. That's just part of motherhood.”

Film shoot never an old-boy club

With Holland, Mitton, and costar Freeman all old friends (the trio attended Middlebury College together), one might think the group would be a tough one to break into, but O’Toole notes that the shoot was a very collaborative experience.

“The communication between Clark, Andy, and Jesse was on such a high level. They are a well-oiled machine and have such affection for one another, it was a happy atmosphere to crash!”

Currently in previews of Tracy Lett’s Broadway play Man From Nebraska, O’Toole pleasantly—and patiently—answers questions from New York between shows, even when they skew toward the earlier parts of her career.

When asked about her first film, Michael Ritchie’s 1975 classic beauty-pageant tale, Smile, O’Toole clearly has nothing but good memories.

“It was a complete joy from the first audition to the shooting to thinking back on it now,” she recalls. “Michael Ritchie was a lovely man, and it was great fun to work with him and the incredible cast. The whole thing was conducted as if we were really in a pageant. The girls—only eight of whom were actresses, the rest were locals—didn't know who was going to win. The last few pages of our scripts were deleted so our reactions would be genuine and we would feel as if we were really competing.”

“I really thought I was either going to win or come in first runner-up. I jokingly told Michael Ritchie that I was never going to forgive him for giving me fourth runner-up. But, listen, I placed! It was certainly a wonderful way to officially begin my movie career.”

Prefers Clark Kent over Superman

When the subject of O’Toole’s 35-year association with the Man of Steel (she played both Lana Lang in Superman III, and Martha Kent in Smallville) is brought up, she mentions reading the comics in grade school and wishes she still had them.

“I have always loved Superman,” O’Toole says.

Because Lana Lang was one of the few people who actually fell in love with Clark Kent—rather than Superman—it raises the question: who would O’Toole herself choose, given the chance?

“Personally, I love the idea of a kind, strong being who will swoop in and save you,” she says, “but the part of me that connected with playing that being's mother will always say, ‘Clark is my baby. There is only Clark.’”

Getting back to We Go On, and its otherworldly theme, there’s one more question to ask: is Annette O’Toole scared of ghosts?

“I ain’t afraid of no ghosts,” she says playfully. “What scares me is what our country is dealing with right now. You know what—who—I mean.”