Jessica Biel is looking back on her time on 7th Heaven
In a new interview with InStyle, the actress shares what she remembers most from filming the series, which ran from 1996 to 2007
Biel also talks about her more recent projects, and breaking out of the “girlfriend” roles
Jessica Biel says the vibe on the 7th Heaven set was very much like that of a real family — both for better and for worse.
“What I remember most, probably, is the camaraderie of all the kids,” Biel, 43, shares of her memories from filming the beloved series in an exclusive new interview with InStyle.
And that camaraderie was rooted in reality with one sibling in particular.
“I say this with all the love in the world — because I love her — she was tough, man,” Biel says of on-screen sister Beverley Mitchell, who played the Lucy Camden to her big sister Mary Camden. “I pushed her buttons. It was such a sisterly relationship. I think I did it because I looked up to her and I loved her. We got under each other’s skin in the best way possible.”
The two made it through, however, and today frequently post about their love for each other on Instagram and often reunite, recently at a charitable event in late 2024.
Biel said that working on a long-running drama — the series aired from 1996 to 2007 — gave her “the ability to have that longevity and stamina.”
“That’s a huge part of what I can do kind of easily, because it’s what I did ever since I was little,” she continued of their nine months a year of shooting. “I definitely work with people now who talk about, ‘Man, these hours are long’ and ‘Man, this is a long schedule.’ And I’m like, ‘Is it?’ ”
The actress — next seen alongside Elizabeth Banks in The Better Sister — goes on to say that after 7th Heaven, the roles she was landing weren’t exactly what she was looking for long-term, namely “playing the girlfriend.”
Celeste Solman/InStyle
Jessica Biel 2025 InStyle cover
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“It felt creatively uninteresting,” she says. “It was at a time when men’s stories were really important. Where’s my Mad Men? It just felt like a bummer, like, When is somebody going to see that I have more to offer them?”
Those questions led her to launch her own production company, Iron Ocean Productions, with friend and producer Michelle Purple in 2007, ultimately leading her to her Emmy-nominated role in The Sinner in 2018.
“It’s been a breath of fresh air to have a completely different kind of performance,” she tells InStyle. “A different creative experience.”
The Better Sister premieres May 29 on Prime Video.
Read the original article on People
