Actor Taylor John Smith's career has come full circle.
The Where the Crawdads Sing star has a surprising connection to the film's executive producer, Reese Witherspoon. Back in 2016, the actor starred in the pilot of a Cruel Intentions sequel series, playing the son of Witherspoon's character Annette Hargrove. While the pilot wasn't picked up, years later Smith finally got the chance to work with his (almost) on-screen mom.
"It's wild," he exclusively told E! News' Daily Pop. "The world is smaller and smaller and smaller. And, obviously, growing up watching her films, getting a chance to work with her is like a dream come true. So, I couldn't be more happy. She's exactly how you think she is. She's amazing."
Though Smith and co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones felt pressure bringing the beloved novel to the big screen, Jones told Daily Pop's Francesca Amiker that it was also "really fun to be a part of something that people already love so much," with Witherspoon being one of those people.
"This is a story about female empowerment," the Normal People star continued. "I just think it's very exciting to have someone like Reese sort of pushing forward and trying to change things for the better."
Smith added, "She's like a mogul. She's an incredible filmmaker and she really wanted to make sure that the people who love this book love the film."
Witherspoon isn't the only big name attached to project. Like the Legally Blonde star, Taylor Swift was such a fan of the book that she wrote the original song, "Carolina," for the film, which premieres July 15.
Jones previously gushed about the song in interview with Elle UK, saying, "If I'd told my younger self that Taylor Swift would do a song for something I'm in...bonkers."
Smith agreed, telling Daily Pop that Swift's "haunting and beautiful" song "captures the soul and the essence of the movie so perfectly," adding, "I can't think of the movie without the song now that I've heard it."
Check out the full interview above.
Where the Crawdads Sing premieres in theaters July 15.