Actress Kaitlyn Bernard not too long ago sat down to speak about her highly effective efficiency as Rachel Jeffs within the Lifetime movie Surviving My Father, The Rachel Jeffs Story, primarily based on Jeffs’ memoir Breaking Free: How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS Cult, and My Father, Warren Jeffs. The film explores Rachel’s harrowing journey of survival and resilience after escaping from the management of her father, the infamous FLDS chief Warren Jeffs, and the trauma of rising up in a world constructed on worry and manipulation.
Bernard shared that she first grew to become conscious of the FLDS group when Warren Jeffs was on the FBI’s Most Needed checklist, nevertheless it wasn’t till she learn Rachel’s memoir and the movie’s script that she started to know the depth of what Jeffs endured. “My eyes had been fully opened to this world that not lots of people find out about,” she stated. “It’s actually rooted in trauma, management, and manipulation. I used to be blown away by Rachel’s story as a result of regardless of what occurred to her, she was capable of, as her memoir says, break away and rewrite her personal story.”
Earlier than filming started, Bernard had the chance to talk straight with Rachel Jeffs alongside director Ali Liebert and producer Amelia. She described the expertise as deeply emotional and galvanizing. “Even when she talks about her trauma, she has this quiet energy to her, which I actually needed to painting all through the movie,” Bernard stated. “She’s such a fantastic human being, and she or he was so sort and open with us. That dialog gave me much more perspective and helped form how I approached the position.”
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Bernard defined that the standard she most needed to seize was Rachel’s resilience. “She’s constructed this unbelievable life for herself after having nothing when she left the FLDS,” she stated. “Regardless of every part she went by, she got here by it with this grace and braveness that’s actually inspiring.” Bernard recalled an particularly transferring second from their name, when Jeffs advised her, “I do know you’re going to do a tremendous job, and I’m simply going to wish for you tomorrow.” “We had been all in tears after she stated that,” Bernard added.
Taking over the position of an actual one who has skilled a lot ache was each difficult and emotional for Bernard. She admitted that she felt stress to inform the story authentically. “I’d by no means performed an actual particular person earlier than, and I needed to inform her story correctly,” she stated. “It was an emotionally charged position—the type I really like—nevertheless it was positively demanding. I needed to discover methods to handle myself and separate Kaitlyn from Rachel as soon as filming was achieved every day.”
Some of the difficult scenes for Bernard was the opening of the movie, the place Rachel confides in her husband about what her father did to her as a toddler. “There have been so many layers to that scene,” she defined. “There’s disgrace, aid, and this heartbreaking understanding between them. It was a type of scenes that stayed with me.”
Regardless of the darkish materials, Bernard stated the forged and crew created a secure, supportive setting on set. “Michael Eklund, who performs Warren Jeffs, made all of the distinction,” she stated. “He’s terrifying on display however one of many kindest folks off it, which made every part really feel a lot safer. You actually need that type of help when filming one thing this heavy.” She additionally praised director Ali Liebert, calling her “top-of-the-line administrators I’ve ever labored with.” Bernard stated Liebert and producer Amelia’s backgrounds as actors helped them perceive how one can create a collaborative and emotionally secure house. “That they had such a robust imaginative and prescient for the story, and all of it got here collectively so fantastically,” she stated.
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The undertaking, Bernard famous, modified her each as an actor and as an individual. “Rachel’s braveness to make a change and depart every part she knew behind actually caught with me,” she stated. “It jogged my memory how vital it’s to decide on your individual path, regardless of how onerous it’s.” She hopes audiences come away from the movie feeling not simply moved by the story however impressed by Rachel’s resilience. “This isn’t only a story about survival,” Bernard stated. “It’s about overcoming trauma and creating a fantastic life for your self regardless of all of it. I hope folks really feel impressed after watching.”
Surviving My Father, The Rachel Jeffs Story is an unflinching have a look at the price of management and the ability of reclaiming one’s freedom, and Kaitlyn Bernard’s efficiency captures that battle with grace, sensitivity, and reality. Her portrayal honors Rachel Jeffs’ braveness and humanity, reminding viewers that even within the darkest of circumstances, there may be all the time hope and energy to be discovered.
Watch the complete interview with Kaitlyn Bernard right here: