The Lifetime movie “Return to Zero” is a wrenching drama about a couple coping with the death of their unborn child, and a film that landed Minnie Driver her second Emmy nomination as a mother struggling with devastating loss. The drama from writer-director Sean Hanish turned to Kickstarter to raise enough money to complete its post-production, and received contributions from more than 700 families of stillborn children.
What was the toughest thing you had to do in the movie?
The toughest thing I had to do in the movie was to go to an extreme, emotional place I had never been before. And then wondering if I had even come close to accurately portraying such grief, and if the women and families I had gotten to know who had lost children, would potentially feel let down. I didn’t sleep much during filming or eat a great deal, so I was a little fragile to be around — which was a bit challenging for my family and friends.
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What was the most fun thing you had to do?
The most fun I had was working with my best friend Andrea Anders, and being around Paul Adelstein, who is one of the cleverest, funniest men I know.
Let’s assume that somebody hasn’t seen “Return to Zero.” What would you say to persuade them to watch it?
We survive on stories. We tell our own, we tell each other’s — it’s how we connect as human beings and learn to empathize with the journey of another. See this movie because while the story is hard, it is one that hasn’t been told before on screen, one that needs a voice. And the ending speaks to the redemptive quality of love, which I don’t think any of us can ever get enough of.
You’re an Emmy voter, but you can’t vote for yourself or your show. What’s at the top of your ballot?
At the top of my ballot are Billy Bob Thornton, Matt LeBlanc, all the women of “Orange Is the New Black” and everyone on “House of Cards.”
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If you could play any other role on any other show, what would it be?
Taylor Schilling on “Orange Is the New Black.”
What was the last TV show you binge-watched? How many episodes did you see in a sitting?
“Orange Is the New Black.” I watched the whole second season one hazy weekend that had me dreaming of being behind bars, which was super weird.
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Is this the Golden Age of Television?
It’s certainly more golden than it’s been in a long time. And I would say a lot of that has to do with writers doing what they used to do in independent movies on the small screen now. And women having been such a forgotten premium for so long, finally, in all age groups, being celebrated by the roles that are being written for them.