Marilu Henner is channeling her survivor spirit for her next film, A Husband to Die For: The Lisa Aguilar Story.
The Lifetime movie premieres on Saturday, September 13, and details the riveting true story of Lisa Aguilar, the survivor of a brutal stabbing. The actress, who plays Lisa’s grandmother, described herself as the film’s moral conscience. “We all need that person in our lives who will be honest with us,” Henner, 73, shared exclusively with Us Weekly. “So I loved playing a character that was kind of the voice of reason.”
Having spent over 50 years in the entertainment industry, the Chicago native is picky about what roles she takes on these days, but she knew almost immediately that she wanted to be a part of this project. “The world has to see this, because there are a lot of people out there who probably feel victimized in their relationships and don’t even realize it,” she explained. As an aunt and sister herself, it wasn’t hard to imagine herself in her character’s shoes, which made joining the cast a no-brainer.
Henner found the film’s message closely resonated with her and believed in the importance of bringing such an important topic to light. Thanks to everyone on set, she was able to strike a balance on set while filming such a heavy project. “I think everybody felt so good about the material and so good about the production values. There was nothing cheesy about this movie at all, not at all. And I think that’s what it felt, very real and very textured and in the right kind of way.”
Having fully immersed herself in the role, one of the many ways the actress brought her character to life was through her fashion, she told Us. “I always feel as an actress, you’re a circle, and your character is a circle, and there’s kind of this venn diagram between the two of you. But what you want to do is keep filling it in, filling in, filling it in, so that you become the character.”
Over the years, she’s built a collection of clothing and jewelry she’s kept from various sets, all souvenirs and memories that have become very special to her. One of her favorite pieces of clothing happens to be a blue blouse her mother gifted her in 1978. Unfortunately, her mother passed away right before she landed her iconic role as Elaine on Taxi, but the blouse has forever remained an important keepsake. “I loved that blouse, so I wore it on the first episode of Taxi, and it was so special to me.” To this day, the blouse has remained in her closet. “Everything is connected to memories. I’m a big memory person, and I feel like the clothes kind of vibrate with your energy,” she added.
For Henner, this sentiment rings especially true. The actress has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), meaning she can recount every single day of her life in clear detail. When asked what characters have stuck with her the most, she affirms it’s the ones that share her phenomenal memory. She particularly enjoyed participating in the movie Noises Off (1992), in which she played Belinda Blair. “She knows everything that’s going on all the time. She knows everybody’s part — who’s hanging out with whom, and so it saves the day.”
Her memory has primed her for a career of remembering lines and cues, and she’s made it known that she doesn’t take it for granted. The one time she had second thoughts about it was during her 2016 Dancing With the Stars stint, during which she competed alongside pro Derek Hough. “The only time it’s been sort of a curse was when Derek Hough kept changing the routine, because I remember the first routine,” the actress joked.
This has meant that she’s had to create her own fun while on set, and she admitted to Us that sometimes she would mess up lines on purpose while filming Taxi. “But I never made the Taxi gag reel, which really pisses me off,” she confessed.
So what’s next for the Taxi star? Potentially a soap opera, she hopes. “I’ve never done a soap opera. And people go, ‘How could you not have done a soap opera with your memory?’” Even after all her time in the industry, she’s excited at the idea of ticking off another box in her career.
With the premiere of A Husband to Die For just around the corner, she wants viewers to empathize with the story as they watch the film. “It’s an important film, and I think the way it’s handled is so well done that I hope people get the message. And I think you’ll be sucked in, because it’s so compelling, especially because it’s true.”
A Husband to Die For: The Lisa Aguilar Story premieres on September 13 at 8/7c, only on Lifetime.
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