Naman Shrestha
Based on true events, ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story’ is a 2020 crime mystery drama movie helmed by Jeffrey W. Byrd. The narrative revolves around Gloria Williams, who poses as a nurse in a hospital and abducts a newborn girl, Kamiyah Mobley, from her mother, Shanara Mobley’s, arms. Before the police get involved, Gloria manages to flee the scene with the baby. For the following years, she renames her Alexis and raises her as one of her own.
When Alexis turns 18 years old, she applies for her first job but can’t seem to find her Social Security card or a birth certificate. Upon digging deeper, Alexis learns that the mother who raised her is not her biological mother but her kidnapper. Instead of reporting Gloria to the authorities, the teenager keeps it a secret. However, an anonymous tip leads to Gloria’s arrest, and Alexis’ world turns upside down. The tale spanning nearly two decades unfolds in South Carolina and Florida as Gloria kidnaps the baby in the latter’s hospital and resides in South Carolina.
Where Was Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story Filmed?
Production on ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley’ took place entirely in British Columbia, particularly in Greater Vancouver. From what we can tell, principal photography for the crime thriller got underway in June 2019 and continued for a few weeks before wrapping up in late June or early July of the same year.
Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
Though the events in ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story’ take place in Florida and South Carolina, the filming was conducted in several locales in Greater Vancouver in the southwestern part of British Columbia. For the purpose of filming, the cast and crew visited Vancouver, a city globally recognized for its diverse urban and natural landscapes, cutting-edge filmmaking infrastructure and a well-established, thriving film production industry. From suburban streets to historic neighborhoods to lush green spaces to striking waterfront areas, the port city can convincingly stand in for a variety of international cities. Therefore, the versatility of Hollywood North enabled the crew members to recreate the southern setting of the crime thriller movie.
To bring the story of Kamiyah Mobley to the screen, the production team also settled on Maple Ridge, where several scenes were taped. Nestled between the Fraser River and the Golden Ears in the northeastern part of Metro Vancouver, the city boasts a booming film and television industry. It offers a unique blend of picturesque landscapes, experienced local crews, small-town charm, and dynamic locales that provide filmmakers with an ideal backdrop for movies with rural and urban aesthetics, such as ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story.’ The fact that it is just around 45km from Vancouver further makes it an accessible filming site. Aside from the Lifetime movie, Maple Ridge has also hosted the shooting of movies and shows like ‘Tracker,’ ‘Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini,’ ‘I Am Elizabeth Smart,’ ‘Chronicle Mysteries: The Wrong Man,’ ‘Untamed,’ ‘Longlegs,’ ‘Big Sky,’ and ‘Til Death Do Us Part.’
Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story Cast Details
The true story of ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley’ is brought to life by the compelling performances from Niecy Nash, Rayven Ferrell, and Ta’Rhonda Jones. Niecy Nash, a Primetime Emmy award winner, who is also a co-producer of the Lifetime film, has served as an executive producer for various other projects, including ‘Reno 911!: It’s a Wonderful Heist,’ ‘Claws,’ ‘All’s Fair,’ ‘The Rookie: Feds,’ and ‘Grotesquerie.’ As for Rayven, she has made an appearance as a guest on ‘Sister Circle Live’ and ‘Good Morning America.’ Meanwhile, Ta’Rhonda has served as a director for one of the episodes of ‘BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room.’ She is also a rapper and fashion designer.
Niecy Nash as Gloria Williams
In ‘Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley,’ Niecy Nash portrays Gloria Williams, who kidnapped a newborn girl and raised her as her own. Hailing from Palmdale, California, Niecy has showcased her acting versatility by taking all kinds of roles in different projects, including ‘Reno 911!’ and ‘Reno 911!: Miami’ as Deputy Raineesha Williams, ‘Claws’ as Desna Simms, ‘Monster’ as Glenda Cleveland, and ‘Guess Who’ as Naomi. Her other film and TV credits include ‘Origin,’ ‘Uncorked,’ ‘Scream Queens,’ ‘When They See Us,’ ‘Never Have I Ever,’ and ‘The Hunting Party.’
Rayven Ferrell as Kamiyah Mobley/Alexis
Rayven Ferrell essays the role of Kamiyah Mobley/Alexis, the abducted daughter who gets separated from her biological mother after birth, in the Lifetime thriller. After featuring in a short film titled ‘Sanity Break’ as Hope, Rayven began moving up the ranks in the film industry as she bagged roles in ‘Star’ as Rachel, ‘The Bobby Brown Story’ as La’Princia Brown, and ‘Chicago P.D.’ as Kendra. She also stars in numerous movies, such as ‘Finding Tony,’ ‘Aftershock,’ ‘Through Her Eyes,’ ‘Blood on Her Badge.’
Ta’Rhonda Jones as Shanara Mobley
Ta’Rhonda Jones steps into the role of Shanara Mobley, the biological mother of Kamiyah Mobley/Alexis, in the film. The Chicago native is widely recognized for her roles in ‘Empire’ as Porsha, ‘Call Your Mother’ as Amy, and ‘The Perfect Christmas Present’ as Meg. You might also find her face familiar because she stars in various other movies, like ‘Beyond the Likes,’ ‘My Valentine Crush,’ ‘Line Sisters,’ ‘Hip Hop Holiday,’ and ‘Angily Ever After.’
Other cast members who play supporting yet important roles include Natalie Malaika as Arika Williams, Marci T. House as Rev. Sherrie White, Miranda Edwards as Angie, Shane Dean as Craig Aiken, Kurt Evans as Prosecutor Mizrahi, Eric Breker as Detective Holly, and Garfield Wilson as Charles.
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