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Actress Nia Long was so intimidated when she duetted with Broadway powerhouse Idina Menzel for the TV remake of Beaches, she squeaked out a voice.
Idina and the Friday star have taken over the roles made famous by Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey for a modern take on the 1988 Garry Marshall comedy-drama, but Nia admits taking on such a classic film filled her with nerves.
"(Doing the remake was) very intimidating," she told U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America. "I grew up watching the film. I'm such a big fan of Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, they're iconic women, powerful women, so when this opportunity came along I was very nervous honestly, but I thought, you know, (U.S. network) Lifetime has a way of celebrating women (in their projects)."
Another aspect of the TV film Nia approached with a little trepidation was singing with Menzel, because the Frozen star is known for her outstanding vocals.
Nia explained, "I fell in love with her when she was doing Wicked (on Broadway). I remember going to see Wicked and I was like, 'Who is this girl?' She's amazing and she's strong...
"There's a part in the film where we sing (together), and I'm like, 'I can't believe I'm singing with her!' And she's like, 'No, you have a really good voice', but my voice is really teeny tiny (and hers is so powerful).
"I made my voice smaller because I wanted her voice to be the one that everyone hears; I was a little nervous!"
The Beaches revamp, which will feature new versions of Bette's original movie tunes Wind Beneath My Wings and The Glory of Love, will premiere on U.S. network Lifetime on Saturday (21Jan17).