Valerie Bertinelli returns to the screen after almost five years away from acting and chose a role that required her to get rid of all the defenses she had.
The actress, 65, spoke with PEOPLE at the Lifetime screening and panel for Love, again at the Television Academy in North Hollywood on Thursday, April 30, where she spoke about what attracted her to the project and what it took to bring it to fruition.
It started with the script.
“Nancy Silvers wrote a ridiculously beautiful, humane, humorous, heartbreaking script. And it was something I had been looking for but didn’t realize I was looking for,” he said.
In the film, Bertinelli plays Caroline, a woman navigating the devastating reality of her husband Henry’s early Alzheimer’s diagnosis and ultimately facing the possibility of loving again after loss.
It is a role that demanded a lot.
“I could really be that vulnerable and really let down the guard that I have as an actor, as a human being, and just be there and do it,” he said.
“It was terrifying because I hadn’t acted in four, almost five years… I just wanted to do the role justice.”
His preparation had less to do with technique and more to do with honesty.
“I just worked really hard to break down my walls and all the barriers that I’ve developed over many decades… and all the pain and all the life experiences that I’ve had. I just wanted to have them all there on the surface and be raw.”
The story also resonated personally.
Bertinelli, who has spoken openly about her own journey of self-discovery in recent years, saw something 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 go through what Caroline went through… but I think because I was writing my book in the middle of this, it really helped me open up and be a little braver.”
Her co-star Eric McCormack, who plays Leo, a figure of connection and comfort to Caroline, praised Bertinelli’s presence on set without hesitation.
“She’s a leader. In the business we talk about number one on the call sheet and being good… someone who sets the tone and sets the standard. And that’s what she does. She’s a professional.”
Love, again premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, May 9 at 8 pm ET.
