On Tuesday, the Lifetime network held its sessions at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, which for the second time ever has gone totally virtually.
Speaking via Zoom, stars Judd Nelson and Stefanie Scott were joined by director Elisabeth Rohm to discuss their upcoming Lifetime Canada movie “Girl in the Basement”.
Inspired by actual events, the dark film tells the horrific story of a teenaged girl named Sara (Scott), who’s looking forward to turning 18 so she can move out and get out from under the thumb of her controlling father, Don (Nelson).
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Before that can happen, however, Don imprisons his daughter in the basement of the family’s home, telling his wife (Fisher) that Sara ran away from home. As the years pass, Don continues to pay secret visits to Sarah, raping and torturing her, with Sara eventually giving birth to several of his children until she finally escapes after decades of captivity, forcing her family to confront the awful truth.
Rohm, an actress known for her roles in series such as “Law & Order”, steps behind the camera to make her directorial debut, and describes her film as “a call to action.”
In addition, Nelson discussed what it was like to play such an inherently evil character, explaining that Don doesn’t see himself that way.
“I don’t think [Charles] Manson thought he was a bad guy,” Nelson said.
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Easily the biggest acting challenge in the film came to Scott, who has to play Sara as a teenager and then as an older woman as she ages over the course of 20 years, all within the claustrophobic confines of her basement prison.
“How do you keep your mind together when that’s your reality?” Scott asked.
“Girl in the Basement” premieres Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime Canada and airs in the U.S. on Feb. 27 on Lifetime.
