Naman Shrestha
In Lifetime’s ‘Kidnapping My Own Daughter,’ we get acquainted with a dedicated child protective services worker named Fay Walden, who works at the Department of Family and Child Services (DFCS). Part of her job involves removing children from the custody of parents who are deemed unfit for raising them. When Fay and her department took Tess Donnelly’s child away from her for the same reason, it made the mother angry and unhinged.
Now, in an attempt to take back the custody of her child, she teams up with her partner and embarks on a vengeful journey against Fay. The two desperate parents take the CPS worker and her family hostage while they search for their wrongfully removed child. In the process, Tess uncovers a cover-up that puts Fay’s career in jeopardy. The thriller drama movie is directed by Max McGuire, who made the most of a wide range of locations, including the residences of Fay and Tess and the DFCS office, to fill the visual canvas of the narrative.
Where Was Kidnapping My Own Daughter Filmed?
‘Kidnapping My Own Daughter’ was reportedly filmed entirely in Ontario, specifically in and around Ottawa. From what we can tell, principal photography for the Lifetime production commenced in the first week of August 2025 and went on for a couple of weeks before wrapping in the last week of the same month. Given Ontario’s vast and diverse landscape, it is an ideal shooting location for different kinds of projects, including the Max McGuire directorial.
Ottawa, Ontario
For the purpose of setting up the narrative of ‘Kidnapping My Own Daughter,’ the production team settled on Ottawa, located in the eastern part of southern Ontario. They likely utilized several spots in the city to create the visual aesthetic of the chaos that erupts in the life of Fay Walden, a social worker for the Department of Family and Child Services. The diverse landscape of the capital city, ranging from quiet residential neighborhoods to administrative buildings, provided an ideal backdrop for establishing both the isolation of the hostage situation and the controlled environment of Fay’s profession in the social services.
Ottawa is a prominent filming destination renowned for its versatility and ability to convincingly double up for a wide range of national and international locations. Filming in the city not only added to the tense and realistic tone of the storyline but also offered the cast and crew a production-friendly environment. Aside from its unique blend of backdrops, Ottawa’s first-rate film infrastructure, easy accessibility of permits, reliable facilities, skilled technicians, a talented pool of local actors, and lucrative tax incentives make it a favorable site for filming movies and television shows of varying genres and scale. Naturally, these factors also enabled the Lifetime production team to maintain a seamless filming process.
Kidnapping My Own Daughter Cast Details
The enthralling narrative of ‘Kidnapping My Own Daughter’ is brought to life by the compelling performances from Kathryn Kohut and Catherine Saindon. The former is also a model with musical talent, which she has showcased in the 2019 film ‘Christmas Scavenger Hunt.’ Kathryn also served as a creative director for a short film titled ‘The Care Giver.’ Meanwhile, Catherine has served as a producer for a short film, ‘Girls Night Out.’
Kathryn Kohut as Fay Walden
Kathryn Kohut plays the role of Fay Walden, a DFCS employee who gets abducted alongside her family, in the Lifetime production. Her face might seem familiar to some of you as she features in ‘Spare Parts’ as Lea, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Inside’ as Phoebe, ‘Day 1,000’ as K1092, and ‘Boston Blue’ as Rita Merrick. Her other film credits include ‘Fly Away with Me,’ ‘Danger in the House,’ ‘Feeling Butterflies,’ ‘Twisted Neighbor,’ ‘Maid for Revenge,’ and ‘There’s a New Killer in Town.’
Catherine Saindon as Tess Donnelly
In ‘Kidnapping My Own Daughter,’ Catherine Saindon steps into the character of Tess Donnelly, the mother whose child DFCS removes from her custody, and the abductor of Fay. Widely known for her portrayals of OfClarence in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ Mary-Ann in ‘Game of Death,’ and Anna in ‘Hotel for the Holidays,’ Catherine also features in ‘Not So Perfect Stranger,’ ‘Banned,’ and ‘Psycho Prom Queen.’ She also has several TV shows under her credit, including ‘Fatal Vows,’ ‘Deadly Secrets,’ ‘Spinning Out,’ and ‘Two Wrongs.’
Besides the two leads, the thriller drama also features other talented actors in supporting yet important roles, including Jesse Collin as Jacob, Chris Violette as Paul, Nate Colitto as Harlow, Esther Vlessing as Clara, Angelina Capetola as Milly, Karen Cliche as Janet, Antonia Dalessio as Concerned citizen, and Debra Hale as Self – Margaret.
Read More: The Man in the Window: Filming Locations and Cast Details
