Jennifer Gray Completely Transforms To Cult Leader Gwen Shamblin in New Lifetime Movie
Since time immemorial, we have seen our favorite actors and actresses shed off their very own selves to not only portray a character but also mirror them in looks. Reckless actress Jennifer Grey is telling us our screens are about to be hit with one of such transformations.
The 62-year-old shared a look at Lifetime’s new movie Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation. The Instagram post shows a photo of her with long and bulky blonde hair. She wore smokey eye makeup with lightly lined lips.
“Call me gwen #starvingforsalvation #gwenshamblin @lifetime,” she captioned as she credited Lyne Lapiana for the hairstyle and Wig Maker Associates founder Rob Pickens for the wig she wore.
Per Deadline, Jennifer was casted to play Gwen Shamblin – a controversial religious leader in the latest movie about the cult-like figure – in November.
Gwen Shamblin was an author and the charismatic founder of the Remnant Fellowship Church who was accused of emotional, physical, and psychological abuse in light of the church’s alleged cult-like practices. Her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, earned her popularity which continued even after her death in 2021.
Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation, produced by Muse Entertainment and directed by John L’Ecuyer, is scheduled to launch on Lifetime on February 4 next year. Jesse Prupas and Nancy Bennett worked as executive producers on the telemovie.
Aside from Lifetime’s upcoming movie, Gwen is also the subject of HBO Max’s docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin. The miniseries, directed and produced by Marina Zenovich, follows the rise and fall of the cult leader.
Jennifer would not be the only actress to don the big hair lately. According to Deadline, Sarah Paulson is set to play the role of Gwen in the scripted adaptation of the five-part series by HBO.
The photo shared by Jennifer on Monday was met with positive reactions from fans who were amazed by the transformation and happy to see her take on the role of the woman many deemed “crazy.” Some even thought she looked like Never Say Never Again actress and former fashion model Kim Basinger.Before being told of Jennifer’s portrayal of Shamblin, the star’s fans had heard news of her return to their screens to play one of her most famous roles. In April, it was revealed that the Dirty Dancing star will again appear in the movie’s upcoming sequel as Frances “Baby” Houseman. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the announcement was made during Lionsgate’s presentation at CinemaCon when a voiceover teased her return to the 1987 hit as footage from the original film played. “Jennifer Grey returns to Kellerman’s in the next chapter,” the voiceover said.
