Shubhabrata Dutta
Helmed by Alex Kalymnios, Lifetime’s thriller movie ‘Cleveland Abduction’ is based on Michelle Knight’s memoir ‘Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed.’ Knight was kidnapped in 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 21 by Ariel Castro and was kept in captivity, tortured, and raped, along with two other teenagers, Amanda Marie Berry and Gina DeJesus, for 11 years until their escape in 2013. The movie delves into the horrific experiences that Knight underwent and saw during all that time, and how the three women escaped and were rescued. The objective of contracting 11 years of events into a 2-hour movie was accomplished using compelling visuals that establish authenticity and do justice to the truth without being exploitative.
Where was Cleveland Abduction Filmed?
‘Cleveland Abduction’ was filmed entirely in Ohio, specifically in Cleveland, where the real incident took place. Principal photography reportedly began in the first week of December 2014 and went on for around three weeks before wrapping up in the third week of December the same year. “When you’re doing something that’s 87 minutes and the real story takes place in 11 years, you have to make a lot of creative decisions, and we always wanted to make sure the story remained authentic,” executive producer Judith Verno told Bustle.
Cleveland, Ohio
The crew went to Cleveland, the seat of Cuyahoga County, in Ohio, to shoot the film. It set up shop inside a house in the West 106th neighborhood. A single space enabled the crew to recreate the feeling of claustrophobia that the women felt. “The space was a very small space,” Verno stated. “Getting two cameras in there on top of each other for day after day was also very hard for the actors,” she added. For the courtroom scenes, the crew shifted base to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, located at 1200 Ontario Street. It is the same court where Castro was sentenced to life in prison. Filming the scenes there added another layer of authenticity to the screenplay. Judge Michael J. Russo, who gave the sentence, and the police officers involved in the case were reportedly consulted as well.
Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland, AKA the Forest City, is at the center of the Cleveland Metroparks nature reserve system. Its diverse architecture, which comprises period structures, including halls and libraries, and urban buildings and neighborhoods, makes it a sought-after location for the production of films and shows of varied genres. Some of them are ‘White Boy Rick,’ ‘My Friend Dahmer,’ ‘Roll Red Roll,’ and ‘The First 48.’ Iconic landmarks in the city that you can visit include Edgewater Park, Playhouse Square, Garfield Memorial, West Side Market, and Cleveland Arcade. Several locations in Ohio were selected as backdrops for ‘Alto Knights.’
Cleveland Abduction Cast Details
The cast of ‘Cleveland Abduction’ is led by Taryn Manning and Raymond Cruz. Actress/singer Taryn is into social work and has contributed to various charities, including Save the Music Foundation, American Dog Rescue, AnimalTornadoRelief․com, and Somaly Mam Foundation. She holds an Arizona State Championship title in karate, too. Raymond’s inspiration for acting came from the movie ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ which he saw as a kid. His upbringing in East Los Angeles subjected him to regular gang activity, something that may have played a part in his career as an actor.
Taryn Manning as Michelle Knight
Taryn Manning plays Michelle Knight, one of the women Ariel kidnapped, in the film. You can easily recognize her as Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett in ‘Orange Is the New Black.’ However, she has a string of TV credits to her name, including Rita ‘Cherry’ Zambell in ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ Taryn Manning in ‘Melrose Place,’ and Mary McGarrett in ‘Hawaii Five-0.’ Some feature films she can be seen in are ‘Bloodline Killer,’ ‘Chapel,’ ‘They Turned Us Into Killers,’ and ‘Adventures of the Naked Umbrella.’
Katie Sarife as Gina DeJesus
Katie Sarife plays Gina DeJesus, one of the three women kidnapped by Ariel Castro, in the film. She is best known for her role as Daniela Rios in ‘Annabelle Comes Home.’ Her television credits include appearances as Marie in ‘Youth & Consequences,’ Soledad Fuentes in ‘Supernatural,’ and Patricia Delgado in ‘Girl Meets World.’
Samantha Droke as Amanda Berry
Samantha Droke plays Amanda Berry, the third kidnapped woman, in the film. She is best recognized for her role as Brooke in ‘Princess Protection Program.’ Her television appearances include Angela in ‘Eastwick,’ Lexi in ‘Poor Paul,’ and Melody in ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.’
Raymond Cruz as Ariel Castro
Raymond Cruz portrays Ariel Castro, the kidnapper, in ‘Cleveland Abduction.’ His performance as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ is fresh in the minds of viewers. His other iconic roles in TV shows are Julio Sanchez in ‘The Closer’ and ‘Major Crimes,’ Mr. Bicks in ‘Nova Vita,’ and Memo in ‘Los Americans.’ In feature films, you can spot him as Rafael in ‘The Curse of La Llorona,’ Gus in ‘Six Feet,’ El Diablo in ‘Medellin,’ and Chino in ‘Havoc.’
Joining the above cast members are Grace Ransom as Emily Castro, Pam Grier as Carla, Jane Mowder as Michelle’s Mother, and Joe Morton as Agent Solano. The additional cast members include Tammy Tsai as Dr. Elaine Chen, David Manzanares as Michael Santana, and Jim Cantafio as Judge Russo, Sloane Coombs and McKenna Bintz as different versions of Jocelyn Berry, Kyle McCann as Joey Knight, Sam Porretta as Felix DeJesus, Jean Zarzour as Nancy Ruiz, Laura Ann Parry as Louwana Miller, and Kristina Kopf as the social worker.
Read More: A Home to Die For: Filming Locations and Cast Details
