Dipaly Banerjee
Helmed by John L’Ecuyer, Lifetime‘s ‘Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation’ is a drama film that follows the story of Gwen Shamblin, a weight-loss guru who runs a Christian-based diet program that preaches religion-based weight loss techniques and obsession with body image. Shamblin faces opposition when her control within the church and her preachings are deemed as cultish by many. The biopic is based on the life of the eponymous controversial religious leader whose teachings had tremendous psychological control over people.
Gwen Shamblin rose to fame with her Christian diet program “Weigh Down Workshop” and was accused of being exploitive and emotionally and psychologically manipulative until she met a tragic end in May 2021. The interesting locations in the film make one wonder where ‘Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation’ was filmed. If you have been scratching your head about the same, allow us to eliminate your curiosity!
Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation Filming Locations
‘Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation’ was filmed almost entirely in the beautiful region of Quebec, specifically in Montreal. The principal photography for the Lifetime film commenced in November 2022 and was wrapped up within a few weeks of filming in December of the same year. So, without further ado, let’s traverse the specific sites that appear in the Lifetime movie!
Montreal, Quebec
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation’ were lensed in Montreal, the most populous city in Quebec and the second most populous city in the nation. From the looks of it, the production team seemingly made the most of its aesthetic landscape during the filming schedule and set up camp in several locations to tape different scenes against suitable backdrops.
Located in the southwest portion of Quebec, Montreal is considered a significant center of aerospace, finance, commerce, art, culture, design, food, tourism, fashion, pharmaceuticals, cinema, and more. The city is visited by tourists as well as filmmakers for shooting purposes. In fact, over the years, it has hosted the production of several movies and TV shows. Some notable ones are ‘Orphan,’ ‘The Notebook,’ ‘The Voyeurs,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,’ and ‘The Bold Type.’
Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation Cast
Jennifer Grey brilliantly essays the character of Gwen Shamblin in the drama film. You may recognize the actress from some of her other projects, as she features in ‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Red Dawn,’ and ‘In Your Eyes.’ Other cast members who play critical roles in the Lifetime movie are Karen Cliche as Natasha, Brittany Drisdelle as Adrienne, Jorja Cadence as Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah, Vincent Walsh as Joe Lara, Connor McMahon as Brandon Hannah, Frank Fiola as TV Executive, Carlo Mestroni as Natasha’s Lawyer, and Evelyne Morissette as Client.
The film also stars Eloïse T Simard as Josh’s Wife, Michael Hearn as Gwen’s Lawyer, Karine Dion as Tammy, Willow Astbury as Young Elizabeth, Adam LeBlanc as Josh Kitt, Teneisha Collins as Carmen, Dylan Colton as Michael Shamblin, Zoé Boivin as Wedding Couple, Maissa Houri as Sheri, David LeBlanc as Church Leader on Plane, Chidubem Rafael Echendu as Josef Smith Jr., Griffin Wurster as Michael at four years old, and Myriam Sassi as Church Leader on plane’s wife.
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