As the star of many a Hallmark rom-com and Lifetime thriller, Brooke Nevin has been a reliable small-screen presence for years. In her latest project, the comedic thriller F*** Marry Kill, available in select theaters and on-demand today, March 7, Nevin has a scene-stealing role as the older sister of the protagonist (Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale) who tries to help her navigate a world of online dating that tips over into true crime.
Nevin, who got her start as a ’90s teen star on Animorphs and has been a regular on shows like Call Me Fitz, Breakout Kings and Good Trouble, sat down with First for Women to discuss her wild new movie, her love of Hallmark and her journey from starring in Lifetime movies to directing them.
First for Women: What drew you to your role in F*** Marry Kill?
Brooke Nevin: I was sent the script and I immediately fell in love with the comedic appeal. It’s really fast-paced and fun, and I loved my character. She takes her role as the older protective sister very seriously, and I loved her absolute commitment to trying to guide her younger sister in a better direction away from this questionable triangle that she’s in. It’s a romp and a comedy-thriller mashup, and from my character’s point of view, I think it’s proof that sisters always know best.
The movie also plays on our modern anxieties as women. We’ve gone away from the dating world where you would meet potential love interests in group settings or through friends of friends. Now we’re expected to dive into these dating apps and meet strangers, and we’re poking fun at the anxiety of playing the lottery with these dating apps. Like, are we going to win a ticket to true love, or are we on our way to a shallow grave?
It’s a very dark take, but our anxieties are there in terms of meeting new people online. It’s a look at our obsession with true crime and solving mysteries, while also relying on female friendships and our female resourcefulness and intuition. It’s a really interesting mashup of genres.
FFW: Given the humor of the movie, do you have any fun stories from its production?
BN: My first time meeting Lucy Hale was during a stunt rehearsal, because the introduction of my character involves me jumping on her back, so we were working that out and I was so worried that I was going to break the star of the movie before we started filming, but she was great. She was just like, “Bring it on! Come at me!”
“Bring it on!” was the ethos of the whole movie in terms of what everyone was game for and pushing the bar for comedy. Laura Murphy, the director, was so great because there was nothing that we couldn’t try, so that often involved us breaking down in hysterics during a take. I think the outtake reel is probably super long.
FFW: In addition to your darker work like F*** Marry Kill and some of the crime-themed Lifetime movies you’ve done, you’ve also starred in a number of Hallmark movies. What has working with that channel been like?
BN: It’s fun to talk about these two types of entertainment because they’re sort of diametrically opposed. I think Hallmark movies always provide emotional comfort and escapism, especially during the holidays.
I’ve been doing Hallmark movies over the last 10 years and every time I get to join one, it’s such a beautiful experience. We’re in these beautiful sets that are festive and colorful and brightly lit with Christmas lights and all of the magic of the season, and I know that I’m making a movie that my family is going to be able to watch, and that will make people feel cozy. You know that there’s a happy ending, and that’s a big part of the appeal.
FFW: You also have a “story by” credit on the Hallmark movie Jingle Around the Clock. How did that come about?
BN: It was a really rewarding process. I brought a story idea to Hallmark, and they loved it and asked me and my writing partner to expand upon it, so we sent them a treatment. Because I was a baby writer, they had two writers working on script versions, and then I got to play the character that I created. Stepping onto that set for the first time, knowing that I got to create a world that gave jobs to everybody and it all started with the seed of an idea that I was able to expand upon was so rewarding. It’s something that I would love to continue doing.
FFW: You made your directorial debut with the Lifetime movie Her Deadly Sugar Daddy in 2020, and have since directed two more TV movies, Wedding Cake Dreams and Her Deadly Boyfriend. What has it been like moving behind the camera?
BN: I’ve always been really interested in how the proverbial sausage gets made. Everything from screenwriting to directing to the editing process has always been super intriguing to me, and as an actress, I’d often find myself looking at scripts more holistically, from a bird’s eye view, and sometimes I would share ideas with the directors.
Becoming a director was a really organic process. I was working with a production company that does a lot of these Lifetime movies and they gave me the chance to shadow someone and then start directing. The creative problem-solving is the most exciting aspect of being in a leadership role and running a set.
There are any number of issues that you get completely shielded from as an actress, but when you’re a director, you get to look behind the curtain. I love being able to collaborate creatively with so many more people on set, versus the lane that you’re in when you’re an actress. It’s very fulfilling.
I haven’t acted in any of the movies I’ve directed yet. All of the movies were shot in a matter of 12 days, so I don’t quite see how I’d wear two hats just yet, but maybe with more resources or more time, it’s something I could do in the future. It would just have to be the right project.
FFW: You got your start as a teen in the ’90s Nickelodeon series Animorphs. What was it like being part of such a nostalgic sci-fi show?
BN: I was 15, and I think I was the youngest cast member at the time. It was such a fun introduction into the world of show business and telling stories onscreen. We were thrown into this very high-stakes sci-fi drama where kids change their physical forms into animals in order to save the world from an alien invasion. It was a kid’s dream job. I loved my cast members, and it was so fun to bring the Animorphs books to life.
What was truly ’90s about filming it was if you compare it to what we can do now with special effects and even AI, it feels like a lo-fi version. I remember the first time we were in the editing room and the producers and editors were showing us the first morph of our bodies shifting into animals. At the time we were like, “Oh my God, this is so cool!” But if you look back at it now, it’s a little bit cringe because you realize how far we’ve come in terms of technology. Those effects definitely anchor the show in time.
I feel like that property is ripe for a redo because there were such beautiful, mature and dark undertones and themes to that book series that we barely scratched the surface of as a show on Nickelodeon for 10-year-olds. I think we could revisit some of those themes, especially today, and especially with what we’re able to create onscreen now. It could be a really interesting look at modern-day anxieties for kids.
FFW: Having started out so young, how did you manage to find balance and stay grounded?
BN: It was actually pretty easy. I was acting, but I was still going to school full-time. I was never homeschooled, so I still had all of my regular teenage experiences of homework and hanging out with friends and going to school dances. I was also still babysitting part-time and all of those regular teenage responsibilities were very much a part of my world.
My parents were very trusting and were like, “Okay, this is your job and you have a responsibility.” I’d have to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to go to work and then come back home and do my math homework. I think because it was expected that I would keep my grades up, I never felt caught up in this idea of Hollywood.
We were also filming in Toronto, Canada, which is where I grew up, and at the time, it was not a city that was in any way defined by the entertainment business. When you’re surrounded by so many other stories and a city that pulsates with the life of things that aren’t Hollywood, it’s easy to stay grounded and connected to family and friends and the real world.
