Your movie The Scarehouse
- in a few words, what is it
about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
The Scarehouse
is a revenge flick that centers around two sorority girls who
end up in jail for murder. I play Lisa Jenner, one of their sisters they plan
on torturing and killing, but Lisa gives them a tougher time than they
anticipated.
What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much of
Jennifer Miller can we find in Lisa?
So much! Lisa is the tomboy of the group. She is a little rough around the
edges. That was a lot like me growing up, I'm pretty sure I didn't wear a
dress until I was 25. I was Ninja Turtles over Barbies and I feel like Lisa
would have been too. It's clear in the film she has had some fight training,
and I got my start in stage combat in theatre school. Shooting those fight
scenes with Sarah Booth [Sarah Booth
interview - click here] and Kimberly-Sue Murray, oh man I can't describe how much fun I had....
Flips and hooks and head smashes. Awesome.
How did you
get hooked up with the project in the first place, and to what extent can
you identify with the film's horror theme?
I came about the role in this crazy back ended way. I heard about the
auditions for this film but at the time wasn't able to make it. (I've
known Sarah and Kimberly since theatre school at Dawson College back
around 2006 so I was thrilled for them undertaking this project.) So one
day I finished up my day job as a receptionist and see all these missed
calls from Sarah and some guy Gavin. I have about 8 voicemails, the gist
being "Can you be on a train to Windsor Ontario at 6am tomorrow
morning?" When I finally get to speak with Sarah and Gavin they tell
me that they are in the middle of shooting
The Scarehouse
and an actress
is dropping out because she's gotten a huge opportunity on an American TV
show. (When you're a Canadian actor, you want those American credits!)
Without much thought I agreed having never read the script or know what I
was getting myself into. I knew I would be in good hands with Sarah. So
there I was on a cold train at 6am the next day reading the script off my
tiny iPhone because I didn't have enough time or ink to print it out. Let
me tell you, when I got to the broken glass/dildo plan for Lisa, I was
ready to jump off the train and walk back home! Luckily that never came to
fruition. I'm so lucky that the role I ended up with was Lisa. If I had
had a chance to read the script and audition it would most certainly have
been for her. As far as identifying with the films theme, I mean everyone
has revenge fantasies. I had a nasty ex in theatre school and I wanted to
pelt his house with rotting meat.
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What can you
tell us about your director Gavin Michael Booth [Gavin
Michael Booth interview - click here], and what was your
collaboration like?
I love Gavin. I adored working with him. I was terrified that first day on-set
because I was just thrown into the mix as a replacement at Sarah's suggestion.
She told me "If anyone can play Lisa, it's you." I loved that, but I
knew Gavin hadn't seen a single thing I'd done, never saw me audition. I was
terrified of disappointing him! After each day of shooting I would pull Sarah
aside and ask her "Does he like what I'm doing?! Does he think it's
crap?!" She laughed me off and assured me he was happy to have me on
board. Gavin is so easy to talk to and shoot ideas around with on-set. He let
me tweak Lisa how I wanted and for an actor that is the most fun, that's when
you feel like you get to stretch that artistic muscle.
What
can you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
Jennifer with Sarah Booth |
Well I can tell you about the on-set smell! That place stunk! It will be
forever burned deep into my nostrils, but it's one of those things where you
learn to love it. Almost helps you get into character like sense memory.
People on set were ridiculously nice. I was well taken care of. Especially off
set at Mike Carriers place! Mike's wife Danielle was the bomb, I don't think
she slept. There must have been about 10 of us at any given time staying at
their house and there was always clean laundry and fucking fresh cookies every
morning.
Any
future projects you'd like to share?
January 26th on Bravo you might recognize a little nurse in pink on 19-2.
There is also an upcoming episode of Helix where I play a brainwashed pregnant
cult chick.
What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
So I was in highschool, 16 at the time, and everyone and their dog is asking
what CEGEP (weird Quebec post-highschool thingy) are you going to? What
program are you taking? I DON'T FREAKIN KNOW WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE! I'M
16!! So then I get the brilliant idea of doing EVERYTHING. One day I get to be
a doctor, one day I get to be a pilot, one day I get to be an
adderall-addicted mother. I had been on stage as a dancer since I was 4, so it
wasn't a huge leap to add lines to a performance. So I ended up studying at
Dawson's Professional Theatre Program.
As far as I know, you got your start in theatre, right? So what
can you tell us about your theatrical career, and how does performing on
stage compare to acting in front of a camera? I love
theatre, I just wish it would pay the bills. You don't get that rush of
being in front of a live audience in film. If you screw up in film you can
re-do a take. If you screw up on stage you had better figure out how to
make it work. You're always on your toes. I don't have much of a
theatrical career anymore sadly, I'm too picky. I won't do theatre in the
summer because that's when film and TV really heats up. One day on a set
works out to 3 weeks of pay in theatre.
How did
you eventually get into movies and TV, and what can you tell us about your
filmwork prior to The Scarehouse?
Film and TV is the natural progression from being a theatre
grad. Some people get lucky and book roles right out of the gate, some
audition for years before they start booking. I ended up easing into film
and TV by doing tons of commercials. Everyone wants me to sell shit. But
that's fine! Pays the bills and gave me an ease and confidence in front of
the camera that translated into the audition room for bigger better
projects.
The Scarehouse
was my first feature, but it's really like any
other shoot, just on a bigger scale. It's essentially the same process.
You of course also have to talk about your directorial
debut All Tied Up for
a bit, and what prompted you to be on the other side of the camera as
well?
I had started writing a TV series with my
now-boyfriend Johnny Sa. Months in we found out that the exact same idea
had been picked up by HBO. Disheartened we gave up on the project, but I
really started to miss writing. We came up with a game where Johnny would
text me with two characters and a conflict and I would have to write the
screenplay. We have a few of these collected now, but he really loved All Tied Up,
so we funded it ourselves and shot it. The only reason I ended up
as director is because I am a control freak and All Tied Up
was my baby. We
flirted with a few directors but none of them saw the project the same way
we did so I ended up doing it. Thank god for our Director of Photography
Kes Tagney. He pulled more than his weight on that baby.
A few words about your production company
Saw-Mill Productions,
and the philosophy behind it? Saw-Mill
(a mix of Johnny SA and Jennifer MILLER) became our little production
company thanks to All Tied Up. We have a slew of scripts and ideas and
zero money. My ultimate goal is not to be a director or writer, but
sometimes when your career feels like a ten year old Chevrolet Cobalt that
can't make it out of the snow you have to get out of the driver seat and
push. Saw-Mill
was a way for us to make our own work. (Side note, anyone
have a car battery they can sell me?)
How would you describe
yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life?
You always always always have to love the character that your playing.
Even if you are some kind of child murdering psychopath you have to find a
way to love it, otherwise you come across as insincere. Everything about
acting is subjective, you can't possible take every technique everyone has
taught you over the years and apply it, you take what you believe in and
use it. I think that's why I love acting, there are no real rules. I'm
rubbish at being told what to do. I think that what helps me the most is
replaying in my mind the characters past events. What has happened to this
person that led them to the exact spot they're in now? That will
influence their future decisions. Actresses (and indeed actors) who
inspire you? Just people around me. There isn't one person
who's career I follow. I'm always watching people work around me, everyone
has something to teach you. If they are doing something terrible, then at
least you can save yourself from making the same mistakes. Your favourite movies?
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The
Lord of the Rings trilogy hands down. It was the first time I was obsessed
with the world a film created. I've watched the thousands of hours of
behind-the-scenes footage wanting to know everything about how the films
were made, the sets, the props, the score. I am probably the most annoying
person to watch the films with. I am constantly interrupting the movie
with little "Did You Know?" facts. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? Gone Girl. Ugh.
Just pick something and stick with it. You can't do EVERYTHING. Make a
freakin' choice. Your website, Facebook, whatever else?
http://jennifermilleractor.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3595226/?ref_=rvi_nm
Thanks
for the interview!
Thanks Mike!
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