Naman Shrestha
Lifetime’s ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story’ acquaints us with Laura Cowan, a wife and mother whose world turns upside down when her husband, Shabazz, is taken into custody, leaving her and her children stranded. Fortunately, a family friend named Musa offers her a place to stay until she stands up on her feet again. Mistaking it for an act of kindness, she accepts his help and moves into his place with her children. Sooner rather than later, she comes to a realization that Musa isn’t helping them. Instead, he is holding them hostage in his garage.
During her time as his captive, Laura and her children are subjected to several years of sexual and physical abuse by Musa. On one fortunate day, she finds a window of opportunity to tell the outside world about her situation, allowing the police to finally come to her and her children’s rescue. It turns out that they were not the only captives in the house, as Musa had kept a couple of other women and their children as hostages, too. Based on the horrific yet courageous true story of Laura Cowan, the Manu Boyer directorial mostly takes place inside the abductor’s house, especially in his cold and dark garage where Laura and her children are held.
Where Was Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story’ was conducted in Missouri, especially in and around Kansas City. As per reports, principal photography for the Lifetime thriller commenced in October 2024 and wrapped up after a few weeks in early November of the same year. Although the film is set in LA and Ohio, the vast and versatile terrains of Missouri serve as the ideal backdrop to represent the two locations accurately.
Kansas City, Missouri
Almost the entirety of ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story’ was lensed in and around Kansas City, the central city of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which is situated in the states of Missouri as well as Kansas. According to reports, the production team set up camp in the historic neighborhood of Westport and Swope Park, which is a popular city park. Moreover, they headed a bit south of the city to record a few important scenes in the city of Overland Park, which is situated in Kansas’ Johnson County.
During the shooting process, the cast and crew members of the thriller were spotted taping several scenes in and around Monstera’s Books at 7930 Floyd Street in Overland Park. One of the producers, Corey McCartney, explained the makers chose Kansas City as the production location for ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story.’ He told KSHB, “The good thing about Kansas City is that it is like a very diverse landscape, and depending on what part of town, we actually have locations that can represent a lot of different places.”
Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story Cast Details
The harrowing true tale of Laura Cowan is brought to life through the brilliant onscreen performances of a team of talented actors. For instance, it features Brad James, who is a former US Marine, and Stephen Bishop, a retired baseball player. It also stars Paige Hurd, who hasn’t worked with either of them previously.
Paige Hurd as Laura Cowan
The ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ fame Paige Hurd essays the role of Laura Cowan in ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story.’ Having spent more than a couple of decades in the film industry, she has been featured in different kinds of projects. You might be familiar with her work in shows like ‘Everybody Hates Chris,’ ‘Hawaii Five-0,’ ‘The Oval,’ and ‘Rebel.’ Paige also stars in numerous movies, including ‘Who Is Christmas Eve?,’ ‘Halfway There,’ ‘Grandma’s House,’ and ‘Greencard Warriors.’
Brad James as Shabazz
Brad James dons the garb of Shabazz, Laura Cowan’s husband, who gets arrested in the Lifetime film. Throughout his acting career, he has showcased his talents by taking up different kinds of roles, including ‘A House Divided’ as Cameran Jr., ‘Outer Banks’ as Agent Bratcher, ‘American Soul’ as Professor Haygood, and ‘For Better or Worse’ as Todd. He also stars in several movies such as ‘The Christmas Detective,’ ‘He Who Findeth,’ ‘A New Orleans Noel,’ ‘Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta,’ and ‘For the Love of Christmas.’
Stephen Bishop as Musa
Stephen Bishop portrays the character of Musa, the family friend of the Cowan family, in the crime movie. Widely recognized for his roles in ‘Moneyball,’ ‘The Rundown,’ ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘Battleship,’ ‘The Equalizer,’ and ‘Run the World,’ he has also been featured in shows like ‘Being Mary Jane,’ ‘Imposters,’ ‘Criminal Minds,’ and ‘The Terminal List.’ He has various movies to his credit as well, which include ‘Finding Tony’ ‘One Night Stay,’ ‘Coins for Love,’ ‘Keys to the City,’ and ‘Media.’
Maresha Robinson as Marva Barfield
In ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story,’ Maresha Robinson plays the role of Marva Barfield. Mostly known for her roles in short films like ‘The Blue Rose,’ ‘A Day with Benton,’ ‘Table Manners,’ ‘The Reckoning,’ and ‘Bloody Vamps,’ she has also been featured in several TV shows, including ‘Neither Here Nor There’ and ‘A Love Like This.’
Shanica Knowles as Zara
Hailing from Miami, Florida, Shanica Knowles features as Zara in the biographical movie. Her role as Amber Addison in ‘Hannah Montana’ allowed her to gain recognition in the film industry and bag roles in many film and TV projects like ‘Babysitter’s Nightmare,’ ‘When It Comes Around,’ ‘Christmas on the Menu,’ ‘Don’t Suck,’ ‘The Young and the Restless,’ ‘Love Handles,’ and ‘Awkward.’
Besides the above-mentioned actors, ‘Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story’ also features other talented actors in supporting roles, including Diego J. Torres as ATF Agent Charles, Tracey Rooney as Jane Hunter, and Petey McGee as Brother Reggie. Several child actors also make up the cast of the movie, including Sanaa Sade Salaam as Patrice, Jackson Little as Will, Jazzanae Sherman as Maryum, and Kaiden Nicholas Johnson as Ahmed.
Read More: Laura Cowan: Where is the Kidnapping Survivor Now?
