Love of Your Life director Rachel Morrison on casting Qualley and the film's
Director Rachel Morrison discusses casting Margaret Qualley and choosing a non-obvious ending for her second feature Love of Your Life.
The film follows Maya, a nurse in Boston who meets charming Charlie and builds a life together until the COVID-19 pandemic tears them apart. Maya travels to Portugal, London, and Japan before an unexpected romance forces her to confront her past.
Morrison, a cinematographer nominated for an Oscar for Mudbound, made her directorial debut two years ago and was drawn to the script because female characters are layered and flawed rather than reduced to plot devices.
Morrison cast Qualley after realising they both wanted to make the same film. Qualley's range would shine in a relatable, grounded performance.
Morrison insisted on shooting in real locations across four cities rather than soundstages, an unusual choice in modern filmmaking. The director gave each male character distinct chemistry with Qualley.
Gabriel Basso brought kinetic energy, Aaron Pierre brought stoicism, and Patrick Schwarzenegger brought a different quality as her best friend.
- Love of Your Life on Prime Video
- Film
- Two years ago with The Fire Inside
- Director's debut
- Julia Cox
- Script writer
- Boston, Portugal, London, Japan
- Shooting locations
Why it mattersA thoughtful look at how a director shapes casting, location, and story choices to avoid cliche and serve character depth over plot convenience.
AustraliaThe film is streaming on Prime Video, available to Australian viewers now.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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