|
Your new movie Dragon
- in a few words, what's it about?
Dragon is a cautionary
tale about an explorer who discovers a rare egg and decides to steal
it—only to learn that his actions have serious consequences.
What did you draw
upon to bring your character to life, and how much Philip Andrew Rogers can we
find in Charlie? When writer/director Dani Thompson [Dani
Thompson interview - click
here] approached me for the role, she described Charlie as an
explorer with a touch of “mummy’s boy”— which was a refreshing change from
the tough characters I usually play. I
didn’t have a specific inspiration for creating the character, but once I
had the costume, I tried to soften the character with details you wouldn’t
expect from an explorer. The tie and flat cap suggest he’s still dressed
by his mum and slightly out of his depth.
I’m known for having a beard, so going clean-shaven worked perfectly, and
I added glasses for good measure. Interestingly, once in costume, I earned
the nickname “Penfold” because of my resemblance to the sidekick character
from Danger Mouse. As
for personality—Charlie is a thief who steals rare eggs, a mummy’s boy,
and an opium enthusiast. So, hopefully, there’s not too much of him in me!
How did you get involved with the
project in the first place, what drew you to it? Dani contacted me after drafting the script offering me the role of
Charlie. We had already collaborated on several projects previously,
including her directorial debut
Gemini, so thankfully she felt that I
could carry the role and knew that we work well together.
I always enjoy working with Dani, and once I read the script, I knew I
wanted to play the role. Having the freedom to create a visually
distinctive character was great fun—and one of my favorite moments was
arriving on set and our DOP, Kemal Yildirim [Kemal
Yildirim interview - click here], didn’t recognise me. That’s
when you know you’re doing something right. To
what extent could you identify with
Dragon's approach to horror? Dragon resonates because it’s about consequences—every action has a price.
I wouldn’t call Charlie a “bad egg,” but once he steals the rare egg that
he finds, it certainly leads him into a very bad situation.
What can you tell us about Dragon's
director Dani Thompson, and what was your collaboration like? Dani creates a relaxed yet professional atmosphere on set, and makes sure
everything is running smoothly. She is respected by the cast and crew, so
when she is set up and calls “action”, everyone is ready. We
discussed the character in detail before filming, so once on set, I had
clarity of what was expected, but also freedom to shape some of Charlie's
mannerisms. Dani’s previous experience as an actress, writer, and director
really gives her a unique ability to understand what actors need and how
to really get the best out of them.
Do talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere!
The atmosphere was positive and collaborative, as most of the cast and
crew were already deeply rooted in the indie horror scene.
It’s always great working with familiar faces and meeting new ones. Kemal
Yildirim is a fantastic DOP—professional, creative, and equally talented
as an actor when he is not behind the camera. It
was my first time meeting and working with Judy Matheson [Judy
Matheson interview - click here], which was a
highlight for me; her experience brought a commanding presence to her role
as Madam Drakaina and I think that really does come across in the film.
It was also great to see Jeff Elsom, who is a massive supporter of indie
filmmaking, make his acting debut as an opium client—he really got into
character and fully embraced blowing on his pink pipe!
Any future projects you'd like to share?
I have five projects premiering at Horror-on-Sea in January.
I am in two films from writer-director MJ Dixon [Mj
Dixon interview - click here], Cleavers 3: Maximum
Cleavage in which I play Bink, a silent but deadly killer clown, and
Bannister Doll Heist where I portray hardened criminal Frank Daniels.
In Angel Lust from writer/director Michael Fausti
[Michael Fausti
interview - click here], I play Polonius Danube,
who is another rather nasty character and father.
In the short Room 102: Resurrection from writer-director Molly Brown, I play
one of the chanting cultists which I did with an accidental German accent.
This was unintentional and accidently came out due to several months of
rehearsals for the stage show of ’Allo ’Allo 2 where I was playing a
German General. I
am also involved in the documentary Horror-on-Sea: 13 Bloody Years from
TIS Films writer/director Alex Churchyard and Michael Holiday.
Finally I am also be in a stage adaptation of Animal Farm which will be
performed at the Palace Theatre, Southend, in March.
What got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive
any formal training on the subject?
I never expected to act—I’ve had no formal training, and my first step into
this was playing Toxie from
The Toxic Avenger
for a cinema event when
Lloyd Kaufman had visited the UK. I continued to play Toxie at various
events and at one of the Q&As Lloyd gave some advice for people who
wanted to get into filmmaking. He said “If you want to get into movies,
just do”—It was a simple quote, but it inspired me.
The next week I contacted an online website called Roobla and said I
wanted to write for them, and I started articles, then reviews and by the
3rd week I was doing interviews. My first being writer-directors Steven
Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie for their film The Void at
MCM Comic Con.
Whilst I didn’t have any previous experience, just a passion for
film I started working closely with the UK indie film industry, which also
led me into roles in front of the camera as masked killers and zombie extras.
When I made a decision, I wanted to take acting more seriously, I
contacted director Tom Lee Rutter [Thomas
Lee Rutter interview - click here], as I was hoping to get a small acting
part in an upcoming film The Pocket Film of Superstitions. Whilst there
wasn’t a part in that for me, he did decide to take a chance and offered
me a part in Video Shop Tales of Terror as dodgy movie producer Benny
Southpaw. The popularity of the character was more than either of us had
expected, which then opened the door to further roles.
What can you
tell us about your filmwork prior to Dragon?
I primarily work in horror but also enjoy undertaking other genres such as
comedy—Best Geezer was a standout experience thanks to a fantastic cast and crew.
I’m still best known for my character Benny Southpaw, who appears in
multiple projects, as well as Mad Mickey, who is one half of the
Philosophical Doormen in the first two entries of the
Horror-Scopes
anthology films and Video Shop Tales of Terror 2.
How would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your
techniques to bring your characters to life?
I love building characters from the ground up—likes, dislikes, wardrobe,
even breakfast choices. It might sound extreme, but when creating a
character, I try to almost become the character and try to get into the
mindset of how they think. I
guess my inspiration for pushing myself occurred early on in my acting
career when someone said I was “always just playing myself,” which pushed
me to focus more on unique looks and mannerisms for each role I am
playing. Now, I strive to make every character more distinct to make it stand out.
Actors (and indeed actresses) who inspire you? Robert De Niro Instantly comes to mind as an influence growing up, in how
he used to change not only his persona depending on the characters he
plays, but also his physique. His ability to transform physically and
emotionally for roles like
Taxi Driver,
Raging Bull and Cape Fear is unmatched.
Tom Hardy is another more modern favorite of mine. His commitment to
character and physical transformation in films such as Bronson,
Warrior
and The Dark Knight Rises is incredible. As with De Niro, it is not just
his physical transformations which set him apart, it is his range of
characters which are just as impressive. Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders
to the
Kray Brothers in
Legend are different ends of the spectrum.
Your favourite movies?
 |
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 overall favourite movie is True Romance, but for horror it would be (in no
particular order) Filipino horror Feng Shui, British anthology horror
Dead of Night
and the original
Evil Dead. ... and of course, films you
really deplore? I
wouldn’t say there are any film I really deplore. I may not connect with
some films, but I respect the effort behind every production. Making a movie is hard work.
Your website, social media,
whatever else? Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, Threads and Slasher App: @rogersphilip101
Facebook: Philip Rogers Thanks
for the interview! |
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
