Your upcoming movie Stirring - in a few words, what is it
about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
Stirring
is a holiday horror. It is not an “all is merry until a killer comes a
knockin’” kind of film though. It is dark from the beginning. There is
already a dark cloud over the main character. The character I play,
Alexandra, is a go-with-the-flow, just wants to have fun type. She
didn’t come to the party to be dragged down by the drama. What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much Ronni Lea
can we find in Alexandra? I
was able to call upon a bit of my past to bring Alexandra to life. I am
certainly a go-with-the-flow type, but I wouldn’t say I am much of a
crazy partier these days. How did you get involved with
the project in the first place? A
friend of mine, Luc Bernier [Luc
Bernier interview - click here], told me about the casting call for a few more
characters that Troy Escamilla was looking for. I emailed Troy and he sent me sides.
I sent him my audition video and the rest is history. What can you tell us
about Stirring's director Troy Escamilla [Troy
Escamilla interview - click here], and what was your
collaboration like? Troy
is super easy going. I really enjoyed working with him. He is very
personable and an overall nice human being. He knew what he wanted for
this film and he knew how to get it. I would love to work with him again.
Do talk about the shoot as such, and
the on-set atmosphere? The
cast and crew for this film is amazing! I really enjoyed being in a room
full of such talented individuals. Everyone was very light hearted and fun
and at the same time took their roles seriously. It was nice to be in a
room full of people who want to achieve their dreams and work hard to do
so. Any future projects you'd like to
share? There
may be a couple of projects in the works, but nothing that I am allowed to
talk about just yet. What got you into acting in the first place, and
did you receive any formal training on the subject? Would
you believe me if I told you I had a bit of stage fright as a young kid?
It wasn’t until my 6th grade reading and writing class where I had to
get up in front of the class and “sell” an advertisement I had to make
for a cookie I created. I got a really good response from my classmates
during and after the presentation. The feeling I got being in front of
everyone and making them laugh made me feel really good. It is a feeling I
will never forget. After that I was hooked on entertaining people. I did a
bunch of little classroom plays in school after that. In 8th grade we had
to write our own script and act it out, which was a lot of fun, I have a
few scripts I wrote as a kid that will never see the light of day. I
continued with some acting/stage in high school and I minored in Theatre
in college. That was a lot of fun, I learned a lot of stage combat, which
was my favorite, and even behind the scenes of set building and props.
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In
the past, you worked with late cult genre director Ted V. Mikels on two
occasions - so how did that come about, and what was working with him
like?
I
LOVED Ted. I miss him dearly. I believe I was introduced to him by another
friend who had worked with him in the past, Donna Hamblin [Donna
Hamblin interview - click here]. Ted was such a
great guy. He had been in the film business for forever and you could
tell. He also tended to run films in a ton of different locations with
different actors and tie them all together in the editing room, which was
neat.
Other past films of yours you'd like to talk
about?
I had a different experience with every film I have
done. I learn something from every experience. I can’t say that any one
film has made a difference in my life, as all of them have. I have had the
chance to meet so many great people in this business.
Going through your filmography, one can't help
but notice that many of your films are of the horror variety - so is that
a favourite genre of yours, and why (not)?
Horror
is fun. I always enjoy my time on horror sets, but really I love acting in
any genre. I would absolutely love to do a kick-ass action and adventure
film. Besides
making movies, you've also done your fair share of theatre - so what can
you tell us about that aspect of your career, and how does performing on
stage compare to acting in front of a camera? Nothing
can beat performing on stage. It is such a thrill. It is a feeling that
lasts well after the play is finished. I was so nervous and never thought
I would do a stage play, after I did I didn’t want it to end. Yeah,
there are things you can do in film that you can’t do on stage, it is
nice to be able to do another take if you need to and you can work out
kinks as you go, but stage is awesome. The audience gives you something
and you give them something back through the whole production. Each night
leaves you with a different feeling. How would
you describe yourself as an actress, and what do you draw upon to bring
your characters to life?
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As
an actress I like to make sure I am believable. I like to read through the
whole script at least once first for pure enjoyment. I try to get a feel
for the characters and atmosphere of the film. I really love creating each
of my characters' pasts. Their parents and siblings, if any. Where they were
raised and the way they grew up. Their interests, likes and dislikes. I
have to be having fun. If I am not having fun, then something is wrong. Actresses (and indeed actors)
who inspire you?
There
are so many. Honestly, I tend to like the actors and actresses where I
know nothing about their personal lives. It makes me able to watch them as
the character they are portraying and not who they are as a person. Your favourite movies? That
is another long list. Empire Records has always been an all time favorite.
Also lots of action, adventure and fantasy movies. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? I
can’t do subtitles! HAHA! Your website,
Facebook, whatever else? My
website is
www.ronnilea.com.
Thanks for
the interview!
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