Cheryl Hines had mixed emotions about her new movie SERIOUS MOONLIGHT - she was delighted to wrap her directorial debut, but sad friend and screenwriter ADRIENNE SHELLY was not there to share in the celebrations.

Shelly, who befriended actress/director Hines on the set of Waitress, was found dead in her New York apartment in 2006. Construction worker and illegal immigrant Diego Pillco later confessed to the killing and was sentenced to 25 years behind bars last year (08).

The project stars Meg Ryan as a spurned wife who holds her husband captive after he declares he's leaving her for a younger woman.

Hines was approached to helm the film by Shelly's widower Andrew Ostroy months after the tragedy. But the Curb Your Enthusiasm star admits she had no idea how difficult it would be battling her emotions on set.

However, Hines is confident Shelly would be happy with the final product.

She tells WENN, "It was challenging because we couldn't make any changes to the script because Adrienne wasn't with us creatively, but what was even more challenging was she wasn't there personally.

"So at times it was very difficult, at other times we were so focused on making our day and trying to make a good film because at the end of the day, that's what Adrienne would have wanted, for us to make the best film we could. So we were focused on that but once in a while, you would be overcome by the feeling, 'Oh, Adrienne's not here', but we really feel this is something Adrienne would be proud of."