Killer Thriller: Nancy Travis: Taken from Their Bed by Someone They Knew And Hidden Where No One Would Find Them

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Killer Thriller – Nancy Travis: Taken from Their Bed by Someone They Knew And Hidden Where No One Would Find Them

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Elisa Donovan
Guest: Nancy Travis
Date: April 5, 2026
Episode Length: ~40 minutes

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Episode Overview

This episode of Killer Thriller features acclaimed actress Nancy Travis, who discusses her latest role as Connie Van Oosten in the Lifetime movie Rescued by Faith: The Connie and Larry Van Oosten Story. The conversation, hosted by Elisa Donovan, delves into the harrowing true events that inspired the film: a rural couple abducted in their own home, held for ransom by someone they knew and trusted, and their extraordinary reliance on faith to survive. The dialogue explores the emotional and psychological landscape of victimization, the shock of betrayal by a familiar face, and the complexities of portraying trauma onscreen.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Initial Reaction to the Real Story

• Setting and Context: Ordinary couple, Connie and Larry, living in a rural, close-knit community, targeted in a violent and premeditated home invasion.
• Emotional Impact: Focus on the horror of being victimized in a place of presumed safety.
• Quote:

  "The most shocking thing to me about this whole story is that it could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us."
  — Nancy Travis (04:57)

2. The Crime: Intensity Despite Short Duration

• Details of Abduction: Masked gunman enters their bedroom, husband is tased and handcuffed, both are blindfolded and transported to a hidden room, threatened with death if non-compliant.
• Psychological Toll: Though the captivity lasted only a couple of days, deprivation of time, light, and information made the ordeal feel endless.
• Desperation and Motivation: The perpetrator’s financial desperation as a driving force behind the crime.
• Quote:

  "We’re not even talking about a lot of money here."
  — Nancy Travis (05:31)

3. Betrayal and Recognition

• Victim-Kidnapper Relationship: The abductor is someone they know from church and life, adding layers of betrayal and psychological trauma.
• Pivotal Film Scene: In the film, Connie recognizes the kidnapper’s real voice when a voice modulator accidentally drops. This realization is both terrifying and oddly grounding—she now knows the truth and can strategize.
• Quote:

  "She realizes who it is, and it sort of levels the playing field in a way...I know you from church, I know you from my faith-based community, and you’re messing with me using my God."
  — Nancy Travis (09:44)

4. The Role of Faith

• Faith as Resilience: The central theme of the movie and real event—the couple’s unwavering faith carries and sustains them through unimaginable horror.
• Narrative Focus: Faith is the source of both solace and strength, enabling survival even in the face of death.
• Quote:

  "When you have a deep-rooted faith, whether it’s God or whatever, then you’re really never alone...even if they were to die, they would not have died alone."
  — Nancy Travis (11:39)

5. Themes of Forgiveness and Evil

• Christian Doctrine and Challenge: Wrestling with the idea of forgiving someone who caused such harm—key both in real life and in portraying Connie.
• The Kidnapper’s Manipulation: Even after his conviction, the perpetrator impersonated a woman from prison, writing letters in a bid for forgiveness and a reduced sentence.
• Quote:

  "He impersonates somebody to communicate with them to try to get them to forgive him...the level of depravity is confounding."
  — Nancy Travis (14:48)

6. Portrayal vs. Reality

• Artistic License in Storytelling: Changes made for dramatic effect in the film (e.g., the moment of voice recognition, omission of scenes where victims’ eyes were taped for practical reasons).
• Truth and Empathy: Both women agree that stories have more healing power than statistics and that trauma expression helps others understand and heal.
• Quote:

  "There’s a very clear line to me between sensationalizing things and actually telling stories that heal people."
  — Elisa Donovan (23:33)

7. Character Dynamics

• Connie and Larry's Relationship: Traditionally, Larry protects Connie, but in the crisis, Connie’s faith and creativity (dropping clues) are crucial to their rescue.
• Larry’s Physical Condition: His asthma becomes a narrative device that undermines expectations of physical heroism.
• Quote:

  "In terms of story, what you are led to believe in the very beginning ends up being not what it is at all."
  — Nancy Travis (21:25)

8. Aftermath and Psychological Recovery

• Resilience: Despite their trauma, the Van Oostens chose to stay in their home and sought healing through sharing their story.
• Universality of Suffering: Every individual faces hardship; their ordeal is one of many possible challenges life offers.
• Quote:

  "It's all in how you deal with it...they would say the best way for them to deal with it is to just double down on your faith."
  — Nancy Travis (31:35)

9. Societal and Human Questions

• Threshold of Desperation: What causes someone to cross from ordinary life into monstrous acts, even for a relatively small sum of money?
• Victim-Perpetrator Relationship: The blurred lines between friend and foe, the unpredictability of betrayal by those we trust.
• Quote:

  "Where’s the threshold? ...What is the threshold that makes you go from being a church-going family guy to somebody who is basically a monster?"
  — Nancy Travis (26:14)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Nancy Travis on evil and forgiveness:

  "It's so evil what he's done to them that she, she's not sure she can forgive him. And for him, I think he is counting on forgiveness because that’s his salvation." (13:44)

• On the chilling reality:

  "The most chilling part of the whole experience for her was when he looked at them and said, ‘Where is your God now?’" (34:07)

• On trauma and recovery:

  "With any trauma in life, there’s probably not a day they don’t think about it." (22:56)

• On storytelling as healing:

  "What we have, what we're left with, are our stories." (24:09)

• Message to listeners:

  "Nobody’s immune to anything...We all have hardship, and this happened to be our cross to bear." (30:33)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:03] – Introduction to the case and film
• [04:57] – Nancy Travis’ thoughts on the real-life case
• [08:29] – Betrayal by someone known/trusted
• [09:03] – Playing the moment of realization onscreen
• [11:39] – Faith as central to survival
• [14:31] – The perpetrator’s post-conviction manipulation
• [19:24] – The dynamic between Connie and Larry
• [21:25] – Larry’s illness and reversal of expected roles
• [23:16] – Recovery and resilience; staying in their home
• [24:09] – Stories as tools for healing
• [26:14] – Exploring what drives someone to commit such a crime
• [30:33] – Universality of suffering; audience takeaway
• [32:20] – Artistic license in adapting real events
• [34:07] – The most chilling moment: “Where is your God now?”

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Tone and Language

• The conversation is reflective, respectful, and filled with empathy—both host and guest honor the survivors’ trauma and resilience.
• Nancy Travis thoughtfully dissects the challenge of portraying real-life trauma, merging professional insight with genuine compassion.
• Emphasis is placed on the healing power of storytelling and the universal vulnerability to hardship.

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Final Thoughts

Rescued by Faith offers not just a suspenseful retelling of a horrifying event but explores deeper themes of trust, the unpredictable nature of evil, and the strength that faith and storytelling can provide. Nancy Travis’s thoughtful reflections and personal conversations with Connie Van Oosten add dimension and authenticity to the episode, delivering a nuanced look at survival, forgiveness, and the extraordinary power of the human spirit.

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Transcript

[Elisa Donovan]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Nancy Travis]

Guaranteed human.

[Sophia Bush]

This is Sophia Bush from Work in Progress with Sophia Bush Bring the Good with Avocados from Mexico Upgrade your meals, your get togethers, even your everyday life. Give your moments a little glow up. Be the one everyone's glad showed up because avocados from Mexico spark the joy with every bite. And by the way, they're good for you too. So elevate your everyday. Bring the good flavor. So rich and craveable.

[Nancy Travis]

Avocados from Mexico. Always good.

[Public Investing Ad]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc, SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets Interactive Analysis Tool Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Bethenny Frankel]

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Amy Robach and T.J. holmes present killer

[Nancy Travis]

Thriller with your host, host Elisa Donovan.

[Elisa Donovan]

Hey, everyone, Elisa Donovan here. And this is Killer Thriller. Today's story starts in a place that feels completely safe. A quiet town, a close community, a couple who knew all the people around them. They went to church, lived their lives, and never imagined they were being watched. Until one night they wake up to a masked gunman standing at the foot of their bed. They are taken from their home, locked in a hidden, hidden room, and told that if they don't do exactly what he says, they and their family will be killed. This isn't a random crime. This is someone who knew them, someone who had been planning this for over a year. And what unfolds is a fight for survival. Today I am joined by Nancy Travis, who stars as Connie Van Oosten in Rescued by Faith, the Connie and Larry Van Houston Story. Nancy, thank you so much for being here today with me.

[Nancy Travis]

Oh, my pleasure. I'm so happy to chat with you.

[Elisa Donovan]

So I just watched this movie and first of all, you're terrific in it. And we obviously cover on this podcast a lot of very traumatic, difficult cases and situations, and oftentimes they're very long lead, like they go on for a long time. So sort of at first glance, this feels like, because it's such shorter amount of time, these people were terrorized that it's like, oh, it's not so bad, but it's really awful. Like these people, it's a, it's an incredibly violent, emotionally violent thing to go through. So what. Because it's, you know, you're in your own home. So what aspect of it really struck you the most initially when you read about this case?

[Nancy Travis]

I think, I mean, the thing that struck me the most is that these two people lived in a very rural place and were just going about their business. And they weren't terribly wealthy people. They weren't, they were good people. I mean, they, they were elders in a church community and somebody came into their home and fairly violently abducted them, pulled them out of their beds. This woman, Connie, her husband Larry, was tased with a taser and handcuffed, put into the trunk of a car, driven to a blindfolded driven to some undisclosed place and put in a dungeon, basically, and held there. And it's interesting that it was that you, you know, you start with saying that it wasn't really for an extended period of time. I think it was two days or something, were held, but they were in. In. In a. There were no windows, there was no clock. There was no way for them to know how long they were there. And it felt interminable. And I think the. The most shocking thing to me about this whole story is that it could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. And. And also, at the end of the day, the. The lengths that someone will go to a desperate person to. To get money for. For ransom. And. And we're not even talking about a lot of money here.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yeah. It really does speak to how extreme his circumstances were. And, you know, like, it's so just speaking, like, culturally and how do you take care of your family? And is it like this idea that if you don't have X, Y and Z, you aren't a successful human? Like, it's just so complicated to me that somebody could go to that extreme of desperation. Yeah.

[Nancy Travis]

And it's so premeditated as well. And there's. There's, I think, an element of vindictiveness to it as well.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yeah. That he was apparently sort of pitching, which they show in the. In the film, that he is pitching to them his new business of, you know, his financial business. So he planned.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

Real estate plan. So he was privy to some of their financial records. Which, again, is like, you know, these people lived their entire lives feeling safe and as if they were kind of exempt from anything like this. Right.

[Nancy Travis]

And I think it is. I mean, it ends up being someone that they. They knew. And it just also hearkened back to. I thought. I thought. Yeah. Abuse also just ends up being someone that, you know, or somebody in the home or somebody. It's not necessarily the stranger. And like, we live our lives so afraid of the stranger. What stranger is lurking? That sometimes it's somebody you know very, very well.

[Elisa Donovan]

Oh, that's the part that, to me, is particularly disturbing. That it was so methodical and so premeditated that. And that the. The moment when it's essentially the. The voice, the alter.

[Nancy Travis]

The modulator thing. Yes.

[Elisa Donovan]

Falls off and she recognizes his voice. I mean, that. What do you think psychologically that does to a person, to this woman? Like, I don't know how you go back to feeling safe, you know.

[Nancy Travis]

Right. I mean, I. I Think and it's interesting because that was a hard moment to play in this movie because I think it's a confluence of emotions that the shock, the realization and the utter shock that somebody that you know this well would do something so barbaric to you, so, so, so inherently evil that, that, and I think particularly for this woman who is a religious woman, just that the, this is the face of evil, the end. And at the same time there is

[Elisa Donovan]

a,

[Nancy Travis]

I mean comfort is the wrong word, but there, there is a lessening of her fear because she, she knows who this person is. I mean this, she's been told, this couple, Connie and Larry have been told that it's part of a bigger thing, that it's a cartel, that that whole family is going to get killed. I mean it's, it's, it's a whole thing that they are trying to parse and reckon with. And, and then when she realizes who it is sort of levels the playing field in a way. So I get it. It's you and me and this is what you're after and, and that's what this is. And, and I know you from church, I know you from my faith based community and you're working, you're messing with me using my God. And I know that that is the seat of where you live too. So in an interesting way now. And I don't know that it's that overt. She can use that as her strength, as a weapon to try to, you know, maybe, maybe get out of the situation.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yeah, it felt almost like in, in that, that scene, it is, it was, you played it beautifully and it is so complicated, but you can see that she has this moment of almost like a motherly feeling. Like what, you know, it's very,

[Nancy Travis]

just

[Elisa Donovan]

familial in some way. And that is a complex, you know, a complex thing to, to play for. Sure.

[Nancy Travis]

I want to say one more thing too. I think, and I think this is the, the reason why this story is called Rescued by Faith. And certainly the, the message that these two people want the world to know is that when you, when you have a deep rooted faith, whether it's God or whatever, then you're really never alone. There is a comfort in that and a solace. And I think for these two people it wasn't necessarily that they were rescued. I mean they were rescued literally. But even if they were to die, they would not have died alone, if that makes sense. Yes. Had this conviction and this faith that carried them and sustained them. And part of that sort of sympathy and weapon that she uses against him is that you don't. I have this. So whatever becomes of me, I'm okay with it. And I am part of a bigger plan and I am in the, in the arms of this greater power. But you have nothing. You're the one who's lost. And that is a much more frightening position to be in.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yes.

[Nancy Travis]

Than my position.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right. That is a very powerful moment in the film where she is very brave to say. I mean, I suppose I'm saying it's brave, but I, you know, she is, to your point. So she has such a belief and such a faith that it doesn't, it doesn't matter what happens. I think she said you say something like, I, I, like I hate you for doing this, but I'll forgive you. Or something to that effect.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah. And I can't remember if they kept it in that she'll try to forgive him.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yes.

[Nancy Travis]

And that's also an interesting, a revelatory thing because a lot of Christianity is about forgiveness. You know, forgive the people that do you wrong, forgive. And, and that's a big thing. But she, she, it's so evil what he's done to them that she, she, she's not sure she can forgive him. And for him, I think he is counting on forgiveness because that's his salvation. And, and what plays out after this movie ends that that goes on is. I mean, this man goes to jail and, and he's still in jail and he, he impersonates somebody to communicate with them to try to get them to forgive him.

[Elisa Donovan]

You're kidding. Wait, what?

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He has, he pretends to be somebody else. He pretends to be some woman that is just a good Samaritan that, that is part of a church that goes to visit him. He pretends all this. Oh my gosh, from prison.

[Elisa Donovan]

He does this.

[Nancy Travis]

Yes. And writes these letters to this couple to try to get them to forgive him and then he could get out on a lesser sentence. I mean. Yeah, I mean, the level of depravity is, is confounding it. Really.

[Elisa Donovan]

Do you think that's why I read that he was convicted for. To sentenced to 60 years or something. Which comparison. Some of the cases that we've talked about on this show, like they've been extreme, extremely abusive and violent and like I said, for a longer lengths and they've gotten such a lesser sentence. So I wonder, is that a part of it that they knew he was even?

[Nancy Travis]

I, I don't know. I mean, there's got to be I I don't know what the, what the law is in terms of if you kidnap somebody and hold them for ransom and threaten their lives. Like what the. You know, what what it is. I mean, there must be a premeditation element to it.

[Bethenny Frankel]

Yes.

[Elisa Donovan]

Oh, for sure.

[Nancy Travis]

Worse. Through this whole thing, I mean, we, Savannah Guthrie's mother was. Was. We. We don't know what happened to her. And I couldn't stop thinking about that.

[Sophia Bush]

This is Sophia Bush from Work in Progress with Sophia Bush. Bring the Good with Avocados from Mexico Upgrade your meals, your get togethers, even your everyday life. Give your moments a little glow up, Be the one everyone's glad showed up because avocados from Mexico spark the joy with every bite. And by the way, they're good for you too. So elevate your everyday. Bring the good flavor. So rich and craveable.

[Nancy Travis]

Avocados from Mexico. Always good

[Public Investing Ad]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screenshot thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC and SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Bethenny Frankel]

is Bethany Frankel from Just Be with Bethany Frankel. Most dog food is marketing, not nutrition. That is why Biggie and Smalls eat just food for dogs. Real 100% human grade food with ingredients I actually recognize. And yes, I do see the difference. Better digestion, healthier skin, more energy. Dogs that feel better. My babies, if you've been on the fence about switching, stop overthinking it. What's more important than your furry babies and their health? Go to justfoodfordogs.com right now and get 50% off your first box. No code needed. Just try it.

[Bowen Yang]

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[Elisa Donovan]

When were you guys shooting this?

[Nancy Travis]

We filmed it in the beginning of December.

[Elisa Donovan]

Oh, wow. Right, okay.

[Nancy Travis]

And I think that happened after that and we don't know what's happened but, but I couldn't help but recognize parallels.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right, of course, yeah, yeah. In the film, they, they. It seems that it keeps coming back to this dynamic between Connie and Larry where Larry's always protecting her. Like that's kind of the, the, the dynamic of the two of them. What did you make of that? And why do you think they kept coming back to that? Because ultimately she's the one that makes the, the, the choice. She makes the move that actually leads to their right, you know, being rescued.

[Nancy Travis]

I think that, that, I mean, you're right, that's the dynamic of their relationship. But wasn't the thing, wasn't the thing that was going to save them and wasn't even, I think Connie would say it wasn't even her ingenuity. She, she would say that it was divine inspiration that, that led her to drop the clues that she left. So I guess it was also, and, and Larry, her husband is a man who has asthma. So as he's this strong guy and he was also the person, because he was such a big strong guy that was intimidating to the kidnapper because if he, if he released his handcuffs or let him near him, then he knew that, that he would be found out and he could be over overwhelmed and overtaken by Larry the husband.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right.

[Nancy Travis]

So it's interesting because he starts as this formidable man, Larry the husband, and then his illness kind of diminishes him and, and doesn't really make it a factor in any of it, in any of the kidnapping. So, so I guess in terms of story, what, what you, you are led to believe in the very beginning ends up being not, not what it is at all.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right. Doesn't wind up helping at all.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or just isn't. I mean, they think that it's some organized terrorist cartel that's kidnapped them for all of their money, which ends up being a couple hundred thousand.

[Elisa Donovan]

A couple hundred thousand?

[Nancy Travis]

Like, what are we talking about? It just, it's insane.

[Elisa Donovan]

Well, it does seem so bizarre also that he is asking for a check. Like, I couldn't get past that as an idea that, I mean, it's the most traceable thing.

[Nancy Travis]

Right. Just it. Right. It's so the, the, the. And I guess it also, for as, as much as it was planned and, and organized, I mean, I, the, the work of a desperate person who's just grabbing. She's grabbing at straws. A truly a lost person who's trying to craft something and, and, you know, full of holes.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yep.

[Nancy Travis]

Yep.

[Elisa Donovan]

And it's still, you know, how do you, it's such a, you know, how do you come back to being in your house and feeling safe again? Like, that piece of it, to me is so disturbing because, like, to your point, you said in the beginning that how, you know, it could happen to anyone quite.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

Literally. It's, it's really, I don't know.

[Nancy Travis]

And they, in the van, Houston, stayed in their home. They went back and they stayed.

[Elisa Donovan]

They did.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah, they did. I, I, I don't know that it's like, with any trauma in life, there's probably not a day they don't think about it and there' probably not a day that Connie doesn't look over her shoulder and they, they live with that.

[Elisa Donovan]

Were you able to speak with either of them or did you?

[Nancy Travis]

I did. I spoke with Connie. Yeah. And she was extremely great and forthcoming and, and they, you know, I think a lot of their solace and their healing comes from telling their story. Yep, Yep.

[Elisa Donovan]

I think that's so true. In so much of. I talk about that with people on this podcast, how it's, you know, there's this a very clear line to me between sensationalizing things and actually telling stories that heal people. Like, Elizabeth Smart has said that the reason that she has, that she made that movie, I'm Elizabeth Smart, is people can understand things and have empathy through story, more so than they can through, you know, statistics or an article about something, you know. So I do think the healing is

[Nancy Travis]

important at the end of the day, as we move into this age of AI and we're, we're all afraid of what, what does that mean? And what happens to humanness, what we have what we're left with are our stories. And, and that's why, you know, Lifetime does such a great job of just telling these real life stories and people are glued to them because it's, it's, it's human experience and it is that it is, it's not the magnificent. It's, it's. This could be you or me. And, and people watch that and they think, oh my God. And how would I, what would I do? What if it was, how would I deal with that? And, and, and I've watched them. I've watched, you know, YouTubes of their, their lecture and their story. It's like a, it's like a, a TED Talk. And they don't, they don't proselytize. They just say, this is what happened to us and this is what we learned from it. And, and this is what we want to share. And they, they tell it in a very kind of, just sort of step by step. This is what we knew, this is what we didn't know. This is, this is what we drew from it.

[Elisa Donovan]

And they, they. He talks about his family. What is, do we know what is, what are the, the, what's the situation with his family? Does he married, kids?

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah. So I think we had to sort of legally dance around that. Yeah. Know that he was married and had kids and that's, that's really all we know.

[Elisa Donovan]

Okay.

[Nancy Travis]

And I know in the filmmaking we couldn't use names. We couldn't show depiction, you know, with an actor or.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right.

[Nancy Travis]

Or children.

[Elisa Donovan]

Is that because of his case ongoing or something or.

[Nancy Travis]

I think so. I think it was. Maybe it's a protection thing. I don't know.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right, right. I mean. Oh my gosh. I can't imagine the other side of that if you finding out your husband has been doing that.

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah. But, but again, I think it just, and, and it begs the question, like what. Where's the threshold? I mean, here's this guy was a family man, kids, and ran out of money, like was in trouble financially. So what is the threshold that. That makes you go from being a church going family guy to somebody who is basically a monster?

[Elisa Donovan]

Right, right.

[Nancy Travis]

Over a couple hundred thousand dollars.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right, Right. So this is, I'm so curious about these things. Like, is this, how do we get from A to Z like that, you know? And is it. What does it say about human nature? Or what does it say about his snap?

[Nancy Travis]

Yeah. And it, and again, it's, it was a premeditated snap. It wasn't even like that this guy said this is going to be the answer to my problems. This isn't. It's going to be okay. It'll be smooth and easy. They'll never know it's me and I'll just boom, boom, boom. This will be over in a couple hours.

[Elisa Donovan]

And I mean, it's crazy.

[Nancy Travis]

It's crazy.

[Sophia Bush]

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[Nancy Travis]

Avocados from Mexico. Always good.

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[Bethenny Frankel]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Elisa Donovan]

If somebody is watching this and thinking, you know, oh, this could never happen to me, what would you say to them?

[Nancy Travis]

I think that we're all walking through life and, and we're all human beings. Nobody's immune to anything. Not that. Not that one would wish this on anybody, but. But I think the point of what Connie and Larry try to say in their, in their talks is that we all have hardship, and this happened to be our, you know, no pun intended, but cross to bear. This was our hardship. But, but they even say in the story like they had other hardships. Like they, I think Larry had cancer and, or maybe, you know, they had things. And if they just look at it like that this was something that just happened to us. But. And it's no, no more, no less than. Than somebody else going through a time like the loss of a loved one or, you know, dealing with an illness or, or, or financial ruin or losing your house or whatever it is.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right, Right.

[Nancy Travis]

And it's all in how you deal with it. And, and again, they would say that the best way for them to deal with it is to just double down on your faith and know that even. Even though it may be the darkest of times, you'll be delivered one way or another, regardless of the outcome.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right. I mean, that's a pretty beautiful message, to be clear. I'm sure they, or I hope. Do you know what they think of the movie? Have they seen it? Have they?

[Nancy Travis]

I. Yeah, the producer told me they saw it and they. They liked it. They really liked it. And it does. You know, there's. There are certain storytelling liberties that we take. Yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

Do you know what? I read that the one thing that I knew that they were actually, when they were sequestered down there, that there was duct tape over their eyes. Is that right? But they chose not to do that in the movie. Do you know why?

[Nancy Travis]

Makeup.

[Elisa Donovan]

I knew it was something I was like, you know, or it's that lifetime needs to see Nancy's face, like, a certain percentage of the time because my

[Nancy Travis]

Connie wears fake lashes and would just rip those things right off.

[Elisa Donovan]

Right off. Makeup was like, no way.

[Nancy Travis]

I also think they never. They didn't find out who it was until after the fact, until after they were rescued. So that whole moment of realizing it's him, I think. Oh, yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

Wait, so she didn't. That didn't happen. That was artistic license.

[Nancy Travis]

Wow. Yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

That's a big one.

[Nancy Travis]

That's a big one. That's a big one. I mean, I don't. I don't think it changes how they behaved or what they believed or how they tried to let the outside world know what was happening. I mean, I. I think she still went into the bank and left a message and that kind of thing, but. But I know for me as an actress, once my character realizes it's him there, it's a turning point.

[Elisa Donovan]

Oh, yeah.

[Nancy Travis]

Story. So, Yeah.

[Elisa Donovan]

I mean, it changes how you. It changes everything.

[Nancy Travis]

Yes.

[Elisa Donovan]

I mean, that really is. So you. You couldn't even ask her, like, what did you feel when you had. Like, you really had to ask for

[Nancy Travis]

things, like if you. So, for example, also, I said, if, you know now, in retrospect, if you could have said anything to him. And she did tell me. Connie told me the most chilling part of the whole experience for her was when he looked at them and looked at her and said, where is your God now? And she knew at that moment that she was looking into the face of evil, into the eyes of evil. Like, that was the most chilling thing to her. And. And in our conversation, I said, well, what if you could have said anything to him, what would it be? And it. And so that a lot of that one scene where she's talking to him and she says, you're really. You're purely evil, and where is your God now? Came out of that conversation.

[Elisa Donovan]

Oh, it did. Yeah.

[Nancy Travis]

And also in the. In the moment with grandchild Emma at the end.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yes. Yes.

[Nancy Travis]

I said, if you could say anything to her, what. What would it be? What would. What is.

[Elisa Donovan]

Is.

[Nancy Travis]

What is the. The. The message that you would give to her? And it was that she said, it's that it's that you're not alone, no matter what. And. And. And she. Connie maintained. She says, we're not special. This. We're not. This. Because this happened to us. We're not special. We're just like anybody else.

[Sophia Bush]

Wow.

[Elisa Donovan]

I mean, that is a great. It's a great message all around, for sure. Well, this has been such a pleasure. You're just such a lovely person and I've always been a big fan and you're. I, I also, I'm curious. You're such a, you're just known for so many amazing comedies. So do you feel like the opposite? You know, a lot of people who do dark projects are always like, so I needed to do a sitcom, you know, but do you feel the reverse? Like I needed to get in there and be.

[Nancy Travis]

No, honestly, I feel like it's all the same thing. So it's not comedy versus darkness. I mean, I think it's all just in the storytelling and, and, and trying to be as truthful as you can in, in the storytelling, whether it's a comedy or a drama or a suspense or, or whatever it is and just keep, you know, burrowing that down and you know, and then also, I mean, not to be too what it is also still entertainment. So you're still trying to figure out how to entertain. Yeah, that's what I do.

[Elisa Donovan]

Yep. Well, you're excelling at it.

[Nancy Travis]

Well, thank you. Yeah. But if you have a comedy, send it my way.

[Elisa Donovan]

I will, I will. So rescued by fate, the Connie and Larry Van Oosten story is on Lifetime and you can watch it now. And thank you so much, Nancy. It was really a pleasure talking with you.

[Nancy Travis]

Oh, gosh. Likewise.

[Sophia Bush]

This is Sophia Bush from work in progress with Sophia Bush. Bring the good with avocados from Mexico. Upgrade your meals, your get togethers, even your everyday life. Give your moments a little glow up. Be the one everyone's glad showed up up. Because avocados from Mexico spark the joy with every bite. And by the way, they're good for you too. So elevate your everyday. Bring the good flavor. So rich and craveable.

[Nancy Travis]

Avocados from Mexico, always good.

[Bethenny Frankel]

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[Bowen Yang]

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[Elisa Donovan]

This is an I heart podcast.

[Nancy Travis]

Guaranteed human.