Valerie Bertinelli is returning to the screen after nearly five years away from acting, and she chose a role that required her to strip down all of her defenses.
The 65-year-old actress spoke to PEOPLE at the Lifetime screening and panel for Love again at the Television Academy in North Hollywood on Thursday, April 30, explaining what attracted her to the project and what it took to make it happen.
It all started with the script.
“Nancy Silvers wrote a script that was ridiculously beautiful and human and humorous and heartbreaking. And it was something I was looking for but I didn’t realize I was looking for it,” she said.
In the film, Bertinelli plays Caroline, a woman navigating the devastating reality of her husband Henry’s early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and ultimately facing the possibility of loving again after loss.
It was a role that demanded a lot.
“I could really be that vulnerable and let down every guard that I have as an actor, as a human being, and just be there and do it,” she said.
“It was scary because I hadn’t acted in four, almost five years…I just really wanted to do the role justice.”
His preparation was less about technique and more about honesty.
“I worked really hard to break down my walls and all the barriers that I’ve developed over the decades…and all the grief and all the life experiences that I’ve had. I just wanted to have them all there, on the surface, and just be raw.”
The story also resonated personally.
Bertinelli, who has spoken openly about her own journey of self-discovery in recent years, saw a little of herself in Caroline and found an unexpected connection between the role and the book she was writing at the same time.
“I don’t know if I would ever want to experience what Caroline went through…but I think because I was writing my book in the middle of all of this, it really helped me to open up and be a little braver.”
Her costar Eric McCormack, who plays Leo, a figure of connection and comfort to Caroline, was quick to praise Bertinelli’s presence on set.
“She’s a leader. In the industry we talk about being number one on the call list and being a good one… someone who sets the tone and sets the standard. And that’s what she does. She’s a pro.”
Love again premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
