|
Your new movie Murdaritaville
- in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your
character in it?
Murdaritaville
is about a group of friends that go hangout at a camp in the woods and
slowly start getting killed off by a parrot head man. He kills people who
aren’t big enough Jimmy Buffett fans. My character actually hates Jimmy
Buffett, so she is really against Jimmy Buffett and all parrot heads.
What did you draw upon to bring your
character to life, and how much of Jenna-Francis Duvic can we find in her? I
was able to draw upon characters like Katniss Everdeen in Hunger Games
in order to think of a survival mode type of character. It is kind of hard
to see me as myself in this character because I almost never make as many
frowny faces in real life as I did in this movie haha. I am a bit of the
opposite of this character. I wouldn’t say I like being a leader, but
this character must be a leader in the end. How
did you get involved with the project in the first place? A
director I worked with in the past, Benjamin Connell, recommended me to
director Paul Dale [Paul Dale
interview - click here]. Paul found my demo reel on YouTube and thought I would be a good fit
for the role.
To
what extent could you identify with Murdaritaville's
approach to horror and comedy ... and with its many Jimmy Buffett
references? I
could relate to Murdaritaville
because it is my type of comedy like the Scary Movie series. I love how dumb funny the jokes are and how almost
everything is a Jimmy Buffett reference. I definitely started listening to
more Jimmy Buffett after making this film and it helped me understand the
script so much better. What can you tell us about Murdaritaville's
director Paul Dale, and what was your collaboration like? Paul
is a laid back and chill dude. He is a very supportive and creative
director and writer too. He made me feel super comfortable on set as
everyone already knew each other there but I didn’t know anyone. He
would sometimes change the script up on us and add an improv line instead
that was always hilarious. I had a great time working with Paul and
experiencing the making of this movie! Do
talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere! It
was a very relaxed environment with everyone drinking if they wanted to
and just hanging out in between scenes. The location was so beautiful too.
It was in the middle of summer so it made you just want to jump into the
river - which my character had the opportunity to do! It was very freeing
to be allowed to do anything creatively there as an actor. Any
future projects you'd like to share? There
is nothing coming up currently! I am just constantly auditioning and
keeping my eyes open for my next role. What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
When I was a sophomore in high school, I got out on stage for the first time.
It helped transform me to overcome anxiety and started my acting passion.
I started training for film after I graduated high school in 2018 at
Launch Model and Talent in Metairie. My training had been on pause while I
completed my college degree, but since graduating in 2022 I have gone full
force back into training at a few different places between Covington and
New Orleans! I’ve worked with Jim Gleason, Billy Slaughter, Rachel
Whitman Groves, Nicole Barre and many other amazing actors and acting
coaches. What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to Murdaritaville? In
college I did many short films and only recently this year have I started
being in more commercials too! Most of the short films I did were things I
had written and or directed/produced as well. That was my main point of
focus to study in college! How
would you describe yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to
bring your characters to life? I
would describe myself as an actress that tries to be fully present in the
moment. I try to feel whatever feelings my character would be feeling in
that moment so that my body naturally reacts to those feeling and shows
the truth of my character. I am a super strong empath so if I create a
scenario in my head that is needed for a scene I can transport myself and
my feelings there fairly quickly.
Actresses (and indeed
actors) who inspire you?
|
|
 |
 |
Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned) |
The links below
will take you
just there!!!
|
|
 |
|
My top favorite actress of all time is Jennifer Lawrence. I love her
stillness. It is something I try to work on significantly. It inspires me
how hard she works and all of the ranges of roles she has played. I also
love that she is from a Southern state like I am. Also, a classic actress
that inspires me is Jamie Lee Curtis. But there are so many amazing actors
and actresses, it’s difficult to pick. Your favourite movies? One
of my favorite newer movies is Top Gun: Maverick for sure. I think I saw it
three times in the movie theatres when it came out. I also love classics
like The Notebook and the Harry Potter series, Stand by Me, Star
Wars… gosh it’s difficult to pick only a few. I do love Scary Movie
1 through 3 and 5 is okay too. But real horror movies have never been my
favorite. ... and of course, films you really deplore? I
would say anything scary like Hereditary or any of the Exorcist/Poltergeist type of movies. Your website,
social media, whatever else?
I am currently taking a break from social media but all of my profiles are still up! My
Instagram is _JENNAFRANCIS_ and my TikTok is princess___jenna
Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
don’t think so but thank you so much for your time and your questions! Thanks
for the interview!
|
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
