'Fear of Rain' star Katherine Heigl hopes thriller about mental health helps people feel less alone

The actress hopes the film makes the audience feel "empathy and compassion" for people with mental illness.

"My favorite thing about what I do is the storytelling, is the opportunity to be a part of stories," she explained. "I love stories. I have always been a big reader. I've always been a big consumer of film and television. And I feel like it is the great equalizer in a way [because it] helps each of us to either find compassion within ourselves or to feel less alone in whatever it is we're going through." The former "Grey's Anatomy" star says the film opens "up this world of mental illness" and by doing so can help others "see it sort of from the perspective of this young girl who suffers from schizophrenia."