Stars Jennie Garth & Anwen O’Driscoll & Director Gloria Ui Young Kim talk Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story

Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves StoryTomorrow, Lifetime premieres the third film in its “Summer of Secrets” lineup, Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story. The film is based on real events and tells the story of 17-year-old Ashley Reeves (Anwen O’Driscoll), who was left for dead in the woods, where she lay for thirty hours after a brutal attack. Reeves was left with no memory of the event and had to learn how to walk and talk again. The film also stars Jennie Garth as Ashley’s mother, Michelle.

Recently, stars, Garth and O’Driscoll, and director, Gloria Ui Young Kim, took part in a press conference with journalists to promote the film.

O’Driscoll talked to Jamie Ruby of SciFi Vision about working on her and Garth’s relationship in the film and trying to meet outside of filming. “I mean, it was hard to do a lot, because there were COVID restrictions, of course, but we did have a get together, Gloria, Jennie, and I, one time beforehand, where we talked through everything and talked through our characters and the journey of the edge and had dinner one time. But it wasn't too much, because of COVID going on. We did a lot of it on set, which was great.”

The director added that they all also bonded over Garth’s dog, who she brought to set.

Jennie Garth and Anwen O'DriscollGarth later said that “[Buddy] was an emotional support dog for everybody on set. I think everybody benefited from having an animal on set. It was such a comfort issue, and everybody was spread so thin emotionally that we all just sort of took turns clutching on to him.”

Kim talked to the press about how important it was for the film to be Ashley’s story rather than a mystery. “It was really, really important, I think, just to everyone involved, that this be Ashley’s story, that this be the story of her resilience and her overcoming the obstacles, I think. This story was in the news. Everyone knew…who it was that attacked her, and he was the one that led the police to her body. So, in some ways the mystery aspect didn't really quite work for this story, and I think also, just given the time that we're living in, I think it's just really, really, really important that women's stories are in the forefront and that her actual story of survival was the story rather than the mystery story.”

O’Driscoll also talked about some of the challenges in playing the part of Ashley. “It was very challenging, because I had never done something…so physically and vocally challenging. We, Gloria and I, worked beforehand with an occupational therapist for physicality and vocal which really helps. We also had a physical therapist on set sometimes which was great to remind me to do certain things,but I did practice a lot and watch as many videos as I could, and I would take little videos and little clips of my voice and send it to Gloria and be like, “What does this sound like? How does this sound like?” just trying to keep it consistent and accurate. I suppose I didn't want to make it - I was afraid to make it kind of like a caricature thing, so I wanted to really get Gloria's opinion and get everyone to tell me that it was okay.”

For more of the interview, be sure to read the full transcript below.


Summer of Secrets Video Conference
Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story
Stars Jennie Garth and Anwen O’Driscoll and Director Gloria Ui Young Kim.

 
MODERATOR: …Gloria how does Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story stand out compared to other films you have directed?
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: It was such an important story, I think, to tell. I was immediately drawn in by the script and by the strength of the script and the strength of the story of resilience. And I had so much support at all levels from the producer Jeff Vanderwal, at Cineflix, and from Lifetime, our Executive Chris Wade. I mean, we were all aligned in the story that we wanted to tell, and it was full steam ahead. It was just really exciting.
 
QUESTION: For Jennie, this is such an intense role for you. How did you shake off a long day of filming this one?

JENNIE GARTH: Yeah, it was definitely… so heart wrenching. Especially, being the mother of three young girls, this movie really tapped into a lot of very deep true emotions for me. So, it was important for us to have as much fun as we could on the set and while working under the crazy time constraints…he was dealing with and kind of…Giving everybody their space to sort of go through everything that they needed to go through and then sort of let it all go at the end of….
 
MODERATOR: Great, awesome. Thank you, Jennie. You were cutting out on my end, but I hope everyone was able to hear that. 

SCIFI VISION: Hi guys, thanks for talking to us. This is for Jennie and Anwen. I’d like to know how you two kind of worked on your relationship. Did you hang out at all outside of production or anything like that?
 
ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: I mean, it was hard to do a lot, because there were COVID restrictions, of course, but we did have a get together, Gloria, Jennie, and I, one time beforehand, where we talked through everything and talked through our characters and the journey of the edge and had dinner one time. But it wasn't too much, because of COVID going on. We did a lot of it on set, which was great.
 
JENNIE GARTH: *cuts out* a connection.

GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: With Jennie’s dog. Jennie brought her dog, so we all bonded. 

ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: Yes, immediately. 
  
SCIFI VISION: We always bond over pets, right?
 
MODERATOR: Awesome thank you Jamie and Jennie we might have to hear more about that dog in a little bit, but moving right along...
  
QUESTION: A lot of people refers to the many perils of Kelly Taylor - burned on drugs, stalked, kidnapped. When it comes to something like this, do you draw a lot on all the drama you did on 90210? I know it's been a good number of years now, but did you find that good training as you look back to do a project like this? 

Jennie Garth and Anwen O'DriscollJENNIE GARTH: Working on camera sort of serves you as you get older and do more complex roles. Absolutely yeah, my characterwent through so much on that show that there's a lot there. [There’s] real life experience with being a mom and having a young daughter and just putting myself in this woman's shoes, you know, and really kind of feeling this terrible tragedy firsthand. So, it was a combination.
 
QUESTION: My question is for Anwen. Your role seems very physical. Was that difficult at all for you? Did you have to work on your upper arm strength?
 
ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: Yes, it was. It was very challenging, because I had never done something, so just like deep dive into somethingso physically and vocally challenging. We, Gloria and I, worked beforehand with an occupational therapist for physicality and vocal which really helps. We also had a physical therapist on set sometimes which was great to remind me to do certain things, but I did practice a lot and watch as many videos as I could, and I would take little videos and little clips of my voice and send it to Gloria andbe like, “What does this sound like? How does this sound like?” just trying to keep it consistent and accurate. I suppose I didn't want to make it - I was afraid to make it kind of like a caricature thing, so I wanted to really get Gloria's opinion and get everyone to tell me that it was okay.
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: Anwen, you were great.
 
QUESTION: Gloria, can you give us insight as to what went into shaping the movie in terms of that you decided pretty early on toshow that he was definitely, or seemed to be, the person that tried to kill her rather than making it more of a mystery? Was it a boyfriend? Was it someone else?
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: Sorry, what's your question?
 
QUESTION: Yes, can you give us insight as to how it went into making the movie in framing it that way? Focusing more on her as herrehab and all that kind of thing?
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: It was really, really important, I think, just to everyone involved, that this be Ashley’s story, that this be the story of her resilience and her overcoming the obstacles, I think. This story was in the news. Everyone knew that it was the person who it was that attacked her, and he was the one that led the police to her body. So, in some ways the mystery aspect didn't really quite work for this story, and I think also, just given the time that we're living in, I think it's just really, really, really important that women's stories are in the forefront and that her actual story of survival was the story rather than the mystery story.
 
QUESTION: My question is actually for Anwen. You were terrific in this. It's just so so good. I was just wondering, one of the things you really seem to encapsulate with this whole performance was the frustration that your character went through. How much of it was frustrating for you?
 
ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: Well, one of the things that drew me when I first read the script and right to Ashley herself was I could connect with the feeling of not being believed by people, and that was one of her huge struggles throughout the movie, not being heard and not being supported by a lot of people that were close to her. She did have some support by, you know, her mother. But I think it was because I could really connect to that feeling, so the frustrations were real, and I couldn't pull on that, because it was a real thing that I've experienced in my own life, which is unfortunate, but it's common, and it happens all the time.
 
QUESTION: This question is for Anwen. What did you learn or maybe take from after walking in Ashley's journey?
 
ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: I was very inspired by her bravery and playing the character, because I wouldn't say that I'm a very braveperson or confrontational in real life, so getting to play that character and playing that truth of her really inspired me as a person, and I felt that it encouraged me to be braver. So, I feel like I pulled that from Ashley and learned that from Ashley herself. It's great. 

QUESTION: …Jennie, another one for you. Now that you've produced as you did on the 90210 reboot a couple of summers ago, do you enjoy being an actress for hire as much, or do you look more for getting into situations where you can produce as well as act?
 
JENNIE GARTH: Well, it's definitely changing hats when you're producing some, on all fronts, kind of calling the shots and [being] in charge of things. So, I was very respectful of the producers that did such a great job with this film, and Gloria, who did such a wonderful job directing it and trying to kind of zip it creatively, and let them do their job and stand back and let me do my job. So, it was definitely changing gears, but there is something refreshing about just being an actor for hire sometimes.
 
QUESTION: Now Jennie about that dog. Just joking. 

JENNIE GARTH: No, that was Buddy. He was an emotional support dog for everybody on set. I think everybody benefited from having an animal on set. It was such a comfort issue, and everybody was spread so thin emotionally that we all just sort of took turns clutching on to him.
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: It's true.
 
MODERATOR: Also, I love that the dog was brought back…
 
Gloria Ui Young Kim and Jennie GarthQUESTION: Yeah, I did actually have another question for Anwen. I'm just wondering how much time or how much interaction did you get to have with the real Ashley?
 
ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: I didn't get to speak with her, unfortunately. Maybe hopefully one day. But I did want to give space, and I respected, you know, her space. I wouldn't want to come at her with this super heavy subject matter. It's her story, and I feel like maybe she's done talking about that and done having people come at her about it. So, I just did a lot of self stuff and just tried to connect with her bravery and her heart and make that the focal point.
 
QUESTION: Was there a part to playing her without having interacted that made it a little better for you, because you kind of weredoing your own thing versus, if you had spoken to her it would have been a different story?

ANWEN O’DRISCOLL: Yeah, it's true. I think it allowed me to add a bit of myself into it, and I liked doing that, just, you know, a little combination of me and her together, I suppose. 
 
QUESTION: I was wondering, this is for Gloria mainly, but the Reeves family, are they aware of the film, and did you approach them at all, and do they have any input into anything?
 
GLORIA UI YOUNG KIM: Yeah, the Reeves family is aware of the film, and it would have been Christina Welsh, the writer, and Jeff Vanderwal, the producer, who were the ones who had the relationship with her. They spent time with her and interviewed her. So, she was a part of the process. And in terms of my relationship, I just worked with the script, and I worked with the materials that I had been sent and the stuff that I had done, research online. We're trying really hard to tell a respectful story.

Latest Articles