Jillian Bell was nervous to take on a rare dramatic role in Cowboys

If you’ve paid attention to comedy over the past decade, you’ve seen a lot of Jillian Bell. The hilarious actor got her start at the famed Groundlings Theater in LA before moving to New York for a stint in the SNL writer’s room—not long after, Bell began popping up in comedic roles both big and small, breaking through with a supporting role in Come`dy Central’s hit, Workaholics. This year, she makes a rare dramatic turn in Anna Kerrigan’s Cowboys, a modern western about a young Trans boy (Sasha Knight) who, accompanied by his father (Steve Zahn), makes a run for Canada. During the film’s press day, Bell admitted to The A.V. Club that she was nervous about the role of Sally—the boy’s mother who is too scared to acknowledge her child’s truth—but was put at ease by her director and her warm family of co-stars. We spoke to both Bell and Kerrigan about the inspirations behind the film, and then gave them the space to gush about the rest of the cast. The pair sang the praises of Knight, explained why Zahn is such a versatile actor, and gushed over the great Ann Dowd—Bell even busted out her Dowd impression, which is spot on.

Cowboys is available via Virtual Cinemas and on VOD beginning February 12.