As the daughter of one of the most notorious crime bosses, Victoria Gotti wants you to know there’s more to her family than you think. “We’re human,” she tells Glamour. “If people see that, that’s all they need to know.” They’ll get their chance this weekend with the latest Lifetime true crime movie Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter.

Gotti executive produces and narrates the movie about her life, which does a deep dive into her childhood and teenage years. Chelsea Frei (YouTube’s Sideswiped) plays Gotti as an adult, and General Hospital Emmy-winner Maurice Benard plays her father, John Gotti. “I wanted to do justice to somebody who is alive and well,” Frei says. “I remember meeting Victoria and thinking, ‘This isn’t just the stories that I knew over the years. This is a really genuine person with a family.'”

Gotti credits Lifetime for giving her a say in the casting process, and she’s excited for people to see a different side of her family. Read more of our interview with her, Frei, and Benard, below.

Glamour: Maurice and Cheslea, how much did you know about the Gotti family before this film?

Chelsea Frei: I knew a bunch. I’m from Boston and everybody is obsessed with the Gottis there. I never saw Growing Up Gotti until I started auditioning for this film, but it’s so good.

Maurice Benard: I watched all of it, and it was a trip. I loved it. You didn’t know what was going to happen from one second to the next.

Victoria, how involved were you with Maurice and Chelsea’s casting?

Victoria Gotti: I was very much part of it, but I have to give [Lifetime] credit because I think, in the end, they wouldn’t make a decision without my final approval, which was nice. [With Maurice], I told them, ‘I think he’s the guy.’ And then Chelsea was right after that. They’re both brilliant. I thank Lifetime for [acknowledging I know] who is going to be better at playing the people that I know better than anybody else there does.

Chelsea and Maurice, how nerve-wracking was it to meet Victoria, especially given her hands-on involvement in the project?

Maurice: For Chelsea, it was difficult because Victoria’s right there [and she’s playing her]. It’s like if I had John Gotti in front of me; it’s a lot of pressure and would be very difficult. But for me, it’s a very difficult and very exhilarating role. The best advice was from Victoria when she said to play [John] like Michael Corleone in The Godfather and not Tony Soprano. And also, I had a great connection with Chelsea. It was like a father/daughter [relationship].

Chelsea: I’ll never forget when we met in the hotel the first day, and I was very excited because I grew up watching General Hospital. When I found out I was doing the movie, my mom was freaking out and then I was like, ‘And guess who’s playing John Gotti?!’ I mean, it was just crazy. I’m such a fan.

Victoria, you narrate the film and appear on camera. Was that your decision?

Victoria: I wish I could take the credit for that, but I can’t. The network called me…I was against it.

So why did you say yes?

Victoria: They threatened me. [Laughs] I’m kidding. They said if I didn’t like it when we finished, they’d take it out.

What was the most challenging scene?

Maurice: Everything kept me up at night. I truly wanted to be great for Victoria, because it’s her father. I wanted to be great for Chelsea, who I’m working with. Same for Catherine [Cyran], the director. And for Lifetime. So it was non-stop pressure. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve seen enough [clips] to know it looks amazing. Chelsea’s amazing. I’m pretty good. I think I’m actually good. [Laughs]

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