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On the Basis of Sex showcases Felicity Jones' powerhouse performance as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, covering her inspiring beginnings as a young lawyer determined to overcome gender discrimination, but she's also surrounded by a standout ensemble that includes Armie Hammer as Ruth's husband Martin, Cailee Spaeny as their daughter Jane, Kathy Bates as ACLU founder Dorothy Kenyon, and perhaps the most colorful of all, Justin Theroux as Mel Wulf, the legal director of the ACLU.

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Image via Focus Features

The movie puts the spotlight on a specific case involving a man named Charles Moritz who's denied a tax deduction for being a male caregiver, something Ginsburg identifies as sex-based discrimination. Ginsburg takes the case and ultimately decides to turn to Wulf to support her defense.

With On the Basis of Sex playing in select theaters right now, ahead of its January 11th nationwide rollout, I got the chance to sit down with Theroux to talk about reuniting with The Leftovers director Mimi Leder, what it was like watching Jones give a 5 minute, 32 second courtroom speech (a speech the production highlights as the longest any woman has ever had in American cinema), how he prepares before hitting the set, and the unforgettable impression this whole experience made on him. You can catch all of that in the video interview at the top of this article and if you’re looking for even more On the Basis of Sex coverage, you can browse the links below:

Here’s the official synopsis for On the Basis of Sex:

The film tells an inspiring and spirited true story that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination. The feature will premiere in 2018 in line with Justice Ginsburg’s 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.

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Image via Focus Features
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Image via Focus Features