Another Simple Favor wasn’t the most pleasant viewing experience for Blake Lively.

The Gossip Girl star reflected on returning to the world of A Simple Favor following the sequel’s first screening at SXSW on Friday.

“I love this character so much. It’s probably my favorite character I’ve ever been fortunate enough to play,” Lively said, explaining that she was “so excited” to reprise the role of Emily.

Lively admitted hat she was “really nervous” while shooting the original Simple Favor because “we didn’t know if we were making a drama or a comedy,” and director Paul Feig didn’t offer much clarification on set. “When we asked Paul, he said, ‘Yes,’ which is not really an answer to the question,” Lively said. “But it worked out.”

The first movie’s success gave Lively more confidence while filming the sequel — until Feig introduced a new element that kept the actress on her toes. “I was like, ‘Okay, no nerves. I know what I’m doing this time,'” she recalled. “And then right before we started shooting, he said, ‘I have a little bit of a curveball idea,’ which I’m not gonna say what it was because we don’t wanna give away anything, but it definitely upped the ante.”

She continued, “It was very uncomfortable to watch in this theater with you guys.”

But she remained enthusiastic about her experience working on the film, which shot on location in Capri, Italy.

“Paul, he wanted to shoot in Capri, and I was like, ‘That sounds amazing, but it’s very expensive, and let’s just shoot in Connecticut — that’s where the first one took place,'” Lively recalled. “I didn’t understand why it needed to be Capri — and now I want to live there! I love it so much. They serve you ice cream in lemons and it’s just magical. They sell hats. That crazy, beautiful hat [in the movie] was just a hat in a store. Humans buy that! It’s amazing!”

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Another Simple Favor follows Lively’s convicted socialite character Emily, who, newly sprung from prison, invites mommy vlogger-turned-private investigator Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) to her fabulous wedding in Capri. However, soon after they reunite, the festivities are marred by death and betrayal. 

Kendrick briefly explained her decision to make Stephanie more laid-back than she was in the original film. “I think on this one, I was like, if I’m going with her into certain peril, I was like, ‘Okay, I think maybe I start out not taking any of it that seriously,'” the Pitch Perfect star said at the SXSW premiere. “I remember I had just rewatched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and [was inspired by] that Robert Downey [Jr.] kind of [vibe]: ‘Yeah, there’s murder and mayhem, but I’m fine.'”

Another Simple Favor premieres May 1 on Prime Video.

Additional reporting by Tiffany Kelly.