It’s not at all uncommon to see book authors make a quick cameo in the movie adaptation of their work, and “It Ends With Us” follows in that grand tradition. It’s a quick moment, but yes, author Colleen Hoover can be spotted on screen.
Adapted from Hoover’s 2016 book of the same name, “It Ends With Us” tells the story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a florist who’s just opened her own flower shop in Boston. When she meets handsome neurosurgeon Ryle (Justin Baldoni, who also directs the Sony film), sparks quickly start flying.
But, as their relationship develops, it becomes clear that Ryle is abusive — a stark realization for Lily, whose own mother was abused by her father. Lily is determined to believe it’s not the same situation though, desperately clinging to the idea that her injuries at Ryle’s hands were accidents, and that he’s not actually abusing her.
Things don’t get bad all at once though. In fact, Ryle and Lily’s relationship starts with a bit of a cat-and-mouse dynamic, with Lily finally giving in to how much she likes Ryle at his sister Allysa’s (Jenny Slate) birthday party. And that party is where you’ll spot Hoover.
She doesn’t have any lines, but you can see her as one of the party guests. You can also spot her walking out of Lily Bloom’s at one point, if you watch closely. But apparently, the former was a bit traumatizing.
In an interview with TODAY this week, Hoover admitted with a laugh that filming that party cameo was the “worst day of my life.”
“No, I am not kidding!” she said. “I was literally on camera for like, a few seconds, right? It took 10-14 hours to film the party scene that day. I had no idea what it took to act. Just a whole new level of respect for everyone in this industry.”
“It Ends With Us” is now in theaters.
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