Sarah Drew Opens Up About Faith, Family and Her New Movie ‘Jimmy’ (Exclusive)
Plus, details on what the 'Grey's Anatomy' star will be doing this Thanksgiving
Key Takeaways
- Sarah Drew opens up about how her faith keeps her grounded through life's hardest moments.
- The actress shares how she brought Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper to life.
- The 'Grey's Anatomy' star also reveals her favorite Thanksgiving dish and family traditions.
Sarah Drew, the heart of a great story is its ability to remind us of what truly matters. From Grey’s Anatomy and Everwood to her lead role as Emily Lane in Hallmark Channel’s Mistletoe Murders (Season 3 premieres November 5), she’s embraced characters who stay with us. That’s what drew her to Jimmy, a heartfelt film about legendary It’s a Wonderful Life actor Jimmy Stewart. It hits theaters November 6 and explores his decision to put his thriving Hollywood career on hold to serve as a combat pilot during World War II. Sarah plays famed gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, revealing a more caring side of the woman known as a “dragon.”
Here, Sarah opens up about bringing the characters to life, finding strength in life’s hardest moments and how faith and gratitude can see us through anything.
Woman’s World: What made you want to be part of a movie like ‘Jimmy’?’
Sarah Drew: I said yes to [director] Aaron Burns on the phone before even reading the script because I knew it was going to be a beautiful experience working with him again, and I love Jimmy Stewart. I wasn’t familiar with Hedda Hopper, but when he described how complicated she was, I got really excited. I love that era too. Then I read the script and fell completely in love with the story. It’s a very moving journey through this man questioning his identity: How do you serve in this life? What is the legacy you’ll leave behind? And really, him struggling with the masks he wears as an actor and whether storytelling is enough to make your life worth something. That struggle is something I know something about as an actor whose life’s work and passion is also storytelling.
WW: What surprised you most about playing Hedda Hopper?
SD: A lot of it was getting into her voice because she has a very specific voice and this Transatlantic accent. There are tons of recordings of her. She’s sort of the original influencer, so she’d do anything for a story. But at the end of the day, she has a real tenderness for Jimmy. There was also a sense of, “I want things to go well for you. I care about you. You’re my friend.” So it was fun to become her.
WW: Does Old Hollywood’s culture feel familiar today?
SD: I don’t feel like much has changed. I have been the victim of clickbait headlines more times than I care to admit. People want views more than anything else, and they’ll take a little snippet, even though that’s not remotely what the article is about, just to get people. Drama sells, and negativity often sells better than things that are positive. Hedda was one of the first to really make a name for herself by grabbing the scoops and throwing them out there for the world to see. It’s sort of savage out there still in that regard. So it feels very relevant.
WW: You and Jimmy Stewart share a strong faith—how does that inform your life and work?
SD: It comes down to how I show up in the places that I show up. When I choose a story to tell, I go through a process in my mind of, “Is this a story that has some redemptive or hopeful quality to it? Is this going to make somebody think about something in a bigger and deeper way?” That always informs the choices that I make. Then once I’m on the job, I want to be full of gratitude and joy and lead with love. The deepest place of who I am is my faith. My faith is the thing that keeps me grounded. I love storytelling. I love being an actor. But it’s not my only identity. And I know that if all of this were to go away tomorrow, I would be okay because I would know that I’m beloved and I belong. I’m a wife, a friend and a mom. I’m a child of God.
WW: Did making this movie change how you view difficult seasons in life?
SD: It confirmed something that I’ve always believed. I am a big believer in holding pain and hope together in your heart. And it can be done. There’s so much beauty that comes in the midst of pain. The pain and the struggle in life is the one place where we grow. It’s how we expand our hearts. It makes us more empathetic and makes us resilient and aware of what we’re capable of, so that we can walk into the next situation knowing, “I am strong, and I am grounded, and I am rooted, and I can get through this. And I have hope, like relentless hope.” This movie encapsulates this driving force in my life: You’re holding pain, and if you’re holding hope, you’re finding the gold in the midst of the pain.
WW: If you could ask Jimmy Stewart one question, what would it be?
SD: I would love for him to tell me what the engine is that drives his life. What is the thing that makes him the most excited, that moves him toward the decisions that he makes and helps him decide what direction to go? What’s that engine? That’s what I want to ask.
WW: What are your Thanksgiving traditions?
SD: We always have a West Coast Thanksgiving, and it’s very sweet. My sister-in-law lives at the beach, and we all pile in there and cook all day and play games. We’re a big game-playing family, and we just spend the whole day together. It’s always a really fun family time. My favorite dish is corn pudding, and it’s a recipe that I think my mother-in-law made one year, and we’ve had to have it every year since. It’s so good! I once made a pumpkin bread pudding for a Friendsgiving that I need to resurrect because that was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had.
WW: What are you most grateful for this year?
SD: This year is a big year for my son because he just started high school. School has been touch and go in terms of the right fit for him, but he’s found a school that brings him so much joy. He is exuberantly excited every time we drop him off. He’s got so many friends that he really connects with. He’s learning in a way that feels right for his brain. I feel like that has been a big heaviness through many years, trying to find this place. I am so grateful for it.
WW: What can we expect from Emily in Season 3 of ‘Mistletoe Murders’?
SD: We thought she was starting her new life, and all of a sudden, she slammed back into her past. I’m excited for the audience to see it. We have some really fun, bigger set pieces, including a big ice-skating episode with professional ice skaters doing routines. Our final two episodes pull characters in from past seasons, so the mystery is really interconnected, and we have a pretty epic cliffhanger at the end of Season 3. You’re going to get more of Emily’s past, more flashbacks. The relationship with Sam is getting juicier and more delightful. There are more complications with Violet, and I have probably my favorite scene of the whole season with her, which is very beautiful, tender and honest. We see Emily make some pretty big life decisions this season, so it’s going to be a lot of fun. More of what everybody loves, but really digging in deeper.
Save $5 on Jimmy tickets! Woman’s World readers can get $5 off their movie tickets with code JIMMY5 when you purchase through Fandango. Just enter the code at checkout to redeem the offer. Available while supplies last.
A version of this article originally appeared in the November 16, 2026 print issue of Woman’s World.
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