ActressSarah Drewhas had a successful career in Hollywood for over two decades.
It’s not like I’m trying to play Lucille Ball or somebody like that.
That’s how I prepared.
This happens more often than we would like to think.
You would think it would be something so simple, and it’s not.
This is a woman who’s a survivor of abuse, of emotional and physical abuse.
Her husband abused her for their entire relationship, and that’s why she got out of it.
It’s heart wrenching.
What did you do to separate yourself from your character afterwards?
I can feel exhausted and my husband will bear the repercussions of that.
Let’s eat some food!"
She is in a heightened state of panic and anguish in most of the movie … And feel grateful that I’m not in that set of circumstances.
Her story wound up very differently, and so she had a very big emotional reaction to it.
It was so intense.
Like, oh my gosh.
How do you get back into that headspace when you’re filming between those?
I’m always in varying degrees of joy and fear with my kids.
That’s what being a parent is about, so you’re channeling that authenticity.
“This is delightful.
This is so fun.
And also, I’m really terrified you might choke to death.”
[Both laugh].
Don’t go to the edge of that giant rock!
In so many ways.
It was the first time I’d ever really felt like I had a voice as an actor.
It was also wonderful because I had incredible people I was watching do that, like Sandra Oh.
Gosh, she’s so amazing.
It’s not just that she’s a phenomenal artist and actor, but she’s so smart.
Maybe someday I’ll be allowed to do that too."
I had wonderful examples of that as well.
Every set is better when she’s on it.
I think that’s always something that makes a huge difference.
That wasn’t the case on “Grey’s,” we always had a voice.
What if we also did?
Or what about this?"
It was really beautiful, really collaborative.
That was always the reaction I got from the writers.
I like to carry that with me everywhere I go.
Every place I go, I bring that with me.
I’m a big proponent of “the best idea wins.”
I want it to be good!
That’s a huge deal.
It was a really fun process.
Simone [Marie Stock] was incredible in that process.
What did you find most rewarding about filming “Stolen by Their Father”?
There were a lot of rewarding things about it.
We had an absolutely extraordinary time.
That was a surprise to all of us, because it all happened very quickly.
That was an extraordinarily rewarding piece of the process.
The other really rewarding thing was getting to see [an earlier cut] a couple weeks ago … You are in the fight with Lizbeth the whole way through …
The heartbeat of the whole movie is love, and it’s in every frame.
It’s not revenge.
It’s not rage.
It’s not anger.
It’s a pure motivation of love.
it’s a love of children, a mother’s love for her children.
She’s being reminded of that experience.
It’s the love of a friend.
I was pretty psyched.
I think that’s very needed, and always very welcomed in the world.
Lizbeth’s a hero and she is a survivor and there’s no …
It’s not about victimhood.
That’s what she’s doing with her life.
She’s advocating for people in the same situation she was in.
You feel that energy thrumming through her in every frame of the movie.
She is a survivor.
She will stop at nothing, and no one can shake her.
You need people to surround yourself with.
She leans on her community to help her in this battle.
And for me, that community is oxygen.
I believe that there is no movement forward or fullness of life without community, in my opinion.
She needs them to accomplish what she sets out to do.
“Stolen By Their Father” premieres March 5th on Lifetime.
