Bethenny Frankel Was “Honored And Humbled” To Be Cast In A Lead Role In ‘Danger In The Dorm’: “Lifetime Is Courageous”

Bethenny Frankel is in her “adventure era.” Now, what does that imply for a Real Housewives of New York City alum and entrepreneur?

“Just doing only things that I want to, and weighing opportunities as they arise, and just deciding whether or not this is something that [would] fit in time-wise, desire-wise,” she explains to DECIDER over Zoom.

One of her latest endeavors also marks her Lifetime debut: starring as Joanne in Danger in the Dorm, a film part of the network’s “Ripped from the Headlines” slate. The film, which is inspired by Ann Rule’s true crime story of the same name, follows Kathleen (Clara Alexandrova), whose childhood best friend and classmate Becky (Grace Vukovic) is murdered. As Kathleen sets out to find the killer, whose targets are young girls on campus, her mother Joanne (Frankel) is also aiming to protect her.

For Frankel, simply “being asked” is what convinced her to take on the project. While she believes that she “subconsciously” was curious as to whether she could handle the task, she said that she “also didn’t realize the extent of the role when [she] was initially presented this opportunity.”

“And I was very honored and humbled once I realized it was a leading role,” she adds. “I thought, ‘Wow, Lifetime is courageous [for] doing this. Are they OK?’”

For more on how Frankel channeled her motherly instincts into the role, whether or not she sees this role as a foray into acting, and what fans can expect from the film, continue reading.

DECIDER: What inspired your return to acting and TV, and specifically a Lifetime debut?

FRANKEL: Being offered this. Being asked is really what inspired it. I keep saying I’m in my adventure era now. Just doing only things that I want to, and weighing opportunities as they arise, and just deciding whether or not this is something that [would] fit in time-wise, desire-wise. I think, probably subconsciously, I wanted to know if I could do it, I guess? That wasn’t a conscious thought. I also didn’t realize the extent of the role when I was initially presented this opportunity. And I was very honored and humbled once I realized it was a leading role. I thought, ‘Wow, Lifetime is courageous [for] doing this. Are they OK?’ I also thought it was smart business of them from a marketing standpoint. I just thought, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ And I took it seriously. I believe that I rose to the occasion. I enjoyed it. I also found it very difficult, and exhausting, and stressful. And I have a newfound respect for actors and crew members. So it was a good experience overall. It gave me some institutional knowledge about something that I wouldn’t have really known about.

In the film, your character, Joanne, is a mother. As a mother yourself and having a teenager, did you channel any of your own motherly instincts into the role?

I definitely did. I believed that she was my daughter, and it was interesting to feel that she was my older daughter, because my daughter is 14, and so [onscreen daughter Kathleen] is 20 — you know, a college student, which I will eventually hit that point. And I really think it was an important movie for mothers because their daughters and sons will go off to college and there are many things to worry about at the most vulnerable time in a young person’s life, because they feel that they’re an adult, and they know everything. And they’re experiencing freedom.

Going off of that, in the film, women are the targets of the killer on the loose in the dorm. Your on-screen daughter, Kathleen, becomes inspired to fight for women’s safety on campus. You previously opened up about being randomly hit in New York City. In light of this experience, did you resonate with any of these efforts at all for women’s safety and protection?

It’s funny, I did think about that today a few times in the sense of what you’re telling. Young people don’t really want to hear. They think it’s never going to happen to them. I was a young person, obviously, and so you have to find a way to deliver the message so it’s not just badgering, but it’s going to be absorbed. And yeah, to let my daughter know not to be constantly looking down at her phone and to be on guard and to be aware and alert. It’s a lot to dump on people. But it’s important now, and that experience did inform this experience, too.

Do you think this project is the start of a foray back into an acting career for you?

I make jokes about this, but I’ll be serious. I think I did fairly well. I think I didn’t embarrass anyone, to be honest. Somebody else will probably follow suit and say, alright. She was alright in that. She’s entertaining. Women like her. She connects to an audience, maybe we’ll put her in a comedy or something else. Maybe. It just shows that I can act on some level, so that’s positive. So I thank Lifetime for that opportunity because somebody’s probably gonna call about something at some point. Who knows, though? I don’t think it’s, like, going to be a career. But you never know. I could get an Academy Award. I don’t know. Scorsese’s calling any minute.

There you go. With your reality TV background, are there any current or past Bravolebrities you’d like to film a scripted movie or TV show with if you had the chance? And if so, who?

I don’t think so. Bravo has so many different actors, though. I guess… NeNe [Leakes] is an actress, so she’s probably really fun to work with.

What can you tease to fans ahead of this film’s premiere? What can they expect? What kind of message or kind of tease to them would you like to give ahead of this premiere?

That it’s a very good, scary, intense true story, which is unique. It’s ripped from the headlines… It’s actually a good, entertaining movie, like I said, that’s scary, but that it’s a cautionary tale. So it’s good to be reminded as a parent. It’s good to be reminded as a young woman, something that could happen, and it being a true story, makes it more compelling.

What are you currently streaming?

Oh, I just started watching Baby Reindeer — because [of] my Chanel saga, people were saying “Baby Reindeer” in my comments, and I didn’t know what they meant. And now I realize they meant, like, it’s being a stalker, and I was crying laughing because now I’m watching Baby Reindeer. I’m watching Baby Reindeer, I’m watching Deadwood when I’m on a plane, and I’m about to start Sons of Anarchy… I just watched Bridgerton. I like things that have multiple seasons that are intense. Something you have to sink your teeth into.

And bingeable, as well.

Yes, exactly.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Danger in the Dorm premieres on Lifetime on Sunday, June 16 at 8/7 c.