Reese Witherspoon "fought" to get Jennifer Garner in Apple TV+ drama
The star took over the role after Julia Roberts dropped out.
Jennifer Garner has revealed that her close friend Reese Witherspoon "fought" to get her the lead role in Apple TV+ drama The Last Thing He Told Me.
Witherspoon is an executive producer on the miniseries, which is adapted from one of the titles selected from her popular online book club.
The story follows Hannah (Garner), who is left solely responsible for her rebellious stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) when her husband disappears without trace in the midst of a corporate scandal.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Garner explained: "Reese and I have been friends for almost 20 years, which is so crazy. How is that possible? But she has done an incredible thing with Hello Sunshine, with Reese's Book Club, all of it.
"And this book is obviously a huge breakout hit for her."
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The lead role in The Last Thing He Told Me initially went to Julia Roberts, but the Gaslit star later dropped out of the project citing a scheduling conflict, leaving the role vacant for Garner to step in.
She continued: "When the time came that the role became open, I went straight at it. I really had to get [Reese's] blessing, I needed her advocating for me. And she's such a dear friend, she fought for me, I'm sure, to get the role."
Executive producer Laura Dave, who also wrote the novel on which the show is based, revealed that Garner took the role very seriously, preparing for the performance long before filming was due to take place.
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"One of our executive producers was Jen Garner herself," she told RadioTimes.com. "And she was extraordinary and so involved way before we started shooting.
"She would come to our backyard and we would read the scripts again and again and again. And I think one of the reasons her performance feels so nuanced and so lived in is that she was living in it."
The Last Thing He Told Me premieres on Apple TV+ today (Friday 14th April 2023). New episodes weekly. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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