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Raquel Laguna/ SUCOPRESS. Sophie Skelton and Arielle Kebbel star in I Can Only Imagine 2, directed by Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle. In this interview, Sophie and Arielle talk about their roles in the film, and about what drew them to this project in the first place. The movie follows Bart Millard of MercyMe in the aftermath of the breakout success of I Can Only Imagine. With sold-out arenas, a devoted fan base, and a thriving career, Bart seems to be living the dream. As Bart navigates a new health diagnosis affecting Sam, he tries to keep his family grounded while his wife Shannon remains a steady source of strength and optimism. With Sam, and newcomer Tim Timmons, joining the band on a major tour, Bart must balance fatherhood and fame while encouraging his son to find his own voice. Actors Milo Ventimiglia, John Michael Finley, Dennis Quaid, Joshua Bassett, Sammy Dell and Trace Adkins also star in I Can Only Imagine 2, in theaters on February 20th.

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00:00Sophie, what drew you to this project in the first place?
00:04So initially, I didn't know anything about the first movie, so I read the script in isolation.
00:11Honestly, to Shannon, it's very rare that I read something where I feel instantly protective of the character.
00:18Obviously, you can always relate to the character you're going to play,
00:20but this was one where I was like, I have to get this role.
00:23I feel, I don't know, I just felt really protective over her and I loved her
00:28and I'm really in awe of how she keeps her cool and just carries on and really has the rock.
00:33And has such a huge family.
00:34I know, honestly.
00:35She's incredible.
00:36Patience of the Saint.
00:37Yeah.
00:38And just great, she's got beautiful humor, she's just, she was wonderful.
00:41So initially the script really drew me in and then I watched the first film and I was like,
00:46wow, this is sensational.
00:48I was like, I have to, I have to be a part of this.
00:51So yeah, between the two, I was, yeah, I felt really, really lucky.
00:55Ariel, what attracted you to Hillary's role?
01:00I loved the playfulness that she has individually, but also how playful Hillary and Tim are together.
01:08And in fact, there was this really cool line, I think it got cut, but where Tim, Milo, turns to
01:15me and says,
01:16you know, thank you for knowing my love language.
01:18And it's this cute moment where I do this, like, I pulled a prank on him before telling him some
01:23really big news.
01:24So like that juxtaposition of like, I'm gonna, you know, let's laugh, let's play, and then let's have the real
01:31deal.
01:32And I just loved that so much and I couldn't ever remember really.
01:35I know for me in my career, I've never had a character like that, that had like so much kind
01:40of playfulness and joy.
01:42And I just was like excited to, to have that experience on set.
01:48And then of course, working with Milo again and, and the whole like Kingdom guys, it was just like, it
01:56just felt like it was going to be a special experience.
01:58And it was Sophie, how would you describe Shannon and Bart relationship?
02:05I mean, there's a few different versions of their relationship.
02:08We're very lucky on this film that we do get to meet the real, the real peeps.
02:13They were around.
02:14They were around.
02:14And so seeing their dynamic in real life was actually very helpful because obviously, as you know, from the majority
02:20of this movie,
02:21Bart is depressed and really struggling internally.
02:24And it's really, you know, causing a distance in their relationship.
02:30And so I think there's three, yeah, there's three different versions.
02:33It's kind of the real version of them that we see.
02:35There's the version when they're going through a 10 year period of really struggling.
02:39And then there's a version pre that, pre Sam being diabetic, where it's a lot more jokey and open and
02:46all of that.
02:46So it was quite fun to play all the differences, but their relationship, I'm just in awe of how strong
02:51they are.
02:52And for the majority of the movie, they're not really dealing with stuff together.
02:55But actually, that's not a representation of them, which I think also shows just how badly Bart was feeling,
03:02because their sort of default mode is such a great team.
03:05You can tell that they kind of know each other so well and they navigate things as a team.
03:10The external comes in and doesn't get between them.
03:12And they just have such a beautiful sense of humor.
03:15And they don't really, from my experience with them, they don't have to say much to kind of move together
03:22as a team through life.
03:23And that's really inspiring, actually.
03:25They've kind of, they've probably ruined relationships with me because I'm like, unless it's that, not sure I want it.
03:30In the best way.
03:32In the best way.
03:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:33Ariel, as an actress, as an artist, when you play someone who's real, do you feel more responsibility to make
03:42it right?
03:43Of course, yeah, that's a great question.
03:45A hundred percent, especially because they were on set.
03:48And also, it was like, it's a couple, so it's not just one person.
03:54You know, Tim was there all the time, Hillary was there all the time, Bart, Shannon, the kids.
03:59So, but I think that it also causes everyone to constantly rise up and tell the story, to keep checking
04:06in, make sure we're telling the story that we all want to be telling.
04:10And what does that look like?
04:12And also, for me personally, reminded me, on a deeper level, the responsibility we have as artists.
04:22Because sometimes, you know, set, there's long days.
04:25You know, I just had a 16 hour day on a Saturday.
04:28So, sometimes you can kind of like, of course you're doing your job, but you can kind of like, it's
04:34a lot.
04:34And I felt like with them there, it was this reminder of the responsibility we have to like, keep being
04:46present.
04:47And sometimes, in those long hours, that can get hard at times.
04:52And so I felt like with this project, it was a great reminder and a great push for me to
04:57just constantly come back to being present.
05:00What's the story I'm telling?
05:02What is my obligation here in this story?
05:04And really bringing forward Tim's message of grief and gratitude, grief and gratitude.
05:09That's been a big one for me.
05:10That's been a big one for me.
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