'I pay attention to how scripts make me feel!' Why Kiernan Shipka cried after reading Wildflower
Kiernan Shipka "cried" when she first read the script for 'Wildflower.'
The 23-year-old actress stars as Bea - who navigates life as the daughter of two intellectually disabled parents - in the 2022 comedy-drama and was "so moved" when she first read the script that she had to immediately go for a walk.
She told ScreenRant: "I try to pay attention to how scripts make me feel. I think I couldn't deny that I was really moved by it. The first time I read it, I cried, and I had to take a walk. It's that sort of thing that you can't quite describe, but when something just makes its way into my heart, I have to do it. It was really based off a feeling that was kind of automatic, but the yes came from so many other factors that were really exciting too. And the cast rolled it, and it's like, 'Oh my God, this is wild. This is gonna be such an amazing thing.' But it started with the feeling."
The 'Flowers in the Attic' star went on to describe her character's journey throughout the film, noting how the young girl learned to become the "best version" of herself by the end.
She added: "I think the thing that I really liked about Bea's journey was that, in the beginning, she had written a story for herself and wasn't entertaining all the possibilities of life. By the end of the film, her parents are the ones who inspire her to live her life in the way that she wants; to be brave and seek adventure; to be the best version of herself along with her boyfriend and her best friend, and the people around her.
"But I think at the root of it, Bea was holding herself back for a very long time in many different ways. The way that her parents live their lives and see the world and find joy in the day is such a brilliant, profound message. I was really just moved by how she shifted the way she saw things at the end of the film."