photo by Gabriel Parra |
First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
don't already know you?
I
am a small town girl from Kankakee, Illinois.
I grew up in a big family - one of nine!
I was always creative as a child.
Writing, acting and dancing were my passions.
I love music, poetry, travelling, and of course, film.
Let's talk about some of your
new and upcoming films first: You have just starred in Reel Evil,
produced by legendary Charles Band - anything you can tell us about
the film and your role in it yet, and how did you get involved with the
project to begin with?
Reel Evil
is a found-footage
style horror film. I play
Claire, the makeup artist on a film set.
I auditioned for the project and then had a callback and was very
fortunate to be cast. I
hadn’t worked with director Danny Draven or producer Charles Band before
this film nor had I met them. They
are both wonderful people and Danny is a really calm and positive
director - two qualities that I really value in a director.
Another film you're about to
shoot is Joston Theney's Axeman at Cutter's Creek [Joston
Theney interview - click here] - anything you can tell us about
that one and your role in it yet? And is the slasher genre a genre that at
all holds some appeal to you? Axeman
at Cutter’s Creek
is an 80’s style slasher
film with some new twists. I
am playing Tammy, a sexy lesbian who is very much in love with her
girlfriend Liz, played by the beautiful Erin Marie Hogan.
The slasher genre definitely is appealing to me and, as I told
Joston after he cast me, it has always been a dream of mine to be in a
film such as this. I always
loved watching slasher films like Halloween and
Friday the 13th
with my sisters when growing up and I still love to do so today.
Speaking of slashers, you
have recently also starred in Carl Lindbergh's The
Bunnyman Massacre [Carl
Lindbergh interview - click here] - a few words about that one?
I saw the trailer of
the first Bunnyman before my audition and I ABSOLUTELY loved the
concept. I was thrilled when I
received a callback. Carl
certainly knows how to audition actors and that is one of my more
difficult auditions that I have done.
I didn’t hear from Carl right away so I thought that I didn’t
get the role but then he cast me! I
was thrilled. I had a blast on
that set - loved it so much that I actually considered sticking around to
help out on set as part of the crew but I had auditions so I had to come
back to LA. Manhaters!,
which you not only star in but have also produced - you just have to talk
about that one, and what got you into producing the movie? And will we see
more of Jamie Bernadette, the producer?
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Manhaters!
has yet to be made.
I have to say that the script is absolutely phenomenal and that is
what inspired me to help get the project off the ground.
I was cast in it a couple of years ago after auditioning and, like
can happen with so many films, the funding fell through and principal
photography was pushed back. Shortly
after that, I reached out to some investors I knew to fund the film
because I just couldn’t let such an amazing script not get made.
It is looking very promising now that this film will indeed get
made, but I do not know that I will be producing because of the volume of
acting work that I have booked. Writer/director
Jim Towns [Jim Towns interview -
click here] is running with it full speed at this point.
He has been talking to The Traveling Picture Show Company, and we
will hopefully shoot in 2013. As
far as me producing any other films, I am writing a horror film that I am
very much passionate about and I can see myself producing this in the next
couple of years. You also star in
Steampunk Samurai Biker Chick - which is just too great a title to
not say a few words about it - so please do!
Ha ha, yes.
It is a great title. It’s
a futuristic sci-fi full of action and humor that is slated to be a part
of a trilogy. I play Boss
Reeby, a no-nonsense Boss who is really overweight but has a special
device that makes her thin.
photo by Aubrey Chandler
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What can
you tell us about Resident Evil: Resurrection?
It was filmed as a
short and is now being pitched to investors to make a feature.
I play Rebecca Chambers, a rookie member of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo
Team, a branch of the Raccoon City Police Department that handles
specialist cases.
Any
other current or upcoming films of yours, any future projects you'd like
to talk about?
Scarf, a dark drama/thriller, is nearly complete in
post-production and will be submitted to Sundance among other film
festivals. I play an anorexic
drug addict. This role was
extremely emotionally and physically challenging and I spent many months
in rehearsals with the amazing director Yong Dae-Lee and researching on my
own from literally 9am to 3am for some weeks before filming commenced.
I have seen some of the footage and I have high hopes that we will
do well in the film festival circuit.
Another film is Hell Hunters, a story about two childhood friends
inspired by a horrific comic to become the murderous vigilante characters in real
life. I play Louise Werner,
the wife of Col. Jack Werner, played by William McNamara.
I am excited to work with director Jourdan McClure and
writer/producer Lawrence Donini and the incredible cast on this film.
photo
by Jason Christopher |
What got you into acting to begin with,
and did you receive any formal eductation on the subject?
I started acting in
community theatre as a young child, perhaps around age 10 or so.
Then I continued in high school theatre and speech team where I
competed in humorous and dramatic duet acting.
I have attended numerous schools here in Hollywood.
Second City is next on my agenda. Before
entering the filmworld, you did quite a bit of theatre, right? What can
you tell us about your theatre days, and how does acting on stage compare
to acting in front of a camera? And which one do you actually prefer?
Yes, that’s right.
I love theatre. The
camaraderie you build with your fellow actors in theatre is so special.
Acting on stage is not as intimate as acting in front of a camera.
To me, acting on camera feels more personal because often in stage
we have to be “bigger” than we do on camera, generally speaking, to
reach a sizeable audience. I
may do theatre again. Broadway
would be nice!
Can
you still remember your first time in front of a movie camera, and what
was that experience like?
Yes, it was on Ulli
Lommel’s Son of Sam. I
remember being very nervous!! Ulli
is such a warm person and the people with whom he works are as well, so
they made me feel really comfortable.
Even when you are nervous I think that your instrument just takes
over and you still know what to do. Early in your career, you
worked on quite a few films directed by veteran (genre) director Ulli
Lommel - what can you tell us about the man, your films with him, and what
was your collaboration like?
I absolutely adore
Ulli. He is a kind, warm soul
who makes you feel very special as a person and very appreciated as an
artist. My films with him were
based on scripts but Ulli allows for improv which was a lot of fun to
explore the scene and go with what happens rather than be confined by a
script.
Many claim your
breakthrough film was the comedy Milf - so you just have to talk
about that one, right? It was quite a surprise when
fan mail started pouring in after the release of Milf.
It was something that I never expected.
I thought that the script was clever and the director Scott Wheeler
was amazing and the actors were very talented, so I expected a good movie
but I never thought that it would be so widely distributed.
I never thought it would develop such a large fan base for me.
It was really great to have my work seen and appreciated so.
You also play a cameo in the new
movie of Milf's director Scott Wheeler, Celebrity Sex Tape -
and given the title and knowing my readers, you just have to say a few
words about that one!
Yes!
I play a goth girl and you wouldn’t even recognize me in it.
I think I definitely surprised Scott that day we shot that scene.
The wicked in me came out :). It
was definitely a completely different role from the sweet girl I played in
Milf - so I am so glad that Scott trusted me to play the role. Any other past films of yours
you'd like to talk about? Operation Terror,
the September 11th movie that will shock you.
I play the airline stewardess on the plane.
I can’t say too much about the plot but it is based on producer & writer Art Olivier’s
own research of actual events.
If you want to check it out it is premiering in Los Angeles this
September 11th.
The event will begin at 6:30 PM at Rave Cinemas 18, 6081 Center Drive,
LA, CA 90045 in the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center. Tickets for the
event will be sold at the theatre
photo by Jason Christopher
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How would you describe
yourself as an actress, and how do you usually approach a role?
I am a versatile
actress with a positive attitude on set.
I am a really hard worker and I won’t stop trying until a
director is satisfied. I love
that I have had the opportunity to play such diverse characters.
I don’t like to just play someone very similar to myself all the
time. I love to push my
boundaries, dig in and bring out something that surprises me.
For very challenging roles, I will remain in character on set for
most of the time. I actually
warned the director and cast of Scarf that I would be this way on
set before we started shooting. That
role was so dark and complex that I thought it’d bring out my best work
if I stayed in it at all times. I
did things that the character did. She
was anorexic, so I barely ate. I
had to lose quite a bit of weight for the role.
I took up smoking a couple months before the shoot and smoked
nonstop during filming as she would do.
Luckily, I don’t have an addictive personality so I was able to
quit fairly easily. In a
sense, I became her. For
lighter roles, like comedic roles, I will come out of character in between
filming. But I always think as
the character and become that person.
To me, acting is an aesthetic transformation. Actresses
(or indeed actors) who inspire you?
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Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
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Natalie Portman, Sally
Field, Kate Winslet, Christopher Walken, Jim Carrey, Natalie Wood, Lucille
Ball. Your favourite
movies?
The Graduate, The
Descent, Romeo & Juliet (1996), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003),
Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Dead End.
... and of course, films you really deplore?
Honestly, I can’t
think of any. I always look
for the good in everyone’s work. Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
http://www.facebook.com/JamieBernadetteFanPage
http://twitter.com/jamiebernadett
http://jamiebernadette.com/
Anything else you are
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
No I can’t think of
anything. Thanks for the
interview! Thanks
for the interview!
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