While hiding out in the Toys “R” Us, Manchester met Moore while visiting a nearby church. He started attending regularly, and before long, Moore found herself falling for the charming, intelligent thief. “I thought he was very handsome, and he always dressed well, and he smelled well,” says Moore. “He was just so polite, and you don’t see that every day. So it was very refreshing to see such a nice young gentleman coming into church.”
Though Tatum and Dunst skillfully capture the pair’s chemistry onscreen, Moore says their actual courtship lasted a little longer than it’s depicted in the movie. The most notable change, though, is that Dunst’s character works at the Toys ”R” Us where Tatum’s character is hiding; in real life, Moore never worked at the toy store.
While Moore counted herself as a fan of Dunst’s before production began, she didn’t meet the actor until Roofman was shooting. Her family and friends who have seen the film are impressed with Dunst’s work, as is Moore: “Kirsten did a phenomenal job portraying that sweet, honest, charming young lady who is just trying to raise her kids and pay the bills,” she says. “I have not had one negative feedback. They’re all truly touched.”
Moore wound up visiting the set several times and has a cameo in the film, briefly appearing as a crossing guard. Many of the film’s young background actors were excited to meet her once they realized who she was: “They got all giddy and had me take photos with them,” she says.
For Moore, the toughest scene in Roofman comes toward the end, when Leigh discovers who Jeffrey is—and helps the police apprehend him. That part, too, is true to life. Just like in the film, she was sitting in a nearby police car when Manchester was apprehended for a second time, and could hear his arrest unfolding over the police radio. “That was truly the hardest part, because I wasn’t going to get to see him again,” she says. “That was pretty rough. Every time that happened in the movie, it made me cry.”
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