Felicity Jones says Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'taught us all so much'

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 9/21/2020, 12:10 p.m.
Felicity Jones, who played late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the film "On the Basis of Sex," is …
Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 'On the Basis of Sex."/Credit: Jonathan Wenk / Focus Features

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN

(CNN) -- Felicity Jones, who played late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the film "On the Basis of Sex," is honoring the woman whose story she brought to the big screen.

"Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us hope, a public figure who stood for integrity and justice- a responsibility she did not wear lightly," Jones said in a statement to CNN. "She will be missed not only as a beacon of light in these difficult times but for her razor sharp wit and extraordinary humanity. She taught us all so much. I will miss her deeply."

Ginsburg died Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer. She was 87.

The film "On the Basis of Sex," released in 2018, primarily covers the early part of Ginsburg's law career, focusing largely on a case relating to gender discrimination that challenged gender roles at the time.

"It was kind of an interesting process playing someone that you deeply admire, but absolutely, part of my job is to find the humanity in that person," Jones told CNN at the time.

Preparing for the role, Jones spent some quality time with Ginsburg at her home. It was there, Jones said, that she witnessed Ginsburg's level of commitment first-hand.

"When we went to her apartment and she showed me her desk, which is about half a meter from her bed," Jones recalled. "In the middle of the night, if she suddenly gets an idea, she goes and writes it down. [She's] someone who's really devoted themselves to their country and has done that with all her principles intact."