Jessica Biel Admits She Was ‘Secretly a Little Afraid’ of Beverly Mitchell While Filming ‘7th Heaven’

7th Heaven fans might be surprised to know that Jessica Biel was “secretly a little afraid” of Beverly Mitchell.

“I say this with all the love in the world — because I love her — she was tough, man,” Biel, 43, told InStyle during an interview published on Monday, May 19. “I pushed her buttons.”

Similar to their dynamic on screen, the duo had “a sisterly relationship,” with Biel adding, “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.”

Biel reflected on her time playing Mary, crediting 7th Heaven for its influence on her as an actress.

“What I remember most, probably, is the camaraderie of all the kids,” she said. “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 added: “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?’”

7th Heaven, which ran from 1996 to 2007, followed a minister living in the fictional town of Glen Oak, California, as he and his wife dealt with the drama of raising seven children. In addition to Biel and Mitchell, 44, the ensemble cast also included Stephen Collins, Barry Watson, David Gallagher, Mackenzie Rosman and Catherine Hicks.

The hit series aired for 10 seasons before it was canceled at The WB. When The WB became The CW, the show was given one more season but was canceled for good in 2007.

Biel, for her part, went on to appear in a variety of movie roles including Valentine’s Day, The A-Team, New Year’s Eve, Total Recall and Hitchcock. She admitted to InStyle that “playing the girlfriend” role over and over left her feeling “creatively uninteresting.”

“It was at a time when men’s stories were really important. Where’s my Mad Men?” she noted. “It just felt like a bummer, like, ‘When is somebody going to see that I have more to offer them?’”

More recently, Biel expanded her focus to being an executive producer on TV shows such as Cruel Summer, The Sinner, Candy and Apple TV+’s The Better Sister, in which she stars alongside Elizabeth Banks. Biel’s success behind the scenes has only made her more hungry to explore different avenues in the entertainment industry.

“I’m still not working with [some of] the A-list directors of my dreams, you know? So, I don’t feel like, ‘Done it. Did it.’ What more can I do?” she explained. “I feel like I have so much more to go, not in a weird, dysfunctional way, just like, ‘Man, there’s a lot of people I haven’t been able to work with that I want to work with.’”

Biel even named some of the people on her wish list, saying, “I love a good manifestation. David Fincher, he’s one of my favorites, favorite favorites. And so many actresses that are incredible — the Helen Mirrens of the world, the Olivia Colmans of the world. And then, I haven’t worked with almost any women that are peers of mine besides Elizabeth [Banks]. Now it’s stories about sisters and families and friendships, so I’m hoping for more of that in the future. What more ladies can I work with?”

She concluded: “It’s such a delicate business, one thing goes away and everything falls apart. People have to trust and take risks. You gotta risk it for the biscuit. That’s a new thing [my husband] Justin [Timberlake] and I are saying: ‘You gotta risk it for the biscuit.’ I don’t even know what it means, like, tangibly.’”