Why Did Halle Berry Learn How To Skin A Squirrel Ahead Of Thriller ‘Never Let Go’?

Halle Berry had a few unique preparations to make sure she was ready for the forthcoming thriller, Never Let Go.

While appearing at Lionsgate’s CinemaCon panel on Wednesday (April 10), the coveted actress spoke of her role as a mother of two sons (played by Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins), who “has never gone beyond their forested environs, and whenever they leave the cabin, they are bounded by rope as they venture into the scary woods.”

To get into character, the 57-year-old revealed that for the role, she learned how to skin a squirrel. “There was no electricity… no lights,” she recalled. “And they’re eating bugs and frogs — raw frogs — in the woods. It was a challenge. I had to really skin a squirrel. These things wildly challenged me to create some reality within this world that felt so foreign.”

She added, “This gave me an opportunity to be a part of a world I had never seen before.”

The synopsis for the Alexandre Aja-directed film reads, “The psychological thriller centers on a family of three haunted by an evil entity. Whenever they leave the safety of their cabin to venture into the woods, they are bound by rope to the home. The family’s safety and surroundings come into question when one of the boys asks if the evil is real.”

Berry also noted that the film “reminded me how I would protect my children with my life. What would you do to protect your children? This role gave me a chance to really take that to the limit.”

Never Let Go will premiere in theaters Sept. 27. Check out the trailer above.