Naman Shrestha
Inspired by real-life events, Lifetime’s ‘Killing the Competition,’ is a suspenseful thriller drama film that centers upon an overbearing mother and the extreme measures she takes when her daughter gets rejected from her high school’s dance team. Elizabeth leads a picture-perfect life with her husband, Steve, and her children but still reminisces about the time when she was popular for being the star dancer of her high school dance team. Now in her 40s, Elizabeth is excited to watch her daughter, Grace, follow in her footsteps and become an integral part of her alma mater’s dance team.
Unexpectedly, when Grace is cut from the team, Elizabeth doesn’t take the rejection well and aims her resentment towards the school administration as well as the current members of the dance team. Meanwhile, she becomes obsessed with Hannah, the current leader of the team, and her mother, Nicole, leading her to take some actions she would regret later. Helmed by Lee Gabiana, the movie mostly unfolds inside the premises of Grace’s high school. It ends up serving as an additional character due to the significance it holds to the overall narrative.
Where Was Killing the Competition Filmed?
The production of ‘Killing the Competition’ was conducted entirely in West Virginia, particularly in and around Fairmont. According to reports, principal photography for the Lifetime thriller got underway in October 2024 under the working title ‘Killer Dance Mom’ and continued for a few weeks before getting wrapped up in early November of the same year. After the conclusion of the shooting process, Eddie Mills took to social media and shared his thoughts. He said, “That’s a wrap! What a wonderful journey this has been with all the drama one would expect from a Lifetime movie. 🍿 I will be excited to share all the details down the road. As for now, thank you @paulajhart56 and @melissajoanhart for an amazing experience. And to all the cast and crew…. Let’s do this again soon! Until then….”
Fairmont, West Virginia
Almost all the pivotal sequences for ‘Killing the Competition’ were lensed in the city of Fairmont, which is the seat of Marion County. One of the primary production locations where the cast and crew set up camp is the East-West Stadium at 10 Virginia Avenue in Fairmont. Built in 1938, the football stadium serves as home for a couple of high schools — Fairmont Senior High School and East Fairmont High School. Although it is used to host football, soccer, and lacrosse matches, the filming unit utilized the ground to shoot most of the dance scenes in the film.
From what we can tell, the production team also took over an educational facility to record high school scenes involving the protagonist in the classrooms, corridors, and the gymnasium. A few cafes and restaurants also feature in the backdrop of several exterior scenes. As per reports, the cast and crew members of ‘Killing the Competition’ also traveled a bit north of Fairmont to the city of Morgantown, where they filmed additional portions.
Killing the Competition Cast Details
The cast of ‘Killing the Competition’ is led by compelling onscreen performances from Melissa Joan Hart, Eddie Mills, Lily Brooks O’Briant, Valerie Loo, and Anzu Lawson. Over the decades, Melissa has collected several nominations and awards for her work, such as Kids’ Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and MovieGuide Awards, indicating her impressive acting prowess. When it comes to Anzu Lawson, she is not just known as an actor but also as a musician, writer, director, and stand-up comedian.
Melissa Joan Hart as Elizabeth Fenwick
The Sayville, New York, native Melissa Joan Hart portrays Elizabeth Fenwick, the mother who ends up going to the school administration when Grace is not selected for the dance team, in the Lifetime thriller. The award-winning actor has showcased her versatility by taking up challenging roles in different kinds of projects. You might recognize her as Nicole Maris in ‘Drive Me Crazy,’ Leigh Delgado in ‘The Bad Guardian,’ Joanna in ‘Dirty Little Secret,’ Clarissa Darling in ‘Clarissa Explains It All,’ Liz in ‘No Good Nick,’ and Melanie “Mel” Longo in ‘Melissa & Joey.’
Eddie Mills as Steve
Eddie Mills dons the garb of Steve, Elizabeth’s husband, in ‘Killing the Competition.’ The veteran actor has been featured in various shows throughout his career, such as ‘Devious Maids,’ ‘Murder in the First,’ and ‘Nashville.’ His face might also look familiar to some of you as he also stars in ‘White Dwarf, ‘The Happiest Day of His Life,’ ‘Wannabe,’ and ‘Mystery Woman: Game Time.’
Lily Brooks O’Briant as Grace
The multi-talented actor, Lily Brooks O’Briant, essays the role of Grace, Elizabeth and Steve’s daughter, in the thriller movie. Widely recognized for her portrayal of Lucy Romalotti in ‘The Young and the Restless,’ she also has several other shows under her credit, including ‘The Big Show Show,’ ‘Life by Ella,’ and ‘The Tick.’ Her short film credits include ‘Sharing the Floor,’ ‘Etude,’ ‘Make a Wish,’ and ‘Presentation.’
Valerie Loo as Hannah
In ‘Killing the Competition,’ Valerie Loo features as Hannah, the star dancer of the high school team. Some of you may recognize her from ‘American Horror Stories,’ where she portrays Nicole. In addition, she has also been featured in ‘The Thundermans Return,’ ‘Malum,’ and ‘Criminal Minds.’
Anzu Lawson as Nicole
‘The Blacklist’ fame stars in the Lifetime movie as Nicole, Hannah’s mother. Apart from featuring in movies and shows like ‘Revenge for My Mother,’ ‘Middleton Christmas,’ ‘Chicago Med,’ and ‘Guilty Party,’ the talented actor also lends her voice to the characters of numerous animated and foreign-language series, including ‘My Happy Marriage,’ ‘No Gain No Love,’ ‘Beyond Goodbye,’ ‘Moving,’ ‘Strong Girl Nam-soon,’ and ‘Marry My Husband.’ Although she also features in ‘The Young and the Restless,’ Anzu had not gotten the opportunity to work with Lily Brooks as they worked on the project in different years.
Besides the above-mentioned cast members, the thriller is brought to life by several other talented actors in supporting roles, including Cynthia Dallas as Officer Lee, Olivia Gill as Brit, Lola Raie as Bekka, Anmalya Delva as Kath, Lucas Randazzo as Tyler, and Cyrus McReynolds as Jackson.
Read More: Killing the Competition Review and Ending, Explained
