JAMIE LUNER first came to prominence from the ABC sitcom Just the Ten of Us. Since then, she is known for her roles on Melrose Place, Profiler and All My Children. Be sure to catch her latest Lifetime movie coming up on Saturday, September 9th at 8/7c — A Lover Betrayed. Jamie will be live tweeting during the West Coast airing on Twitter (@jamieluner).
Summary of A Lover Betrayed: Five years after her son was killed, Tess Ford is ready to live again. But a one-night romance with a handsome soldier throws her life back into chaos as the young man’s attraction turns out to be a frightening obsession. Jamie Luner, Jason Brooks, Brent Antonello, Maurice Benard star.
Tell us about playing “Tess Ford” in A Lover Betrayed.
I am so proud to do this character of Tess. Originally I was taken in by heart. She has undergone the most devastating thing a parent can possibly envision – losing a child unexpectedly; but what she ends up doing is really turning all of the pain and hurt into being of service to others who also have shared the same experience. From there, she is on a mission to put her life back together. She is separated from her husband and is on a book tour where she meets up with a handsome man. They connect over their mutual pain and have a one-night affair. Later, she has conversations with her husband; and they decide to have another go with their relationship. So she decides to say to the young soldier, “Thank you very much. It’s been a lovely time…” but he does not take no for an answer. So it turns into a stalking scenario. Tess is a smart empowered woman, but she is constantly being checkmated by this man; he is one step ahead of her at every turn. The suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat; and the twists and turns will well be worth the entire journey of the movie.
What was the biggest challenge of playing this role?
Portraying a mother who is suffering the loss of the child and the depth of having to go through it. When I read the script for the first time, I thought, “Wow, this is really heavy and really big!” But I didn’t quite know the depth of where it would take me until I really started to get in there with working on the role. Also, being stalked and being made to feel like you’re crazy is a very frustrating experience. I had an enormous amount of work that I had to do; I was in every scene in this film — but the emotional depth of having to really go there took me to unexpected places. It was really painful. I actually have a cousin in my life who lost a child at the age of five; and as a family, we really went through what that meant. It is unthinkable, a piece of yourself dying. It was really hard to play that.
You have done quite a few Lifetime movies before
I have done about twenty of them! They call me the Lifetime Queen. (laughs) I have been on a really blessed journey. Every film comes with its own discoveries, its own growth, its own magic.
Daytime television fans remember you fondly as “Liza Colby” on All My Children; and in this film, you are also working with two actors familiar with soap opera — Jason Brooks (ex-Peter, Days of our Lives, pictured above; photo credit: ABC Soaps in Depth) and Maurice Benard (Sonny, General Hospital). How was it working with them?
Such a treat! Jason and I were in most of the scenes together; and he is such a delight to work with. His energy is so joyful. We really enjoyed each other as far as the trust goes, the lightness on set, the freedom with each other to feel really safe to play. He’s such a great guy. I felt so blessed and happy to come to work. That’s not always the case when you find someone who you have so much fun working with!
I was so tickled to work with Maurice (pictured above with Brent Antonello and Jamie Luner; photo credit: Maurice Benard Twitter). He is so kindhearted. He comes off as such a tough guy — and I don’t want to blow his cover…but he is super kind and sweet. He is so seasoned. When you work with him, there is such a level of honesty. It is super fun as an actress when you are playing with pros like that. It changes the playing field.
Constantly there are rumors swarming about All My Children possibly being picked up by Netflix or taken back by ABC. Would you be interested in reprising the role of “Liza Colby” if the opportunity came?
I would be delighted to. It was one of the most wonderful surprises to work on a soap. I’ve been in this industry my whole life; and I’ve done every other genre in acting, but I had never done soaps. It is one of the hardest experiences I’ve ever had. A real challenge! The quantity of work that you are required to be ready for every single day is beyond any other genre in acting or television. Once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun — so alive and real and in the moment. With four cameras going, it was acting in real time all edited together. It was like doing tiny mini plays every day. Also, I loved the role of “Liza Colby”. I loved her power. I loved her heart. I loved her vulnerability. I loved her mischievousness. I would love to play her once again.
Tell us about your upcoming project Honeymoon in Paradise.
That is a Lifetime romance that will be shot on the island of Saint Lucia. Although they were hit quite hard by Hurricane Irma, I’m told that they will still be available for us to come and bring life to their island there. I’m also going to be co-producing this movie which is going to be a lot of fun. It’s a comedy about a couple who get reunited through a reality television show. I will be playing the producer who is stirring up trouble.
Any other projects coming up that you are at liberty to talk about?
So much excitement is happening right now! I am spreading my wings as an entrepreneur; and am launching my first product this holiday with a family recipe of peanut butter squares. This has been in the works for the last year. I’m very excited to share with everyone these beautiful gourmet sweet treat delights. We are working with the charity Unstoppable Foundation which will be giving proceeds to help build sustainable communities in Africa. It’s a beautiful movement that I am excited to share with you all for this holiday!
See the preview for A Lover Betrayed here!
http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/a-lover-betrayed/a-lover-betrayed-preview
Keep up with all things Jamie Luner on her social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamieLuner
IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005168/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJamieLuner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialjamieluner/
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