Great American Pure Flix Series 'Going Home': "Faith is everything to us on the show"
No one wants to think about the end of a loved one’s life, especially when they are slowly fading away due to illness or old age. If we had our way, our fear and sadness would be replaced by healing and hope.
But sometimes, losing a loved one, while a sad and lonely experience, can actually serve as a time of triumph as we celebrate their life and legacy. Taking the time to honor a life well lived, holding a hand until they pass into eternity is a gift to be cherished and never forgotten.
In the new Great American Pure Flix streaming series (available now), Going Home, show creator Dan Merchant examines the life of a hospice nurse who sees her role as a calling from God to help shepherd people from this life to eternity. Starring Cynthia Geary (Northern Exposure) and Cozi Zuehlsdorff (Dolphin Tale), Season Two of the series kicked off earlier this month and will launch a new episode each Friday through February 9th.
Season Two also features some prominent guest stars as Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Ellen Travolta (Charles in Charge), Mel Harris (Thirtysomething) and others contribute impactful performances designed to guide viewers through such emotional material.
I recently sat down with Geary and Zuehlesdorff to discuss why Going Home may be one of the most important programs available for viewing today, how they prepare themselves for filming such emotional material, and the vital role that faith plays in the series.
I believe this to be a very important breakthrough program but one that likely serves a niche audience. How does this show appeal to general audiences?
Cynthia Geary: I think it's universal. This is something that we are all going to deal with. It's the one universal thing. We're all going to die and have loved ones die and pass away. And I think it's really important to talk about it. This show gets people talking and it's dramatic, intense, and heavy stuff. But I think the writing is so good. It's an entertaining show to watch. We're not preaching anything. We're just, we're just giving kind of an honest portrait of a really beautiful process.
In preparing for this interview, I came across a quote on Going Home’s YouTube trailer page that said, “I’ve never seen anything like this show. But I’m absolutely glad it exists.” Why do you think this show is so important to people?
Cozi Zuehlsdorff: It's interesting. I think that loss has touched us all in different ways. I can't think of anyone in my life who hasn't lost someone that they love. This show helps you get a glimpse into what a good death can be. We talked a lot about that in season one, this idea of a good death. We carry that on into season two and look at all the different ways that it is possible to give someone that experience at the end of their life, no matter what they came into the Hospice Center with, or what kind of emotional baggage they have. My cousin is a hospice nurse. And so I've talked to her about it, and it's very powerful work. The things that we deal with on the show, like when people have visions of loved ones and even of God, those things happen every day if you're a real hospice nurse. It's just been fascinating for us to learn about. And so I am assuming that's why people are connecting with it because it's fascinating. It's deeply meaningful. And I think Season Two's going to be really fun for people because we're not only examining the inner lives of the patients anymore, we're deep into the inner lives of the nurses. Everybody's got different stories. That was really fun for us to explore as actors.
For every actor there always seems to be a moment, a trigger, a tipping point where you say to yourself, “I have to be part of this project.” For you both, what was that moment?
Cynthia Geary: For me, it was when I read the first script. The show creator, Dan Merchant, sent me all six episodes, and asked me if I was interested in doing the show. And I read the first one and went, wow, what a role for an actor. This was like, okay, I get to go there and really work. And then, I read the next one. I was crying as I read it, and I was like, I would be so lucky to be a part of this show. So, it was from the moment I was first introduced to it.
Speaking of the writing, this program tackles some very important themes. Just glancing through the first few episodes we see topics like 1) There are many ways to grieve, 2) Each person has a unique calling over their lives, 3) We can have more than one calling, 4) God cares for every one of us and loves us equally. To me, this screams that this is a very well written show and has been well researched. How important is the writing on ‘Going Home’?
Cozi Zuehlsdorff: Not that important. We improv the entire thing. (Laughs) No, it's, it's very important. Very important. And you find everything you need, not just in what you're saying, but also about the characters. Dan (Merchant) as our showrunner and our creator, he created us . He's been so intentional all the way through about making sure that our characters are really well defined. And that was what was so fun about Season Two, coming back and realizing that, by the time I had been cast, my character Janie had been completely written for Season One. So, Season Two was written with my voice and it was very obvious to see where he was writing to all of our strengths as actors and our likes. We just love the writing.
We appreciate it a lot. I was joking about improv, but because my storylines on the show tend to be pretty light and fun, Dan lets me improv a lot. I would never be able to improv as this character without the writing, or the template and the schema of what we're doing here. It makes it so easy to continue the conversation in her voice because he's written it so clearly.
Having spent a little bit of time in my life in a similar situation with my father, I realize that going through hospice with a loved one can be a very draining situation for you, both physically but especially emotionally. As actors, how do you or did you prepare yourself for day after day of filming highly emotional material?
Cynthia Geary: It's intense. It's certainly the most intense project I've ever worked on. And we also shoot fast. We shoot 10 pages a day, so sometimes we have more than one death in a day. The wonderful thing as an actor is that we really are going through it. It's real. And we have such wonderful guest stars that come in and just knock it out of the park every time. I'm blown away every time. So it makes our job easy because we get to just react to what they're giving us, and it's real. It's weird to say, but it's also invigorating as an actor to get to do this and to experience this, these real emotions and really walk away feeling like wow!
Cozi Zuehlsdorff: It's also really interesting that the skillset required to handle the emotion on set is probably the same skill set required for hospice nurses in real life to hold all the space required for people to grieve. Imagine if your hospice nurse was just inconsolably crying the whole time?. We can't do that. And so, I found it was really such a thin line between reality and acting when people that were playing these guest stars, were not only grieving their loved one, but also playing the loved one who was passing away needed us at times to take care of them emotionally. It was such a vulnerable place. Cynthia, did you experience that too? I definitely experienced that so many times where I found myself kind of nursing people as they were (going through it).
Cynthia Geary: Absolutely. It's been the most unique experience as an actor for me. And I feel so close to everybody who's come in and, and guest starred on our show because we go through this together. I do feel like I'm nurturing them and helping them. It's really a wonderful gift.
Final question … What role does faith play on the program and how important is it to weave it into every episode?
Cozi Zuehlsdorff: A huge one. It plays as big of a role as it does for me in my actual life. Faith is my guiding light in my entire life, my faith in Jesus. And so, playing a character who shares my faith has been really cool. And also watching faith be the formative DNA of our show (has been great). Every episode ends with Charlie (Cynthia’s character) praying, and praying so casually and beautifully. Like really Season One kind of changed the way that I pray by watching this character talk so familiarly and lovingly to God. You'll see that continuing in Season Two, and you'll see Charlie kind of grasshopper her protege in prayer, Alec. She helps him pray as well. It was very cool to watch. Faith is everything to us on the show.
WATCH A TRAILER FOR GOING HOME:
