{"id":21591,"date":"2022-01-14T04:15:44","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T10:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tvmeg.com\/?p=21591"},"modified":"2022-01-14T04:40:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T10:40:10","slug":"saferoom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/14\/saferoom\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with actors from &#8220;Safe Room&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>TV Interview!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- TVMEGBODY -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1056557952271337\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8801203268\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21592\" src=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom1.jpg\" alt=\"Nicole Ari Parker and Nik Sanchez\" width=\"336\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom1.jpg 406w, https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom1-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong> Interview with actors from &#8220;Safe Room&#8221; on Lifetime by <a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/13\/biosuzanne\/\">Suzanne<\/a> 1\/10\/22<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was from another Lifetime Press Panel on Zoom. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed this movie, too. It was a good, suspenseful drama. The actors did a great job. I was the third questioner below.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Please join me in welcoming the cast of \u201cSafe Room.\u201d We have with us today the stars Nicole Ari Parker, her husband Boris Kodjoe, who not only stars in the movie but is also making his directorial debut, Drea De Matteo, Mackenzie Astin, and the talented Nik Sanchez.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Woo hoo.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Hey, what up?<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> What up?<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> I\u2019m going to get us started immediately with questions from the floor and, once again if you\u2019d like to ask a question please raise your hand, and we have a lot already, so I\u2019m going to get started. The first question goes to Jay Bobbin. Jay, if you can unmute your line.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Hello, thank you very much. Hi, everyone. Thanks for doing this. Boris, when you\u2019re doing something like this the space you have to work with is somewhat limited, obviously. Can you talk a little bit about the challenges and how you meet those to keep your camera moving within such a finite space and keep things active and just keep things in motion?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> That\u2019s a great question. You know, one of the things that I discussed with my DP, Jay Feather, who\u2019s a genius, who &#8212; We discussed expanding out of the room by way of creating visuals that pull you in and that create a different sort of angle and a different vision. And so we talked to Luie Garcia, who is our amazing production designer, and she really created magic in that room and every wall, if you noticed, every wall was different, and everything sort of looked different that gave us a different perspective. When the camera was where the front door was and looked into the room there was an amazing wallpaper, I don\u2019t know if you remember, that sort of took us out of the room into nature, but it was definitely at the forefront of my mind, because I didn\u2019t want the audience to feel like we were constricted, and then it\u2019d turn into sort of like a boring thing every time they head into the space.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Our next question goes to Rick Bentley.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you very much. And, Nicole, I have to imagine that the easiest part of doing this role was the motherly instinct to protect. Can you just talk about was that set, and you just had to work on all the other aspects?<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Well, when I met Nik Sanchez it was very easy to love him and want to protect him. So, yes, I am a mom, but also that does not always translate when you have to &#8212; when the movie\u2019s cast, but Nik was so generous with me, because when you\u2019re playing a parent it\u2019s not just the title of mom. It\u2019s the small things, the way you touch your son or your daughter, the way you hug them and talk to them, and I really wanted to respect Nik\u2019s space, and he let me violate him with kisses and hugs.<\/p>\n<p>[LAUGHTER]<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> So, yeah, it was a wonderful experience to work with such a talented young actor playing my son.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> If I can quickly ask Nik to respond.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> How was it working with Nicole?<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Well, she was amazing. She felt like a real mom to me, and both Boris and Nicole knew that this was going to be like their first movie project, so like they made sure like before, we had lunch together, and like they made sure that I felt comfortable and knew what was going on and, immediately, I already like knew that me and Nicole were going to get along, and it really felt like I had two moms on set because like, yeah, they were just amazing, and you and Nicole was amazing.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Shout out to your mom, Naomi, who is incredible and also very kind and patient with me because part of revealing a relationship is what happens in private and between a mother and a son or a mother and a daughter. How do you really be there for your kid in crisis, and then in the confines of shooting it like what is the aspect that we can show in this moment. And Naomi, Nik\u2019s mom, said these are the kind of things I do when I\u2019m at home with Nik and Damaya (SP), and this is how I solve a crisis, and so I\u2019m really grateful for her presence on set.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you, and thank you, Rick. The next question goes to Suzanne with \u201cTVMeg.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Hi, Drea.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> Hi, Nicole. You look really, really, really cute right now.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> So do you.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> I was going to text you, but I\u2019m like I\u2019m just going to stay still. I\u2019m going to be cool.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> I was thinking the same thing. I was like &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> I was like she looks smokin\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Suzanne, go right ahead with your question.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Okay. Can you hear me now?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah. Hi, Suzanne, speak up.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Okay, hi. Sorry. So I really love this movie. It\u2019s such an interesting idea and has so many twists and turns. You didn\u2019t know what was going to happen next. Boris, did you write the movie or just direct it, just to clarify for me real quick?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> No, I did not write the movie. The movie was written by the amazing &#8212; I keep pronouncing her name wrong. Help me. Her name is&#8230; sorry. I did not write the movie. I made some tweaks and changes to accommodate the location and some of the aspects we have to deal with. Also, in terms of the characters I made some changes to accommodate all the amazing actors we have but, no, I did not write the movie and before you leave us I will have the name of the incredible writer who wrote this movie.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> All right. And what attracted you to the script?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> The mother\/son relationship is what attracted me to the script. Obviously, there are circumstances that are high stakes and dangerous and suspenseful, which lent itself to heighten the stakes to the point where it\u2019s life or death. But, to me, at the core was the mother and son relationship, because when you have a child on the spectrum, as a parent, you constantly put out fires. You deal with and you manage your child, and there\u2019s a whole lot of things we project on our children, but throughout the movie the relationship between the mother and the son changes, and she really sees him in a different light, because he steps up and at the end, I can\u2019t give it away, but really comes into his own.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Yes, thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> And her name is Nneka, by the way. Nneka, Nneka &#8212; How do you pronounce it? Gerstle?<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> I think it\u2019s Gerstle.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Nneka Gerstle is her name.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you, Suzanne.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And it\u2019s N-N-E-K-A.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> N-N-E-K-A, Nneka.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Watch her be like my name is [SOUNDS LIKE: Neeka Ga-still-lay].<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> This is my favorite conversation.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> The next question goes to the \u201cHollywood Times.\u201d If you could unmute your mic.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Oh, good morning. I have a question for Boris, and then I have a follow-up for Nicole. How was it stepping in behind the camera and directing the film? Did you find it challenging to direct and star in the film?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Thanks for the question. Actually, that was not the most challenging part. The most &#8212; Hello?<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> That\u2019s not me talking.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Okay. Can you hear me?<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Yeah, I can hear you.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> The most challenging part for me was to get all my ideas and my vision into this very sort of constrained schedule. We didn\u2019t have a lot of time, and it made it very challenging for me, and I had to be very creative with &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Very quickly.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> &#8211;with Jay Feather, my DP. We had to figure out ways to tell the story and to respect my vision while not going over budget. That was the most challenging part to me.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> You were also really nervous to meet Drea.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yes, I was very nervous to meet Drea.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Because she\u2019s the bomb.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> That was the second most challenging part of shooting this movie.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> Oh, because I\u2019m so scary.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> We did not know how sweet and kind and shy and delicate she was. You know, she has this massive presence and persona &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Persona, yes. She\u2019s a delicate flower.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> She\u2019s totally a delicate flower.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> On a meadow, somewhere in a black forest. I had no idea.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> It\u2019s the eyebrows, the mean eyebrows.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> But we had a lot of challenges. We had flooding on the set. We had an active shooter in the neighborhood who made it really hard for us to continue.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> We had the cicadas, the 17-year, yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Cicadas came and descended down &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Right on the house with the sound department, and we can\u2019t shoot anything.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> And we had the camera truck stolen, so &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Well, just the, the entire truck wasn\u2019t stolen, just the cameras in the camera truck.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> In the camera truck.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah. So a lot of challenges but with these beautiful people here that you see, and the quarterback next to me, I was able to pull through; Jay Feather, the DP; obviously, Dominique Telson, our producer, and we got it done.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Nicole, you\u2019ve shared seamlessly, actually, shared the screen with Boris over a decade, but was it easy taking direction from him because he is your real husband? And do you feel like he made it a point to try and exceed your expectations?<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Well, I think that we have such a great rapport back and forth because we did meet on \u201cSoul Food\u201d twenty years ago in a TV setting, so we know how a set runs. My first impulse was to collaborate, so he would tell me something day one, and I would be like, \u201cWell, actually, if you just push in and then da-da-da-da-da,\u201d and I realized like halfway through the sentence, because everybody was silent &#8212; I think, Mack, you were there that day &#8212; I just, in that moment, I was like we\u2019ve got one take, and we have to do it in four minutes, okay? And he is the captain of the ship, and I have to just let him do it. So I pushed back like day one, scene one.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And then after that I just did what he said.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Well, she realized that a lot of preparation went into setting up these shots and, you know &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Yes.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> &#8212; I had the confined space, time, a lot of things to deal with, and I think she realized that I had through those things numerous times, and I had plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G ready to go.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Yeah. And I looked Mack\u2019s face. I was like, \u201cBecause you\u2019re an actor, right? Mack, you get it. You get what I\u2019m saying, that if you just run in and then fall he can just shoot it from&#8230;\u201d and Mack just looked at me like (Makes face.)<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> Got to make this day, got to make this day &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> He pled the fifth, he pled the fifth.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> He (totally pled the fifth @ 00:14:07).<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> He pled the fifth. He was hiding behind his mask. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you both for doing this today.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS &amp; NICOLE:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> The next question is an email question for Drea. Drea, you have a huge fan following from \u201cThe Sopranos,\u201d and in this movie you play the villain Rocco, who\u2019s also a tough-talking type. Did you like playing Rocco?<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> I really, really did. I think, well, this has been the month of me playing psychopaths, just the beginning of it. So I think I\u2019m used to playing a victim, so it was nice to victimize somebody else. There\u2019s a real freedom that comes with being a psychopath. You\u2019re just not careful about anything, nothing is calculated. Everything is just, you know, it just all hangs out. So, yes, I really enjoyed being able to be this awful human being. There\u2019s no redeeming qualities here.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you, Drea. The next question is from Karen Moul. Karen, if you can unmute your mic.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Hi, everybody. Hi from Baltimore. I\u2019m calling you from my place in Baltimore.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Hi, Karen.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Hey.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> In fact, Mack and I are neighbors and go to the same restaurant.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Ask a question.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Wow.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> When I read about this movie I thought Drea De Matteo and Mackenzie Astin as the heavies, that\u2019s a little unexpected, and then halfway through the film I thought these two need like a spinoff like a workplace comedy with these characters, and I wonder if you could talk about where you guys found your chemistry together and for these two characters, and how you enjoyed playing them together.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> Go Mack.<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> Well, I\u2019ll go ahead and say that I think like the universe helped establish the chemistry. Drea and I have known each other for about twenty years now. An old friend of mine that I worked with ended up working with her and connected us, and we became friends. So I actually sort of got this job because Drea recommended me, so there\u2019s an instant chemistry boost right there, but we\u2019ve known each other twenty some-odd years now, so that stuff\u2019s sort of already in there, which is great, actually. And the opportunity to work together after being friends for so long absolutely destroyed our friendship. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Karen, I want to jump in here real quick because, yes, it\u2019s not true. He didn\u2019t get the job because Drea recommended him. He got the job because &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> He got the audition because Drea recommended him.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Exactly. He got the audition because Drea recommended him.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And then killed it.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> And he slaughtered and incinerated the audition.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And I\u2019m from Baltimore, and my mother and father still live in Baltimore, so I was like you got to give it to Baltimore, man. You got to give it to Baltimore.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> No, he came in and it was scorched earth.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Yeah. He shut it down.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> He took the role.<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> Well, a lot of stuff conspired to make it all come together for which I\u2019m super grateful, because it\u2019s not that often that a job comes to town, and it was good to get onboard.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Well, Dominic and Rocco were a lot of fun and very scary, so thanks a lot.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you, Karen. The next question is from Noah Wilson.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Hello, everyone. It\u2019s so great to be here with you guys. Boris, I wanted to ask you my first question. Congratulations on this being your directorial debut. It being with Lifetime, could you ever see yourself direct more movies with Lifetime down the road, because this is such a fantastic film. So many are going to love to \u201cSafe Room.\u201d It\u2019s so intense.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Wow. Thank you. Thank you, Noah.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Wow.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Thank you for these kind words, and I was delighted to work with Lifetime. Tanya Lopez was amazing. She really supported the project. She loved it, as well as Mekita Faiye who was our executive over there. It was a delight. I\u2019m forever grateful for them for thinking about me for this movie and, hopefully, yes, absolutely. I\u2019d love to do more work with them.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Now how was it like to not only direct but star in the movie with your wife and get to work together as partners on this, because you don\u2019t see a lot of Hollywood stars get to work with their husband or wife in a movie, so how was that like?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> That\u2019s true. Like my wife said earlier, we met on a set, so we were very much accustomed to the environment of a professional setting, and we thrive in that setting, and so working with her again was a dream because, first of all, she makes me better, and she is, you know, she was a top dog, and her energy and her professionalism sort of transcended the whole set. Everybody had to step it up a notch when she stepped on set, and I love to see that. And I\u2019m forever grateful for these people here on our Zoom. They really came to play, which I loved. All I had to do was really set the stage and then get out the way. They were all phenomenal.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> I think Nik kind of stepped up everyone\u2019s game.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah. Definitely.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Nik\u2019s energy &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> He was like that\u2019s not your line.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah. He was very specific about everybody\u2019s lines.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Are you (audio glitch @ 00:19:36).<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> No, you guys, I want to ask the rest of the cast that are on the Zoom chat how is it like to take direction from Boris? Did you guys think he nailed down his first directorial debut?<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> No pressure.<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> Hundred percent.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>MACKENZIE ASTIN:<\/b> I don\u2019t want to take up too much space in this, but I definitely &#8212; and I definitely talk too much &#8212; but like this guy, I don\u2019t know, I absolutely loved it. This guy had a plan, and when stuff went wrong he had a way to counter it, and when stuff went wrong the second time he had a way to counter that. I don\u2019t know where it comes from, but it was a treat to work with a guy who is such a natural at leading a team.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Wow. Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>DREA DE MATTEO:<\/b> Yeah. I mean, I\u2019ve been on too many film sets, TV sets for sure, and I thought that Boris seemed like he had been doing this longer than all of the seasoned directors I\u2019ve ever worked with.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Oh, my goodness.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And I knew like, and it was funny when you were talking about Nicole, like, \u201cWell, I want to do it like this,\u201d and I was just like I\u2019m just going to park and bark. I\u2019m going to do whatever he says to do. I don\u2019t know. Park and bark. Here I go. I\u2019ll make anything fit into a tiny space, so it was easy. You really are awesome, Boris.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> You really are. Like there\u2019s a confidence that you have that\u2019s like and which it just there was no question. Okay, if he says do this then I\u2019m going to do this. I don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you all. I\u2019m sorry. We have to move on to our next question, because we just have a few more minutes left and we are trying to get through as many as possible. But thank you, Noah, and thank you to the cast.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Thank you, guys.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> The next question is for Starry Constellation Mag.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Wow.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Hi, guys. Nik, what was it like for you doing a character that\u2019s on the spectrum? Did you study much about this in order to portray the character properly?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Hang on a second, hold on.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Well, I mean, like playing an autistic, sorry, since I am autistic playing autistic just feels like, you know, a man playing a man. It\u2019s part of who I am, but what I most like about playing Ian is the fact that it helps me learn more about like myself, and my own aspects of my own autism, and what other people on the spectrum go through, too. And Ian loves a lot of things like videogames, STEM, like gadgets, cars, basically, you name it. He\u2019s a big geek, but I love those similar things. Ian and I are very similar when it comes to our character and our traits, and I really enjoyed playing this role. It made me feel like that if I was in a similar situation like he was I would be able to be brave and confident just like he was.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Well, it was wonderful to watch you. You really excelled in this role.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> Thank you.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Well said.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you so much, Nik. Thank you. I think we have room for one more question, and that will be the \u201cHollywood Times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Hi, there. One more time. Thank you. Do any of the writers or actors have experience dealing with children on the autistic spectrum, and how did you all ensure the authenticity of Ian\u2019s character?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Well, first of all, we did a lot of research and partnered with organizations who support children and young adults on the spectrum. We wanted to make sure, again, we wanted to make sure that this comes across with full authenticity and truth, and that\u2019s why I fought to hire and actor who was on the spectrum. And Nik, he superseded any expectations that I had going into this project, and I was so delighted and grateful to have him onboard. He really, like Nicole said, he made everybody step up around him and not just in front of the camera, but also just the energy on set changed when he stepped on the set, which is amazing to watch. Representation is everything. It is truly important, because it creates normalcy around whatever we\u2019re talking about, in this case, autism. And we wanted to shed a light, because we want to make sure that young actors on the spectrum are supported, and the opportunities increase in the industry. It\u2019s much needed. It\u2019s time, and it\u2019s completely normal. The problem has been that we project too much on these performers, on these kids, young adults, and that\u2019s our own problem, and this experience has been eye-opening for me in that we should talk less and listen more, and Nik has taught us a whole lot in those four weeks we spent together.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> And it also helped us understand, and you, as a director, you were saying how you would hire Nik for anything.<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> It wouldn\u2019t have to be the narrative around a child or a teenager on the spectrum; that his talent and his work ethic were so tremendous that he could, you know, play any role in any film &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> Yeah. Hundred percent. So specific. So prepared. So professional. I aspire to be like Nik.<\/p>\n<p>(Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> What?<\/p>\n<p><b>BORIS KODJOE:<\/b> To be honest with you. And I thought I was prepared and disciplined being German.<\/p>\n<p><b>NICOLE ARI PARKER:<\/b> Oh, man.<\/p>\n<p><b>NIK SANCHEZ:<\/b> (Inaudible @ 00:25:25) like that.<\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION:<\/b> Wonderful answer. Thank you. And thank you to the \u201cSafe Room\u201d team.<\/p>\n<p><b>MODERATOR:<\/b> Thank you to the entire cast of \u201cSafe Room.\u201d It\u2019s been great having you. I really appreciate it and thank you to the press for asking your great questions. Just a reminder, \u201cSafe Room\u201d premieres Saturday, January 15th at 8\/7 Central on Lifetime.<\/p>\n<p>MORE INFO:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylifetime.com\/movies\/safe-room\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Preview<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Safe Room<\/em>\u00a0centers on recently widowed\u00a0Lila Jackson (Ari Parker) and her 14-year-old autistic son Ian (Sanchez).\u00a0 Since the death of her husband, Lila is grateful for their kind neighbor Neil Hargrove (Kodjoe), who looks out for them. \u00a0After Ian accidentally witnesses a break-in in the house across the street and records the horrific murder of the homeowner, Lila becomes embroiled in a deadly struggle to protect her son from intruders Dominic (Astin) and Rocco (De Matteo), who will stop at nothing to retrieve the video evidence of the crime and silence them. Hiding and trapped in a makeshift panic room created by her late husband, Lila and Ian must use all of their strength and intelligence to outsmart the intruders to save themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Additional cast members include Monica Calhoun who appears as Officer Armani and Julito McCullum as a repairman.<\/p>\n<p>Lifetime has worked with the organization\u00a0<em>RespectAbility<\/em> in review of the script to ensure as much authenticity as possible in the portrayal of Ian. The role of Ian is played by Nik Sanchez who is on the autism spectrum<em>.\u00a0<\/em>As part of Lifetime\u2019s advocacy efforts, resources to learn more about autism will be provided at the end of the film.<\/p>\n<p><em><b>Safe Room<\/b><\/em>\u00a0is produced by Astute Films for Lifetime. Executive producers include Dominique Telson and Karen Kaufman Wilson. Boris Kodjoe directs from a script by Nneka Gerstle.<\/p>\n<div class=\"landing-page-element single-article post-type-press_releases\">\n<h2 class=\"article-item article-title sanitize-html\">LIFETIME ANNOUNCES AIRDATES FOR &#8220;SAFE ROOM&#8221; AND &#8220;VANISHED: SEARCHING FOR MY SISTER&#8221;<\/h2>\n<div class=\"article-item article-date\">&#8211; 11\/16\/2021 &#8211;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-component text-component-015aa69d8c51136 landing-page-element\">\n<div id=\"text-component-item-015aa69d8c51136\" class=\"text-component-item body-copy sanitize-html\" role=\"region\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>LIFETIME SETS AIRDATES FOR<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>NEW ORIGINAL THRILLERS FOR JANUARY 2022 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em><b>SAFE ROOM<br \/>\n<\/b><\/em><strong>DEBUTS JANUARY 15<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>STARRING <\/strong><strong>NICOLE ARI PARKER<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><strong>DREA DE MATTEO<\/strong><strong>,<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>MACKENZIE ASTIN, NIK SANCHEZ<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>AND <\/strong><strong>BORIS KODJOE, <\/strong><strong>IN HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em><b>VANISHED: SEARCHING FOR MY SISTER<br \/>\n<\/b><\/em><strong>PREMIERES JANUARY 22<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>STARRING <\/strong><strong>TATYANA ALI<\/strong><strong>,\u00a0<\/strong><strong>JUSTIN BRUENING<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><strong>JASMINE GUY<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><b><br \/>\n<\/b><strong>CAROLYN HENNESY <\/strong><strong>AND <\/strong><strong>ANTHONY \u201cTREACH\u201d CRISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LOS ANGELES, CA (Nov 16, 2021)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Lifetime unveils airdates for two new suspense-filled original movies\u2014\u00a0<em><b>Safe Room <\/b><\/em>and <em><b>Vanished: Searching For My Sister<\/b><\/em>\u2014scheduled to premiere on back to back weekends in January 2022. Marking his directorial debut, Boris Kodjoe directs real-life wife <strong>Nicole Ari Parker<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>(<em>Chicago P.D<\/em>.,\u00a0<em>Empire<\/em>),\u00a0<strong>Drea de Matteo<\/strong>\u00a0(<em>The Sopranos<\/em>),\u00a0<strong>Nik Sanchez<\/strong>\u00a0(<em>The Rookie<\/em>) and\u00a0<strong>Mackenzie Astin<\/strong>\u00a0(<em>The Magicians)<\/em> in the home invasion movie\u00a0<em><b>Safe Room <\/b><\/em><em>(<\/em>formerly known as <em>Safe Space<\/em>), premiering <strong><u>Saturday, January 15<sup>th<\/sup> at 8p\/7c<\/u><\/strong>. The following weekend, the chills and thrills continue with the story of a sister who poses as her missing twin in <em><b>Vanished: Searching For My <\/b><\/em><strong>Sister<\/strong><strong>, <\/strong>starring <strong>Tatyana Ali\u00a0<\/strong>(<em>Love That Girl<\/em>) playing both twins, <strong>Justin Bruening<\/strong> (<em>S<\/em><em>weet Magnolias)<\/em>\u00a0and <strong>Jasmine Guy<\/strong>\u00a0<em>(Grey\u2019s Anatomy)<\/em>. <em><b>Vanished: Searching For My Sister<\/b><\/em> premieres on <strong><u>Saturday, January 22nd\u00a0at 8p\/7c<\/u><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Full movie descriptions below.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><i>SAFE ROOM<br \/>\n<\/i><\/strong><strong><i>Premieres Saturday, January 15<sup>TH<\/sup> at 8p\/7c<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Lifetime thriller, <em>Safe Room,\u00a0<\/em>centers on recently widowed\u00a0Lila Jackson (Nicole Ari Parker) and her 14-year-old autistic son Ian (Nik Sanchez).\u00a0 Since the death of her husband, Lila is grateful for their kind neighbor Neil (Boris Kodjoe), who looks out for them. \u00a0After Ian accidentally witnesses a break-in in the house across the street and records the horrific murder of the homeowner, Lila becomes embroiled in a deadly struggle to protect her son from intruders Dominic (Mackenzie Astin) and Rocco (Drea De Matteo), who will stop at nothing to retrieve the video evidence of the crime and silence them. Hiding and trapped in a makeshift panic room created by her late husband, Lila and Ian must use all of their strength and intelligence to outsmart the intruders to save themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Lifetime has worked with the organization\u00a0<em>RespectAbility<\/em>\u00a0in review of the script to ensure as much authenticity as possible in the portrayal of Ian. The role of Ian is played by Nik Sanchez who is on the autism spectrum<em>.\u00a0<\/em>As part of Lifetime\u2019s advocacy efforts, resources to learn more about autism will be provided at the end of the film.<\/p>\n<p><em>Safe Room<\/em>\u00a0is produced by Astute Films for Lifetime. Executive producers include Dominique Telson and Karen Kaufman Wilson. Boris Kodjoe directs from a script by Nneka Gerstle.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><i>VANISHED: SEARCHING FOR MY SISTER<br \/>\n<\/i><\/strong><strong><i>Premieres Saturday, January 22<sup>nd<\/sup> at 8p\/7c<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Twins Jada and Kayla (both played by Tatyana Ali) could not be more opposite: Jada being the mild-mannered sister with an office job, and Kayla the wild child. Recently divorced from her husband Warren (Justin Bruening), Kayla asks Jada to watch her daughter while she sets up her new apartment.\u00a0\u00a0But after a few days with no word from Kayla, Jada begins to worry and reports her sister missing. With no leads and the police investigation at a standstill, Jada takes matters into her own hands.\u00a0 She disguises herself as her sister and gets pulled into a world of drugs and deceit in order to learn the shocking truth about what really happened to Kayla.<\/p>\n<p><em>Vanished: Searching for My Sister<\/em>\u00a0also stars Jasmine Guy, Carolyn Hennesy and Anthony \u201cTreach\u201d Criss.<\/p>\n<p>The film is produced by Big Dreams Entertainment and Leslie Greif serves as executive producer. Tim Woodward Jr. directs from a script written by Christina Welsh.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>About Lifetime<br \/>\n<\/u><\/strong>Celebrating over 35 years of entertaining audiences, Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning award-winning movies, high-quality scripted series and breakout non-fiction series. Lifetime has an impressive legacy in public affairs, bringing attention to social issues that women care about with initiatives such as the long-running<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><em>Stop Breast Cancer for Life<\/em>,<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><em>Stop Violence Against Women<\/em>, and\u00a0<span class=\"apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><em>Broader Focus<\/em>, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers, including women of color, to make its content.Lifetime Television\u00ae, LMN\u00ae, Lifetime Real Women\u00ae and Lifetime Digital\u2122 are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Proofread and Edited by <a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/2020\/06\/20\/biobrenda\/\">Brenda<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/interviews\/\">Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-21593\" src=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom.jpg\" alt=\"poster for &quot;Safe Room&quot; on Lifetime\" width=\"423\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom.jpg 533w, https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/saferoom-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px\" \/><\/p>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- TVMEGBODY -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1056557952271337\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"8801203268\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TV Interview! Interview with actors from &#8220;Safe Room&#8221; on Lifetime by Suzanne 1\/10\/22 This was from another Lifetime Press Panel on Zoom. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed this movie, too. It was a good, suspenseful drama. The actors did a great job. I was the third questioner below. MODERATOR: Please join me [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,7],"tags":[79,346,478,46,991],"class_list":["post-21591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","category-primetime","tag-article","tag-interview","tag-lifetime","tag-questions","tag-safe-room"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21591"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21599,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21591\/revisions\/21599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvmeg.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}