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Your new movie The Black Dahlia Haunting - in a few words,
what is it about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
The Black Dahlia was a real person by the name of
Elizabeth Short. With
your character being a vengeful spirit - are you at all a vengeful person
in real life? Not sure if Dahlia is vengeful. She wants to be
heard, her brutal murder solved, and is seeking closure for her restless
soul. As for me, mean-spirited people, people who are jealous etc...
cut their nose to spite their face. No need to be vengeful. Those people
simply do it to themselves. I sit back and watch as they unfold. What did you draw upon to bring your
character to life, and considering she's based on a real person, how much
research did you do on the actual Black Dahlia? Mom back at home in New York has books on Dahlia.
So I always knew who she was. But did not start extensive research until I
met Charlie Morfin. He is a Film Noir and Dahlia enthusiast - who also
holds wonderful tours of old Hollywood haunts, called Film Noir Tours.
Alexis with Devanny Pinn |
How
did you get involved with the project in the first place? And what
can you tell us about your director Brandon Slagle [Brandon
Slagle interview - click here], and what was your collaboration
like? I was approached by Devanny Pinn [Devanny
Pinn interview - click here] and Brandon Slagle, because
Devanny already knew my work from a movie we both worked on called The
Penny Dreadful Picture Show. That will be coming out fall 2013. They
pitched this idea and quickly slipped in 'we want you to play Dahlia'. As
for Brandon. He is raw and real. Beside a good director, he is a very good
actor. I love to be in his movies because he makes flawed movies. Not
flawless. Real! And he is a dear friend! We agree almost on everything on
a creative and friendship level.
What can you tell us about the actual shoot, and
the on-set atmosphere? There is a scene where I am standing right next to a
fire hydrant. That is where they actually found Elizabeth Short's body. The
whole shoot was silent, for me, anyway, because this was a true
person who was brutally murdered that I portrayed. That will always stay
with me.
You're also in Brandon Slagle's
next movie Dead Sea aka
Black Lagoon
- anything you can
tell us about that one yet? We started B-Roll already. And begin shooting mid
May. I am really excited! Without giving too much away. It is a creature
feature. A "creature" in the lake...
As far as I know, you're
playing a marine bioologist in Dead Sea. Now how much of a
stretch is this for you, and how do you prepare for such a role? Every
character I portray is a stretch. And I wouldn't want it any other way. I
am prepping now. Ask that question again, when we wrap. And I can tell
exactly how my process started and ended.
You
of course also have to talk about your upcoming The Penny
Dreadful Picture Show and your character in it for a bit!
I had such a blast on this set. I met and worked
with two heavy talents; Sid Haig and Jeffrey Combs. The Penny
Dreadful Picture Show is a horror anthology. I was in the Slaughter House vignette. Set in the 70's,
think "Manson-esque" vibe. I
portray Nancy. In short. I have fun with a cheerleader. I'll let your mind
stew in that one for a bit. Directed by Leigh Scott. I worked alongside,
Eliza Swenson [Eliza Swenson
interview - click here], Devanny Pinn [Devanny
Pinn interview - click here], Kristina Page, Josh Hammond, Brandon Stacy,
Jacquelyn Kroschell, Colin Galyean, Al Snow and Barry Ratcliffe [Barry
Ratcliffe interview - click here]. Any
other current/future projects you'd like to talk about? I just found out that
Prescott Place, the black and
white short film noir that I am in, got distribution. Shorts rarely
get distro, and I am just so very proud of director Peilin Kuo [Peilin
Kuo interview - click here] and the
whole Prescott Place
team. I portray Jane Prescott a 1940's fallen star
who becomes a recluse and confides in her baby doll that looks like her. I
also play the baby doll. For this short film, the CGI is perfection! What
got you into acting in the first place, and what can you tell us about
your training as an actress? I started on the stage. For those of you who know
what I am talking about. There is no need to explain. For those who don't.
Dare to try and find out. The stage is very sacred to me. I can go and
name acting coaches who I trained with. But at the end of the day. It was
and is the stage that made me who I am. And that is, proud to be an actor.
Before you entered the
movie world, you did quite a bit of theatre, right? So what can you tell
us about your career as a stage actress, and how does performing on stage
compare to acting in front of a camera? I
find it interesting that I am in pre-pro for a creature feature.
Because, I portrayed Fay Wray's childhood on the stage. Fay Wray was the
original actress in King Kong. The queen of Creature Feature. That was my
first breakthrough into the world of true theater. Theater and film is
apples and oranges on so many levels. But for me as an actor, it is about
spontaneity. The feeling that goes through your body performing live in
front of a sold-out playhouse is just an outer body experience. Whereas
in film, you still have that spontaneity, as Jack Lemmon would say before
each of his takes "It's magic time" - but you must maintain
that "magic time" after 30 takes. The shorter version to this
question. Theater - if you fall on your face, you cannot edit it out!
Can you still
remember your first time in front of a movie/TV camera, and what was that
experience like?
Clear as day. I was one of the little school kids
in a movie called Starting Over. In between a
take, I see a very handsome man staring at me. But didn't pay any
mind to it. I turn again and I see this handsome man giving me a big
sincere smile. He pointed to me and waved his hand as in "come on
over". This was in front of my Mom, the director, crew... he kneeled
down, pulled my pigtails, and gave me a kiss right on the lips. I remember
it was very innocent. I giggled. He yanked on my ponytail one more time,
laughing then smiling, and walked away. It was Burt Reynolds.
Especially of
late, you seem to zero in more and more on the horror genre - coincidence,
or is horror a genre you're at all fond of, and why (not)?
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Honestly.
The genre fell into my lap. The day that I was told I landed a role as one
of the true victims in the bio pic of the Beltway Sniper shootings, Blue
Caprice, directed by Alexandre Moors, I received a call from Eliza
Swenson [Eliza Swenson
interview - click here], and asked if I can self tape for The Penny
Dreadful Picture Show. I asked where
they were located. They said Connecticut. At the time I was in New York. I
said, no self made tape, I am driving to you! I auditioned for Leigh Scott
and Eliza. That night, I landed the role of Nancy. Because Chris Alexander
from Fangoria Magazine wrote a humbling review of Prescott Place
in the
magazine. We maintained a friendship. So, once I told him about this genre
falling into my lap, I am now a contributing writer for Fangoria. And I
write about my experiences as an actress on these exciting
"thriller" movies. Below is one of my articles:
Fangoria
online article by Alexis Iacono
You
of course also have to talk about your voice-work on the videogame World
of Warcraft: Cataclysm for a bit, and how did you get the assignment?
I am nerd. So, I LOVE gaming. Everytime I audition
for video games, I jump up and down like a child. ANYWAY! I was hittin'
the NYC streets running to and from audition to audition.
It was the end of the day. Tired. I get a vague call saying to get
to this studio downtown for a video game audition. I walk in, and they
give me sides to read for, The Sopranos. Very confusing since the show has
been off the air for some time and I think the video game was just
released? I made a choice and realized they wanted a real "New
YAWK" accent. I recorded, did a few takes. And went home. Two weeks
later I got a call saying I landed one of the lead Goblins in WoW
Cataclysm. I had to lay down on the floor, because I was so excited. How
would you describe yourself as an actress? Dedicated. Actresses (or
indeed actors) who inspire you?
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Jack Lemmon, Cate Blanchett, Robert Downey Jr.
Rachel McAdams, Brit Marling, Tom Hardy, Charles Laughton, Christoph
Waltz, Jessica Chastain... to name a few...
Your favourite movies?
Gaslight directed by George Cuckor, In Bruges,
Hitchcock films, The Apartment, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Raging Bull, Kill
Bill Volume 1 and 2. I can go on and on.... ...
and of course, films you really deplore? Ice
Pirates.
Your website,
Facebook, whatever else? Twitter:
@AlexisIacono
Anything else you are dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? VERY,
VERY Important! Yes. I am a first person shooter, gamer geek :) Thanks for
the interview!
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amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
find Alexis Iacono at adultvideouniverse.com
