‘Holy Spirit Just Overcame Me’: Behind the Scenes on ‘Unplanned’

Unplanned star Ashley Bratcher has been vocal about her pro-life views in the wake of the movie’s success, taking to social media to weigh in on the abortion debate. Bratcher, who plays real-life abortion clinic worker-turned pro-life activist Abby Johnson, recently revealed some of the on-set Unplanned prayer moments that she believes deeply inspired the cast and crew.

One of the most powerful scenes in Unplanned—a film currently showing in theaters across America—comes when Bratcher portrays the moment Johnson experienced complications from taking an abortion pill. The actress recently told PureFlix.com‘s “Pure Talk” that the scene was the “most difficult” to perform—but that prayer made a massive impact.

“I have never felt closer to God than I did on that set,” she said. “It was so anointed.”

Watch Bratcher reveal the stunning impact of prayer:

Bratcher said she went on set before filming the scene to get a feel for the room, and that’s when she experienced something truly powerful.

“I walk into the set, and when I did, the presence of the Holy Spirit just overcame me,” Bratcher said. “I wanted to just fall to my knees in that moment and cry. It was so overwhelming. I had no idea that the team had been praying over that set.”

Then, when it came time to film the immensely emotional scene, prayer once again took form.

“It was the most difficult scene to film, and what I didn’t know is that our prayer team, other crew, cast members were standing on the outside of the wall with their hands on the wall, praying the entire time,” Bratcher said.

The actress also shared the journey she took toward playing Johnson, noting that she didn’t know much about the pro-life activist before agreeing to the role.

Listen to Johnson reveal why she fled Planned Parenthood:

“I looked her up, and when I heard her real testimony, that was when I was floored,” she said. “I was blown away.”

But it wasn’t only Johnson’s testimony that shocked Bratcher; it was also the realities of abortion. Before taking the role, the actress admitted that she was “blind” and didn’t know what an abortion procedure entailed.

“I think most of America really doesn’t know what it looks like, and that’s why people are so on the fence, and that’s how I was,” she said. “And watching [Abby Johnson] transform throughout the script was the most beautiful thing.”

Bratcher was also dealt another surprise when she called her mother to tell her about her decision to take the role. After Bratcher explained the plot, her mom started crying and revealed something that she had never shared with Bratcher before: She almost aborted the actress, but changed her mind at the last minute and left the clinic.

Bratcher, who became emotional while discussing the story, believes God had a profound purpose for her life.

“It just proves to me that God is so great, and He really did plan my steps from conception to this moment to bring my story full circle to align with Abby’s,” she said.

As for whether she was scared to take on Planned Parenthood and the issue of abortion, Bratcher was resolute: “My identity is in Jesus Christ.”

We’ll leave you with an interview with Dr. Anthony Levatino, a gynecologist who performed around 1,200 first- and second-trimester abortions early in his career before a stunning change of heart transformed him into an outspoken pro-life advocate. He plays an abortion doctor in “Unplanned,” and his personal story is incredible:

This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free, one-month trial here.

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