'Grey's Anatomy' Star Katherine Heigl Had Zero Experience With An Intimacy Coach Until 'Firefly Lane'

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The American drama series "Firefly Lane" is a film that proves that some things do not change. In a chat with "IndieWire," creator of the series Maggie Friedman said,

“It’s really interesting to watch the evolution, and we have made so much progress, but fighting some of the same battles.”

Friedman shared that some of the battles included sexual harassment and rape experienced by Sarah Chalke and Katherine Heigl in their teenage years in the 1970s.

For the role of Kate and Tully in the series, Chalke and Heigl respectively fitted into the character as both actresses have been in show business since they were teenagers.

Friedman shared that Chalke has a lovable personality and Heigl brings humanity to the character she portrays as Tully could easily become a villain in her desperation to make sure nothing stands in her way.

She continued that Heigl however, made Tully a likeable character as she exposed vulnerable loneliness in the character.

In another chat, Heigl admitted that she felt her character, Tully, led a lonely life as she single-mindedly is bad for building relationships but she admired the woman's formidable character and her no-nonsense attitude.

Heigl also shared that getting to play Tully was fun for her as the character found a way to rise above challenges when she was threatened with being blacklisted.

For the film, Friedman wanted to show women in all their complexities, exploring all parts such as motherhood and friendship.

He continued that the difference in time portrayed each character's growth and evolution as they changed in some ways and remained the same in other ways.

Read below for more information on the movie and cast members.

Heigl spoke about the book the film was adapted from and shared that the book talked about things that she could relate to.

She continued that she enjoyed human stories, not just the sweet part but the whole part including the heartbreaks and failures.

For Chalke and Heigl, working on "Firefly Lane" challenged them to exit their comfort zones and become better actors. The actresses were further encouraged by working with a female creative like Friedman. Chalke explained that having a woman direct the film was a huge relief for her.

Heigl revealed that having an on-set intimacy coach specifically for a rape sequence both shocked and surprised her as it was the first time she heard of that.

She shared that having an intimacy coordinator made shooting the scene feel different as the teenagers felt protected and supported. She shared that actors will often agree to what is asked of them especially when they are young and it is, therefore, important to have guidance and set up boundaries.

Heigl also agreed with her assessment and added that ‘having a coach throughout one's acting career is vital for success.’