LADIES OF THE ’80s Star Explains How Movie Mirrored Real Life
By Movieguide® Contributor
LADIES OF THE ’80s star Taylor Ann Thompson opened up about how her off-screen experience with her co-stars mirrored her character’s experiences in the movie.
“Five internationally-known, glamorous, 80s soap opera stars reunite to share the spotlight and shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running soap opera. The Ladies play cupid to the young director and producer and romance blooms,” a summary reads.
Along with Thompson, the movie stars Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan and Travis Burns.
“The five ladies are kind of like my fairy godmothers in the movie, and while they’re dealing with all of their stuff, they’re kind of helping me grow into myself and become the director that I want to be,” Thompson told Movieguide®. “We joked on set that there was like a vortex; like the movie and real life, what was going on, it was the same exact thing.”
“These ladies are just legendary. I mean, they know exactly where the light is hitting them, they know exactly how to say the lines, they know how to project, and, you know, I’ve been in this industry for a while, but this was my first substantial role, and they were so supportive,” she continued.
“They were so supportive, and they were teaching me how to know what to do, how to look, how to say my lines. And they’re teaching me in the movie too, so both on and offscreen, it was just a huge lesson for me,” Thompson added.
By taking on her first substantial role, Thompson experienced the payoff from all the work she put in to her career and herself, something that her character also experiences.
“In a way, it is a coming of age story a little bit for Nell because she comes into the movie, you know, insecure, and she talks too fast, and she’s nervous,” Thompson explained. “She’s kind of all over the place in terms of her style and behavior.”
“And once she gets more comfortable with the women, she is able to really step into who she’s meant to become,” she added. “So, I think it’s about self-discovery, too, and forgiveness.”
Thompson shared her gratitude for the experience on Instagram, writing, “I am so honored to have worked alongside our cast of legends & the most talented & supportive crew. I will cherish this experience forever.”
LADIES OF THE ’80S debuted on Lifetime on Dec. 2.
Check out Movieguide®’s full interview with Thompson below:
Movieguide® previously reported:
Lifetime is bringing iconic soap opera stars Loni Anderson, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray and Nicollette Sheridan together for the Christmas movie LADIES OF THE ‘80S: A DIVA CHRISTMAS.
A synopsis of the movie reads, “Anderson, Mills, Fairchild, Gray, and Sheridan play former soap opera stars who have been called back to their former (fictional) series, The Great Lakes, for a special Christmas episode.”
“The movie follows the five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director, Emma (Taylor Ann Thompson), and producer, Logan (Travis Burns), as they all learn the meaning of true Christmas spirit,” the description continued.
The movie will see many of these soap opera leading ladies reunite onscreen for the first time in years—Mills and Sheridan worked together on KNOTS LANDING, while Fairchild and Sheridan were both in PAPER DOLLS.
