Jessica Biel opens up on ‘very challenging time' before ‘The Sinner'

Jessica Biel is reflecting on the struggles of her career before her hit show The Sinner.

Biel and Michelle Purple founded their production company two decades ago and found little success before The Sinner.

“Doors did not open at all, even being in the business for so long,” Biel said on a recent episode of The Bright Side podcast.

“I started it with [Purple] when I was twenty-two, and for the first ten years, we had almost no success at all. We had a very challenging time getting any story told,” she shared.

However, when the duo were “introduced to The Sinner and then built that show from the ground up,” their story began to change.

The 42-year-old continued, “When we were actually selling that show, Michelle and I looked at each other and she said, ‘If we don't sell this show, I'm quitting.’ And I said, ‘Me too, I'm quitting. I'm not doing this. I don't know – if this show doesn't sell, I don't know what people want, I don't know what to bring them. I don't understand this business anymore. I just don't get it anymore.’”

“And then we sold it in the room,” she said, adding, “It was so weird.”

She went on to note how much hard work her company takes. She said, “I don't find that my industry — or, being an actor or producer — is easy in any way, shape or form. It is so much blood, sweat and tears that you put into getting these projects made, and so many of the things we work on never, ever come to fruition.”