Don’t believe everything you see on social media. That’s evident for a mother-daughter duo played by Courtney Thorne-Smith (Melrose Place, Ally McBeal, According to Jim) and Stella Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Trust Me) in Lifetime’s upcoming thriller He Slid Into Her DMs.
Ripped from the headlines, the movie centers on 17-year-old social media influencer Berni (Gregg). She finds her obsession with developing a strong online following turns deadly when an unhinged fan pays a home visit. Berni’s momager Leah (Thorne-Smith) does what she can to protect her daughter, but what happens next turns their lives upside down. Among the other stars is Kane Parks (All American: Homecoming) as Berni’s boyfriend and captain of the basketball team named Zak. Bernie’s relationship, friendships, and NYU that made up a dream senior year became a nightmare.
It’s a cautionary tale that director Alicia Coppola hopes viewers will think about the next time they use social media. Here Coppola, Thorne-Smtih, Gregg, and Parks sit down with TV Insider for a wide-ranging conversation ahead of the premiere.
Stella Gregg (Lifetime)
Parents and kids can really take from this movie.
Alicia Coppola: I think we live in an age where the [smartphone] can be very helpful or the devil. I think this movie really illustrates that quite poignantly.
Stella and Courtney, how was it working together as mother and daughter?
Stella Gregg: I feel really lucky because Courtney was such a maternal figure. Ironically, she was not a good mom in the movie. Outside the movie and on set she was so warm and nurturing and completely took me under her wing as this was my first movie. I’ve had experiences on set, but being in this was so different. She welcomed me with open arms and talked me through things. When it was a tricky scene, she would be in it with me and ground me. It was so phenomenal to have a maternal figure like that as the guiding force in the scenes.
Courtney Thorne-Smith: That is so sweet. I would say Stella you didn’t need guidance. You were already such a pro. I was so impressed. I remember when Stella’s mom was pregnant with Stella. I’m friends with [Stella’s mother] Jennifer Grey. When they told me it was Stella, I knew her since she was tiny. She came in so prepared. She hit every note. Every scene she was prepared. I’m glad I could be there, but I felt alone for the ride. You did such a great job.
Kane and Stella, how do you relate to your characters? Does it make you think more about how you utilize social media?
Kane Parks: It does for sure because when you are at that age, you don’t realize everything you put out there is going to be out there forever. It goes to show how scary that is, being a young kid and going through all these emotions. Now social media is stronger than ever, I feel it’s a good time to drive the youth in the direction of showing that it is a scary mix to manage.
Stella: Social media really started when I was 12, which is so crazy to me. When I first got Instagram, I was just posting things like pictures of a sunset or my dog. It was so carefree and simple and raw. I feel like it’s so different now. There is the pressure to be curated and performative. Sometimes that can be fun to have control of how you’re portrayed, but it’s also very upsetting because I just want the simple things like seeing my friends from college posting little stupid things they still see throughout their day rather than a whole photoshoot.
Courtney: That’s such a good point. I remember when my son was in fifth grade and had a thing about social media for the parents. They said nothing is ever private on social media. Alicia, we got to grow up during a time when you got to figure out who you were in private. There were no cameras on me when I was in high school as you’re trying this personality and this outfit and this hairdo. Now these experimentations are there. The pressure is intense.
Alicia: I think also when we were coming up as an artist, it was measured by their mystique. We were all fascinated. If you look at big actors and actresses from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, all the way up, it was a mystery. The lack of connection. Now you can go on the phone and know what Charlize Theron is eating for breakfast. The mystery is gone.
Courtney: We were trained that between projects you didn’t do press because you wanted to be someone that if there was an idea for a show, they would think of you because they didn’t know who you were. Now people know who they are and want to be out there.
Courtney Thorne-Smith (Lifetime)
I can’t imagine how it would have been for you had social media been around during Melrose Place.
Courtney: Yeah, we would get cranky when we had a photoshoot every third week. Like again another picture? It’s so different now.
Alicia, this is your feature directorial debut. Did I read you did Ally McBeal? That’s a cool connection to Courtney.
Alicia: I did a couple of episodes. I remember being newly pregnant and nobody knew. I remember I was so hungry. There wasn’t a lot of food. I was like, “Someone needs to get me a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake.”
Courtney: We were all very skinny.
Alicia: Everyone was very, very thin. I was pregnant and eating my weight in hamburgers. The day I delivered I had an audition and went to McDonald’s to get a Big Mac, large fries, and Diet Coke and immediately went into labor. I didn’t get to meet Courtney on the show though.
So what was it like to make this transition behind the camera?
Alicia: I’ve done two award-winning short films I wrote and directed, but this was my first feature. Working with the cast expands my mind and allows me to use every single part of me. That’s what I love about writing and directing, but especially this project. It was so performative because we were incorporating so many different dynamics, texts, emails, DMs, and comments. That along with the performances, was super fun for me.
Courtney: Often when you work with first-time directors, they are often unsure. She knew what she wanted and knew when she had it. You didn’t doubt yourself. You have confidence beyond many more experienced directors. If we had a question about a scene, you were open. You were also clear. She was at the helm and we could relax and play.
Stella: I think that comes down to her being in it before on the other side. That was so reassuring. She gets it.
There is an intense scene where the stalker comes to the door and eventually gets in the house wielding a gun. Courtney and Stella, talk about putting yourselves in the shoes of your characters in that moment. How do you feel they reacted in this scenario?
Stella: I have a very strong opinion. I think Berni clearly has this stalker at her front door who is not taking social cues. Clearly, he is aggressive and bordering that he may not be stable or safe. Potentially, harmful. Then for me to close the door and set the boundary and hear him knock again and open it again. I would personally not do that.
Courtney: I feel like Leah was pretty good with hiding her daughter, protecting her. That part I didn’t have a problem with. It was the aftermath. You just want to say, “Now we call the police.” That’s now how it happens. Doing it was fine. That was really my first day at work where I was asked, “Do you mind jumping on this stuntman?”
Alicia: I forgot that was your first day. Courtney came in so game and so willing to do it all. Everyone in this case was so game for anything.
Stella Gregg and Kane Parks (Lifetime)
Stella and Kane, how was it being a couple onscreen?
Kane: That was fun. We joke about it because we were each other’s first onscreen kiss. At first, we had to break the ice with 50 questions like what is your favorite color. It was fun to go through that experience with her because she is so cool off-set. We’re complete opposites in that I’m from Florida and she is from Los Angeles, but when we got together we just meshed and became friends instantly. It was cool to bring that to life in the film.
Stella: It was cool to have moments where we clearly were budding heads. There were moments of passive-aggressive hostility and moments that were sweet and tender. Having that range was easy with Kane. I felt like were able to jump around. The first day we ever met each other we had that kiss. It was like okay.
Stella, how do your parents feel about you getting this big role?
Stella: They are very excited. They’ve been so incredibly supportive. They both post about when Lifetime posts about it. They check in every day with the press. They are happy for me. My mom literally texted me 30 minutes ago saying she couldn’t be more proud of me right now. Little things like that I know five-year-old Stella that if she saw this, she would be doing pirouettes and feeling so much pride and excitement. Growing up, I feel like I’ve always been in their corner. Now it’s fun to admit to having them in my corner and have that mutual support and cheering on of each other.
Courtney: It was really cute. Your mom was one of my first texts about the job.
Stella: Courtney also lives on the street I grew up on.
Courtney: Yeah, I live a block away from where you used to live. It was so sweet. I texted your mom. She was really respectful because she wanted to give you space. I told her I was so impressed and stunned as I’ve told you before with how prepared you were. It was so fun to shoot those texts to her and be your onscreen mom talking to your real-life mom about how well you were doing. It was special.
Stella and Kane, you’re young actors. What kind of advice have you been given to be successful?
Stella: I think having my first catalyst into the industry and going into that with experience. Having my parents give me the rundown was a beautiful blessing. To be able to have them guide me in a way saying, “Okay, at the end of the day this is an art form. This is not celebrity or fame. It’s an art form you have to respect just as much as any career or work. Pay it the respect it’s due.” That has been a transformative way to look at this.
Kane: I had no ties or family members. I come from a very small town of 2,000 people, so the world of this is not even fathomable 10 years to me. I didn’t know what to expect but every time on set I’m a big sponge to everyone around me. I have a good acting coach that helps me move around the industry. Courtney was a motherly figure to me. As soon as I got on set, she gave me a hug. I was soaking everything up. Everyone was so supportive.
Alicia and Courtney, how is it working with young actors? There was a point where you were in their shoes.
Courtney: It was so much fun. I felt like I was going in as this support staff, but I just got to watch in wonder. These kids have such a strong work ethic. When I was coming up, I felt like a lot of us just bumbled in where we didn’t know what we were doing. There was a lot more confusion. These guys know what they want, they are moving toward it, coming in prepared. There is never a moment when people feel lost or disrespected. They were ready. I was impressed. I was not like that when I started 30 years ago nor were my peers. We were much more confused.
Alicia: I started off my career really in daytime and soap operas. That is a grueling, really hard schedule. Five days a week, 30 pages of dialogue every day. I was very fortunate because I would work every day because I had a huge storyline. In that environment, I learned from all these grandams and gentlemen of daytime my work ethic. I don’t believe in wasting time…I don’t run my set that way. Everyone comes prepared. I was proud of my young actors because they came ready to play. It was a really lovely 12 days of shooting. Having Courtney by my side was wonderful because I felt like I had a sister-in-arms. I thought everyone did beautiful work.
Courtney, everyone has been talking about reviving Melrose Place. Lots of your cast members just appeared at 90s Con together. How are you feeling about it coming back?
Courtney: That’s Laura Leighton and Daphne Zuniga’s baby. The three of us are doing a rewatch podcast, which is super fun. They have the reboot in mind. With the podcast, it’s fun because we have all got together and had Grant [Show], Andrew [Shue], and Josie [Bissett] on. I’ve been trying to get everyone together for dinner, and I’m not kidding, for 30 years. It has not happened. So we are getting people together here in dribs and drabs at least to catch up. It’s amazing. It’s like no time has passed. We got along then. We get along now.
How is it revisiting the show with today’s lens?
Courtney: Well, we’re doing the beginning. People remember the crazy Melrose Place with explosions, and wigs coming off. In the beginning, it was really like eight kids trying to make it. We’re in those now. It really is these sweet kids. We remember the cast and crew. It’s so much fun. I remember specific lines and scenes. It’s crazy how it sticks with you.
Related‘He Slid Into Her DMs’: See Courtney Thorne-Smith & Stella Gregg in Lifetime Thriller
Stella, do you have a favorite movie or TV show of your mom Jennifer, or dad Clark Gregg?
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is obviously a fan favorite for a reason. It’s so fun. My mom’s spunk in that is unmatched. She is so sassy and tenacious. Honestly, I also find a lot of joy in watching my dad being a quirky director of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s great to see both with such variety and how fulfilled it makes them and how passionate they are about it.
What do you want to say to viewers ahead of watching He Slid Into Her DMs?
Stella: I say it in the movie, but there is so much that happens behind closed doors. That is something I would want people to take away. There is always behind the scenes of a white picket fence perfect life people don’t see.
Alicia: I would say we all see what people are posting, but we don’t see where they are posting from or what their intent is.
He Slid Into Her DMs premiere, September 28, 8/7c, Lifetime
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