One of your latest projects, The Apparition, is in post-production. Can you fill us in on the story line and tell us a little bit about your character?
Well, the story is terrifying, and is supposedly based on a real event, which in my opinion makes it even scarier. It’s also filmed (by director Todd Lincoln) very realistically, so people should be prepared to be freaked. In a nutshell (and trying not to give away any plot twists) the young couple Kelly and Ben, played by Ashley and Sebastian, are horrified to find out that they are being haunted, and hunted, by a supernatural force – an ‘apparition’ that was apparently accidentally conjured during a college parapsychology experiment. They turn to a guy who is an expert in the supernatural named Patrick, played by Tom Felton, who they hope can help, but it might be too late. Terror ensues.
My character, the flamboyant Mrs. Henley, appears briefly at a veterinarian’s office in an obscure desert town where Kelly is living in an attempt to evade the apparition. Mrs. Henley is an overtan, over madeup, bejeweled and talkative desert-denizen cat lover, and was a lot of fun to play. (I understand, however, that due to editing necessities my scene was almost entirely cut out of the film, so unfortunately you may not get a chance to see much of Mrs. H., as she was more comic relief than plot-driven.)
The three primary cast members come from other projects that have strong fan bases, (Ashley – Twilight, Tom – Harry Potter, Sebastian – Gossip Girl) were there any issues with fans interrupting shooting or waiting around to see them?
Miraculously enough, there weren’t crowds of fans – at least during my time on the set, which luckily was in an out-of-the-way location on the outskirts of Los Angeles, so the fans and the paparazzi seemed not to have discovered it, although I was surprised to see some photos taken of Ashley on that very set, even though at the time I was completely unaware of any photographers lurking around. I must say that everyone on the crew was prepared, vigilant and very efficient at making the shoot run like clockwork, so I’m sure they had a master plan designed to avoid such eventualities.
Do you like scary movies?
You know, it’s weird – I loved them as a kid, and then after puberty I just got too scared. There’s probably a scientific explanation for that, but at this point I really find it difficult to watch a really scary movie, even though I know the genre is wildly popular. My favorites these days are films like “Crazy, Stupid Love.” Life is hard enough without adding the supernatural!
You have had the opportunity to play many different characters in popular shows, such as Friends, House and How I Met Your Mother. Is there any one character in particular that you really liked the best?
I loved my character, Marsha Sullivan, on “That 70s Show,” (the episode is called “Good Company”) because she was an unapologetic cougar who was also really funny. And underneath her sort of blatantly sexual exterior was a smart cookie, which was a hoot to play considering that the 70s marked the beginning of modern women’s liberation. I liked that idea, which was why I suggested to the hair and makeup people that we copy the great feminist Gloria Steinem’s hairdo and makeup from the mid-70s. That was fun, and it was a thrill to play with those great young actors at the beginning of their careers.
You have tread the boards in over 100 stage productions. Was the process of filming, re-filming and editing odd to you at first?
Oh, my, yes. In my very first movie (“The Deadliest Season” with Michael Moriarty and Meryl Streep) I was so young and naive that once my short scene was captured the first time, I figured I was all done and I could go home! I soon realized that the scene would be shot over and over again for hours, from several points of view, including the master shot and close ups of all the main characters. I also learned fast that movie and television work is largely about waiting. Unlike theatre acting, which is a little like boarding a fast-moving train and hanging on for dear life until it gets to the end of the line, on-camera acting really demands even more energy, because you have to stay at a creative simmer for hours, ready to go on as soon as the lighting and setup are done, or when lunch is over or the latest emergency is taken care of, and the director finally says “action.” Because of that, shooting one small scene can be even more exhausting, strangely enough, than doing a leading role in a two-hour play. On the other hand, in film and television, if you blow a moment or need another chance to make the scene better, you can usually get it. And nobody ever has to see the rotten take.
Do you have 1 particular project that you are most proud of?
I think I am most proud of doing the role of Emma in Harold Pinter’s brilliant and complex stage play, “Betrayal.” It was endlessly fascinating, and throughout its six-month run (at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, CA) I continued to discover new and wonderful things about both the character and the story.
Do you have any other projects coming up?
I just finished shooting (guess what?) a supernatural thriller that will be released next year called “Monika” that was a total ball to do. I got to scream, cry, crumble to the floor in grief, be shot and covered with blood, go hysterical and generally have a great time. The very gifted writer/director, Steven R. Monroe, was fantastic to work with and the other cast members and the whole crew were superb at their work as well as being lovely people. Who could ask for more?
