“Tori Spelling Initially Rejected Lead Role in Abducted in the Everglades — Here’s Why She Later Took It On (Exclusive)”.Viet

Tori Spelling Shares Why She Initially Turned Down Lead Role in Abducted in the Everglades — and How Timing Worked Out Perfectly

Tori Spelling, 51, reveals she originally turned down the lead role in Lifetime’s Abducted in the Everglades due to a prior commitment to Dancing with the Stars. However, after an unexpected turn of events, she found herself starring in the thriller, and she believes everything worked out for a reason.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Spelling shared, “I was offered this movie, but it didn’t line up because I was doing Dancing with the Stars, and I was committed to that. You never know how long you’re going to be on for.” Spelling, who was eliminated early in season 33 of DWTS, admitted she didn’t expect to be voted off so soon. “I was like, ‘Oh, goodness,’” she said, but added with a smile, “The silver lining, the Everglade lining, was this movie was still there.”

Once eliminated from the reality show, Spelling was free to join the Abducted in the Everglades cast. “They were like, ‘Oh, we really wanted Tori to star in it,’ and I was available,” she explained. “So I went right after being eliminated and dove right into the movie.”

Spelling emphasized that she believes in fate, saying, “There are no coincidences in life, and everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. It’s your journey.”

The movie follows Beverly, a mother from Indiana who travels to Florida after her college-aged daughter goes missing during Spring Break in Miami. Beverly teams up with a rugged boatman, Ray, to search the Everglades for her daughter. Spelling connected with the role, sharing, “I love a good woman in peril movie, and it’s nice to know that I can still be kicking butt and doing my jam on a Lifetime movie. I loved it.”

Spelling also revealed that the film was shot on location in the Everglades. “I was actually in the swamp surrounded by alligators,” she recalled. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was such a beautiful backdrop.” She also shared how she kept her children updated on her adventures, saying, “I sent pictures to my kids daily, and it looked like movie magic.”

She added that about 70% of the film was shot in the Everglades, and she did all of her own stunts, including driving an airboat. “It was amazing,” she said.

The role also spoke to her as a mother. “What this mother goes through in this movie is every mother’s worst nightmare,” Spelling said. “It was a great script, and everyone connected to it. We all became instant friends. It was just one of those projects where you’re like, ‘Gosh, I’m so glad this worked out.’ It was just like a magic of a production.”

Abducted in the Everglades premieres on Lifetime on March 2 at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST.