According to Deadline, Jessica Biel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) opened up about her battle with getting her thriller series, The Sinner, sold—it even led her to want to quit Hollywood. Biel recently sat down for a podcast interview with The Bright Side, where she discussed the series securing its home on USA Network, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy win.
Deadline notes that Biel stated, “Doors did not open at all, even being in the business for so long. I’ve had this production company with my partner, Michelle Purple, for 20 years… I started it with her when I was 22, and for the first 10 years, we had almost no success at all. We had a very challenging time getting any story told.”
That was when Biel and Michelle Purple (Cruel Summer) stumbled upon The Sinner, a police series following inconspicuous criminals and the motivations behind their crimes. Deadline also notes that Biel recollected that she and Purple then “built that show from the ground up.”
Biel continued, saying, “Michelle and I looked at each other and she said, ‘If we don’t sell this show, I’m quitting. And I said, ‘Me too, I’m quitting. If this show doesn’t sell, I don’t know what people want. I don’t know what to bring them. I don’t understand this business anymore. I just don’t get it anymore.’”
As per Deadline, Biel also shared that she felt this experience with her partner was a “humbling” experience, stating, “I don’t find that my industry — or being an actor or producer — is easy in any way, shape, or form. It is so much blood, sweat, and tears that you put into getting these projects made, and so many of the things we work on never, ever come to fruition.”
The Sinner debuted on USA Network in 2017, with Biel starring alongside Bill Pullman (Independence Day) during its first season. This show was Biel’s first role back as a series regular since the ending of the 1996 drama series 7th Heaven. Later on, Biel took on the role of an executive producer on the series.