The It Ends With Us movie already has a star-studded cast, but fans of the book can expect to see another familiar face on screen.
“I do make a cameo in the movie,” author Colleen Hoover revealed in an interview with E! News published on Friday, August 9. “And it was a tough day. All I did was stand there and pretend to be talking in a party scene, but just know that took, like, 12 hours to film. It was insane.”
It Ends With Us — based on Hoover’s 2016 book of the same name — tells the story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) as her relationship with a neurosurgeon named Ryle (Justin Baldoni) takes a dangerous turn around the same time that her first love, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), reemerges in her life.
Fans can spot Hoover, 44, in the background of Ryle’s sister Allysa’s (Jenny Slate) birthday party, at which Lily begins to realize her romantic feelings for Ryle.
“I love knowing a little bit behind the scenes,” Hoover continued. “But 12 hours of just reshooting that scene, I don’t know how actors do it. After doing one day of pretending to act — it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world.”
With more of her books getting the TV and movie treatment, including Verity and Confess, Hoover joked that she will “continue to choose non-speaking roles” in the future.
Hoover shared a similar sentiment about her acting debut during an interview on the Wednesday, August 7, episode of Today, joking that filming her small role was the “worst day of my life.”
She explained: “I was literally on camera for, like, a few seconds, right? It took 10 to 14 hours to film the party scene that day. I had no idea what it took to act. Just a whole new level of respect for everyone in this industry.”
Despite her aversion toward acting, Hoover praised the film’s cast for bringing her characters to life on the big screen. “Blake has always been one of my favorite actresses,” she told E! News on Friday. “When they called me and told me, I didn’t want to get my hopes up because I was so excited about the possibility of her playing this role. So when it actually happened and she showed up to set and started filming, it was just … so surreal.”
She went on to call Sklenar’s casting as Atlas “perfect,” adding, “He brings that kindness and protectiveness to that role so well.”
He wasn’t the only seamless match. “After watching the movie, and writing these roles, I feel like the casting is so spot on and everything I was hoping this movie would turn out to be,” she said.
Hoover — who also serves as an executive producer on the movie — stepped out in a blush pink floral gown at the film’s Tuesday, August 6, premiere in New York City, seemingly paying homage to Lily’s passion for flowers. Lively, 36, sported a Versace butterfly dress originally worn by Britney Spears while attending the screening with her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
At the premiere, Lively revealed that Reynolds, 47, wrote one of the movie’s most pivotal scenes. “The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it,” she told E! News on Tuesday. “Nobody knows that, but you [do] now.”
While it is unknown whether It Ends With Us’ book sequel, It Starts With Us, will be adapted into a movie, Baldoni pitched Lively as the leader of the potential project. “I think there are better people for that one,” he told Entertainment Tonight at Tuesday’s premiere. “I think Blake Lively is ready to direct. That’s what I think.”
It Ends With Us is in theaters now.
