Naman Shrestha
Based on the true story of Courtney Stodden, Lifetime’s ‘I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story’ is a dramatized version of the events that took place in the complicated life of the titular character. Helmed by D’Angela Proctor, the biographical coming-of-age drama film revolves around Courtney Stodden, a teenager with dreams of becoming a musician, who finds herself in the modeling industry. At the age of 16, she ties the knot with 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. As she is catapulted into unwanted popularity, she is slandered by the media and public for her choices. Meanwhile, she goes through a lot of ups and downs in her marriage with the actor. Narrated by the real-life Courtney Stodden herself, the movie is primarily set in Ocean Shores, Washington, and Los Angeles, California. The change in backdrops highlights the changes in the protagonist’s life.
Where Was I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story Filmed?
‘I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story’ was filmed mostly in California, particularly in and around Los Angeles. From the looks of it, principal photography for the biopic got underway in February 2025 and continued for a few weeks before wrapping up in the first week of March of the same year. The cast and crew celebrated the conclusion of the shooting with a small party on set as they took several joyous memories back home.
Los Angeles, California
Since a major portion of ‘I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story’ unfolds in Los Angeles, California, the production team naturally chose to set up camp on location and utilize the city’s vast and versatile landscape. From what we can tell, the cast and crew members took over an expansive establishment in order to shoot the scenes involving Doug’s house. It seems that various indoor scenes were lensed in a sound stage or two of one of the film studios situated in and around the City of Angels, such as Raleigh Studios Hollywood, Electric Pony Studios, FilmStudioLA, Sony Pictures Studio, and more.
Known for its ties to Hollywood, Los Angeles serves as an ideal production location for all kinds of movies, especially those based on the film industry itself. Apart from the biographical film, the city has hosted the production of many notable films and TV projects over the years. Some of them include ‘Swiped,’ ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ ‘The Social Network,’ ‘The Offer,’ ‘Pam & Tommy,’ and ‘The Dropout.’
I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story Cast Details
‘I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story’ is led by impressive performances by Holly J. Barrett, Doug Savant, and Maggie Lawson. Holly gained recognition for her West End stage debut with ‘Fatal Attraction’ at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. As for Doug, he has been nominated for multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards, highlighting his acting talent. Maggie, who got into the industry as a child, has also served as an executive producer for ‘The Milk Chug.’
Holly J. Barrett as Courtney Stodden
Holly J. Barrett essays the character of Courtney Stodden in ‘I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story.’ Starting out her career with a couple of short films (‘Eliza’ and ‘Before the Dawn’), she moved up the ranks and managed to bag some crucial roles in various projects. For instance, she stars in ‘Life in Pieces’ as Samantha Hughes, ‘Young Sheldon’ as Ashley, ‘Suits’ as Young Samantha, and ‘The Curse of Bridge Hollow’ as Jamie. You might have also seen her in ‘Chicago Med,’ ‘Station 19,’ and ‘American Housewife.’
Doug Savant as Doug Hutchison
In the Lifetime production, Doug Savant portrays the character of Doug Hutchison, Courtney’s husband. Widely recognized for his portrayal of Tom Scavo in ‘Desperate Housewives,’ he also stars in several other shows, such as ‘The X-Files’ as Augustus Goldman, ‘Tell Me Your Secrets’ as Ed Jennings, ‘Dirty John’ as Martin Newsome, ‘NCIS’ as General Daniel Kent, and ’24’ as Craig Phillips. His other movie credits include ‘Godzilla,’ ‘Trick or Treat,’ ‘April Rain,’ and ‘All You’ve Got.’
Maggie Lawson as Krista
Maggie Lawson steps into the role of Krista, Courtney’s mother, in the biographical movie. Throughout her decades-long acting career, she has been featured in different kinds of projects, showcasing her prowess as an actor. Apart from her roles in ‘Psych’ as Juliet O’Hara, ‘Cleaner’ as Cherie, and ‘Pleasantville’ as Lisa Anne, Maggie is also known for her portrayal of Allison in ‘Angel from Hell,’ Terry Gannon Jr. in ‘Back in the Game,’ Liz Stoddard-Banks in ‘It’s All Relative,’ Kay in ‘Outmatched,’ and Ms. McMartin in ‘Two and a Half Men.’ She also features in many films, including ‘Sugarplummed,’ ‘The Story of Us,’ ‘My Favorite Wedding,’ ‘Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy,’ and ‘Christmas Encore.’
Besides the lead actors, Courtney Stodden also features in the film as the narrator. Other cast members who play supportive yet crucial roles in the Lifetime movie include Drew Waters as Alex, Devin Sidell as Aurora, Stella Grace Fitzgerald as Young Courtney, Rick Peters, Greg Benson, Chase Del Rosario, Jennifer Castillo, and Andrew Brian Carter. In addition, Judith Scarpone and Nicole Eggert also feature in the biopic.
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