Julianne Hough has revealed that she consulted with author Nicholas Sparks before shooting a film adaptation of his book Safe Haven.
Hough stars in Safe Haven as a woman who flees to Southport, North Carolina to escape her alcoholic husband, only to fall in love with a new man (Josh Duhamel).
In an interview with Flicks and Bits, the actress revealed that Sparks's work has had a huge impact on her life.
"I spoke to him when I first got the role, I talked to him about what he thought Katie would be like," Hough recalled. "I read the book and I could see it, but I wanted to get his firsthand thoughts. I've read all of his books."
The star continued: "A Walk to Remember was my favorite when I was growing up. I must have read it seven times and then watched the movie over and over and over.
"Nicholas really speaks to women. He understands that we want compassion and love, safety and security."
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Hough went on to stress that while Safe Haven appeals strongly to women, men will also find enjoyment in the film.
"[With] Safe Haven, it's a very suspenseful movie and I think that guys are going to enjoy the action," she explained. "It was a great help speaking to Nicholas, getting those firsthand nuggets."
Hough previously revealed that she particularly identified with her character Katie because she was also abused in her younger years.
Safe Haven - which also stars David Lyons and Cobie Smulders - is now playing in the US and opens in the UK on March 1.
Watch a trailer for the movie below:
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
