‘Gates Of Paradise’ Star Daphne Zuniga Chats ‘Intense’ Role, Castmate Jason Priestley

Lifetime’s Casteel family movie series continues tonight with the premiere of the fourth film, “Gates of Paradise,” and, this time, Daphne Zuniga’s joining in on all the crazy, peculiar drama.

While speaking with International Business Times, the 56-year-old actress opened up about her “juicy” role as Nurse Broadfield, what it was like getting to work with castmate Jason Priestley after years of knowing him and more!

The miniseries, which is adapted from V.C. Andrews’ five-book series about the unique and tragic Casteel family, kicked off a few weeks ago with the first film, “Heaven,” and has aired two more — “Dark Angel” and “Fallen Hearts” — since then. For those who haven’t seen the movies yet, all three can be watched for free on Lifetime’s website.

Tonight, the fourth film (out of five) debuts, and fans get to see the “One Tree Hill” alum step into some pretty sinister shoes.

“[Things] quickly turns tragic when Heaven’s [Johannah Newmarch] daughter Annie (Lizzie Boys) finds herself orphaned and crippled,” the film’s synopsis shares of what’s to come. “Whisked off to Farthinggale Manor by Tony Tatterton (Priestley), Annie pines for her lost family, especially for her half-brother Luke (Keenan Tracey).”

The synopsis continues: “Without the warm glow of Luke’s love, she is lost in the shadows of despair and forced into submission by Nurse Broadfield. When Annie discovers a cottage hidden in Farthinggale’s woods, the mystery of her past deepens. Even as she yearns to see Luke again, her hopes and dreams are darkened by the sinister Casteel spell.”

Keep reading to find out how the actress really made Nurse Broadfield her own, just how sinister the character is and what it was like for Zuniga to join this V.C. Andrews series.

International Business Times: What initially brought you to this role? Were you searching for a darker character to play?

Daphne Zuniga: This offer came in, and I read it... and I couldn’t believe that it was such a juicy, yummy part that they thought of me [for]. So, I was thrilled. Just, even from her entrance, and then every scene kind of builds on the last, as more intense, and I was like, “Really? This is all mine?” It’s really fun to play someone this mean and evil.

IBT: Was it difficult to come onto a movie that’s the fourth in a series?

Zuniga: I just focused on my own role, I always do. And I find that the more you dedicate yourself to that role that you have and bring all of your creativity to it, it will fall into place, and it will find its place. As long as you know the genre, and this was a specific genre that it seemed so intriguing to me — a kind of heightened gothic family drama.

IBT: How did you prepare to take on this more wicked character?

Zuniga: With this character, I ended up rereading, like, “Wait, she did what? Okay, why would she do that?” Because Tony, Jason Priestley’s character, says to Annie that [the nurse is] the best at what she does. So, that’s either a lie or it has to be justified that I’m the best nurse around for this kind of trauma, for this kind of recovery that [Annie] needs to make.

So, it was a fine line between being really mean and really intense and borderline abusive and being justifiably so. In my mind, that character, Nurse Broadfield, would absolutely justify her behavior, and it’s really fun to live in it, and then the minute there’s a cut, I let it go.

IBT: You starred on “Melrose Place” and Jason Priestly starred on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” but this was actually the first time you two worked together, right? What was that experience like?

Zuniga: Yeah, it was the first time we worked together! We’ve met over the years, and I was really happy that it was him. He’s such a nice guy, he was great. And I would talk to him because he also directs, and, since I’m just starting to direct, I would ask him stuff, and he would give me advice. He’s been doing it for years, so he shared experiences with me and advice with me.

Catch Zuniga in Lifetime’s “V.C. Andrews’ Gates of Paradise,” which was directed by Gail Harvey, on Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT.