What Lea Thompson Was Like as Anna Pigeon Director

Lea Thompson brought 1.21 jigowatts of joy to the set of Anna Pigeon.

Indeed, the cast confessed that they relished the opportunity of working with the Back to the Future star, who served as an executive producer and director on the upcoming TV show, based on the novels by Nevada Barr.

Noting he fangirled “big time,” actor Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz exclusively told E!’s correspondent Will Marfuggi at the Aug. 5 premiere, “She is an icon. I couldn’t believe my eyes. When I first heard that that it was her leading the charge, I’m like, ‘What? No, no, this is—wow.'”

But his experience was even better when he actually got to work with Thompson on the show about a park ranger investigating crimes, premiering on USA Network Aug. 7.

“She’s so down to earth, she’s so amazing—and warm and professional and friendly—that all that goes out of the window,” he shared, “and you just see the person. She’s so loving.”