I’d like to place the spotlight on my number one fan—my mom.
Taking my mom to her first movie premiere remains one of my favorite memories. Watching her face when my scene appeared on the screen meant more to me than seeing myself up there. We had traveled together to Pennsylvania for a private screening of Last Flag Flying, turning a career milestone into our first solo road trip together.
Around that same period, My Friend Dahmer and Last Flag Flying were preparing for release, and my career was gaining momentum. But something much bigger was happening in my family.
My mom has been living with lupus and kidney failure.
When a local news station reached out, we saw an opportunity to use the attention surrounding my acting career to bring awareness to what she was going through. The resulting news story became about much more than movies. It became a chance to put the spotlight on the person who had supported my dreams from the beginning.
The premieres were milestones in my career. Being able to use that moment to celebrate my mom—and help tell her story—is what made that chapter unforgettable.