‘The College Admissions Scandal’s Penelope Ann Miller on Caroline’s Guilt

THE COLLEGE ADMISSION SCANDAL
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Lifetime
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Once the story broke that famous actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman (recently sentenced to 14 days in prison and a $30,000 fine) were among a group of wealthy folks spending big bucks in a fraudulent scheme to get their kids into prestigious colleges, a ripped-from-the-headlines Lifetime movie was all but guaranteed.

In The College Admissions Scandal‘s retelling, Penelope Ann Miller (above) and Mia Kirshner play fictional composites — interior designer Caroline and financial services exec Bethany, respectively — who hire Rick Singer (Michael Shanks), the now-indicted real-life consultant, to win admission for their offspring.

“Caroline [loosely based on Huffman] has more guilt about it,” says Miller, “but Bethany is very ambitious and not thinking about the consequences.”

Miller, whose own daughter is taking a gap year, grew up in Brentwood, the L.A. neighborhood where the film is set.

“I never heard of this when I was young, but I’ve recently seen the intense pressure of getting into [top] colleges,” she says. For research, she listened to a podcast based on the Singer wiretaps. “He said he’s worked with over 700 families! I hope this is a watershed moment for the country. We’ve got to stop this.”

The College Admissions Scandal, Movie Premiere, Saturday, October 12, 8/7c, Lifetime