"She finally honors that young person that I was and the person I am today," Knox tells PEOPLE of the actress, who helped tell the story of her wrongful murder conviction

After signing on to star in Hulu's "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox," the actor only had two months to prepare for the role: "It was nice to kind of have a fire under me."

Amanda Knox's wrongful murder conviction in Italy is back in the spotlight as a new Hulu limited series, "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox" premieres on Aug. 20. Grace Van Patten portrays Knox in the eight-episode series, in which Knox is an executive producer alongside her husband, Christopher Robinson, and Monica Lewinsky.