Hey guys, it is Audrey in the Young Hollywood Studio with Anna Shafer. Looking beautiful, gorgeous. All black. We got to talk about this movie. Elizabeth Blue, your first leading role.

Hi. Thank you. It was, my first leading role. No pressure or anything.

No, not at all. And not a very easy, you know, easy character.

Yeah, no, you didn't really take on like a lighthearted one. It wasn't like romantic comedy.

Yeah, some easy

Yeah.

I plan on getting well, mom. I have a new doctor. And I want to have a life and be and be normal. Tell me about you, Elizabeth. I want a doctor who listens to me and not just medicates me. Well, what was your reaction when you got the role?

I read the script first, and cried my eyes out, and I remember my husband coming in and saying, "Oh my God, is it that bad?" I'm like, "No, it's that good." And so the next day went in, and I was so so nervous because it was it's based on a true story, and it's based on the writer director's life. So, I felt this immense pressure to like get it right for him. And we, you know, did the audition and I I was like, I think it went well, I don't know, and then I got the phone call that I got it, and it it was so exciting because it was the best script I have read in a really long time. And one of the issues that it brings up, one of many, is we can have this conversation about mental health.

Yeah. How did you tap into playing somebody who has her condition, who is so deeply affected by it?

It was tough. I think spending a lot of time with the director who has schizophrenia was super helpful and sort of seeing it firsthand. I to be completely honest, I I knew what schizophrenia was, but not not really.

Mhm.

And so when I got to spend time with him, I saw his episodes firsthand. Like, I we were sitting on a couch once and he fully had a conversation with someone that was not there. And I didn't know how to react. What was that like? What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to tell him there's no one there? Am I supposed to

It's fascinating.

pretend that that I see like I had no idea, and then his husband told me, "You just kind of ignore it. You don't point it out to him, and you just sort of go out, you know, just do what you were doing." Which is hard.

Right.

So I got to see a lot of episodes firsthand and that really helped me understand what that looks like. And then I also got to spend time with the real Dr. Bowman and do actual sessions with him, and he's a psychiatrist that deals with schizophrenia.

Wow.

Mhm. So, part of the the proceeds from the film will be going to NAMI, an association that helps with those. Why do you think it's important that we change this conversation?

I think a lot of people that struggle with mental illness don't always feel comfortable to talk to people about it or connect when it's, "Oh, I hear voices." That's not something that's so easy to bring up, and it's not only for the person that has it, it's also for their significant other. Like I was speaking to the husband of the director and he said, "It's I feel alone in this because nobody talks about it." So I just think it's important for people to know that it's okay to talk about it and sort of just raise awareness, you know, what is it, what does it look like, and what could we do to help?

How did you like take a break between scenes? How did you kind of just exit? No, you were just in character the whole time?

Yeah. I took a break when I got home and held my daughter, 'cause I pushed her bedtime so I could see her every night.

That's sweet. How old's your daughter?

She's three.

How do you explain your job to her?

Um, I tell her Mommy's an actress and I I I play characters in movies, and she kind of looks at me and she's like, "Huh?" I'm like, "For example, like one day I could be Rapunzel." She kind of gets it, 'cause we we watch movies with her. So, but not Elizabeth Blue, obviously. She will never see this movie. Ever. Ever. It's intense, I mean, it's intense.

Yeah.

I will still see it when she's 18, maybe.

Well, going from this project, like what what would you like to explore next?

I would love to do an actual romantic comedy. Something light and fun and

Okay. Do you have any favorite romantic comedies?

10 Things I Hate About You. I love that one. Or How to Lose a Guy. Is it also 10 10 and 10 days? Is that is that 10 and 10?

Yeah. That's a magic number.

Yeah. Mhm. So, I love those two.

Yeah. I And those are my go-to as well. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming in.

Thank you for having me.

Can't wait to see the romantic comedy you'll be in.

Oh yeah. We'll see what.

Okay. Message us, right?

Yeah, I'll I'll I'll text you.