First of all, could you introduce yourself in a few words to those
of us unfortunate enough to not already know you?
My
name is Seregon O’Dassey, and I’ve been acting and modeling since I
was pretty young. I’ve done numerous TV shows, commercials, films,
theatre productions and have been in several magazines. I’m most known
for being in Playboy magazine and as a Scream Queen.
Your
latest, yet-to-be-released movie is called Cleric. What can you
tell us about the movie as such and the role you play in it?
I
play the lead role of Samara, a cop type character hired to hunt
down and kill a mutant heretic - a government project gone wrong.
As
far as I know, you also did your own stunts in Cleric. What kind of
a challenge was that, and what can we expect from Clericstuntwise?
I
did do my own stunts and learned fight choreography on the spot. It was a
challenge, but a small one since I trained for about a month before the
shoot. I have also gone through basic training and I do kickboxing
regularly. It takes a lot to wear me down ;)
Besides Cleric, you recently also had a supporting role in (the
yet-to-be-released) Teeth of Beasts. A few words about that movie
and your role in it?
I
only shot one day for this film. I play an old, evil crone who possesses
people through Ouija boards. I have a great battle scene and get pretty
messy
J
Both Cleric and Teeth of
the Beasts were produced by Red Scream Films. What can you tell
us about that company? Well
Cleric will actually be release under Calabi-Yau LLC, but Red Scream is
the parent company. They do a lot of indie horror/sci-fi productions.
Mostly everything is shot in Buffalo, NY where they are located.
You also played the lead in the
recently released False Face. Could you talk about that one for a
bit?
I
play the girlfriend of the lead actor who has a gambling problem. When a
friend of his hooks him up with a shady organization to help him out, he
doesn’t follow their rules and things start to go very badly - for me too!
People disappear, people follow one another … It’s a suspense thriller
about wondering who you can trust. The movie that put you on the map though, at least
concerning the horror genre, was Ghostwatcher 2, which as far as I
know was also your first lead role ever. A few words about that one?
I’ve
had a couple of other parts up until that point, but it was my first lead.
I play the older sister of a girl who hears voices. We hire The
Ghostwatcher to find out who the voices are and what they want. It is also
kind of a thriller. You
had a very small role in Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. How
does working in indie horror differ from working on multi-million Dollar
movies? It
takes so much longer. There’s money being wasted for no reason. Too many
people stand around for no reason, and there are 100s of extras, 100s of
takes, for nothing honestly. You can do as much with 40 takes as you can
with 10. The thing about indie film is that the actors seem to try harder.
If I were getting paid $100,000 I would make sure to NOT forget the damned
lines! Any films I have forgotten you'd like to talk
about? Searching
for Bobby D. It was a comedy in which I had a day player role. I play a
hotel clerk that doesn’t take too well to some wannabe mobsters. That
came out in 2005. Any future projects you'd like to talk about?
By the time you read this I will have just
shot a music video for a band called The Pushrods. I booked a part in a comedy shooting soon and I’m on hold for 2
features also shooting in the fall. I’m co-writing Cleric 2 and a
graphic novel. I also signed with a PR firm recently to promote my new
Vampyre video diary. They are handling everything, so I’m not sure where
I’ll be or what I’ll be doing exactly
from now until October, but I can promise it will be interesting! You
have also done quite some television. What can you tell us about your
TV-work? TV
work is much more intense because it’s faster paced. Even 14 hrs on a
set for one episode is still faster than most big films. I have more tv
credits than anything else because (unless you’re a contract actor)
there is less of a commitment. It’s easier to do a day player than
commit to 3 months for a play.
Most of the films you made are horror flicks.
Was this a conscious choice, and is horror a genre especially dear to you?
No.
It just kind of happened. Friends hooked me up with the guys from False
Face, which was after Ghostwatcher 2. Then I was in Vampirella and
Fangoria magazines. After that I kind of became known in the genre and
people starting asking me to look at their scripts. Honestly, I didn’t
grow up in love with the horror genre. I have nothing against it, of
course (LOL), but I didn’t make it a goal to go right into that genre.
Things just started to snowball in that direction. I am, however, a huge
Sci-Fi geek! Women
in horror films are quickly labelled Scream Queens. Is this label
at all bothering you? It
did at first because I thought it would pigeon hole me. But you make your
own destiny. I took roles that had nothing to do with horror, and I
quickly proved that I can do anything. Now it’s one way to describe me,
but it no longer defines me. Besides movies, you have also done
quite some work on the stage. Would you like to elaborate on your stage
work for a bit? I have done comedy plays like The Man Who Came to
Dinner and classics like Uncle Vanya and The Tempest. Playwrights like
Chekhov and Shakespeare are great opportunities to really dive into the
character study. I
enjoy theatre because it really helps me with things like diction, volume
and thinking on my feet. Improv is also great way to hone in on my skill.
What do you prefer, acting in
front of the camera or on stage? I
prefer film. I think you can be more creative there. It’s also difficult
if someone messes up, you don’t need to think fast and save the
production. I do theatre to stay sharp. Most of it currently, however, is musicals and that limits my work
since I don’t sing. How did you get into
acting in the first place, and how did you make it into the movies? I
did pageants when I was a kid. I started role playing D&D when I was
about 13 (yes I’m a real nerd, lol!) and I begged my mom to let me take
acting classes. After I lost some weight I started modeling, and booked 2
commercials. I got into the movies just by auditioning. Eventually, I
started getting parts. Besides
acting you have also been working as a model for I don't know how long.
Would you like to talk about that aspect of your career, and has modelling
in any way prepared you for your acting assignments?
I’ve
been a model almost as long, if not longer. I started when I was in my
early teens. It helped in acting because you can’t just stand there.
Even if you’re drop dead gorgeous you have to sell the ad. You have to
look a certain way, have different facial expressions, and know how to do
different poses so you don’t look boring. You also have to know what
you’re selling. If you’re modeling lingerie then you have to look sexy
- not as if you would rather be anywhere else than where you are.
In your resumé I read you were Playboy's Employee of
the Months in April 2006. You simply have to say a few words
about that achievement of yours!
It
is an achievement. I’d been submitting for 5 years up to that point.
They are the opposite of indie films in that you can’t be in it simply
because you want to. They
don’t take everyone who submits (they get 1000s of submissions a day!),
so I felt honored. Your resumé also lists
among your special skills Mortuary Studies (Embalming, Funeral Planning, Cosmetology &
Restorative Art). Could you please elaborate on these
skills of yours? I
went to college because that’s what I thought you were supposed to do
after high school. I had always been into the Occult and been a Vampyre in
my heart, so I was naturally drawn toward the funeral studies. I went to
mortuary school and worked in 2 different funeral homes doing removals,
makeup, dressing and yes, embalming. It didn’t scare me or freak me out
or anything. I just wasn’t happy because I wasn’t acting. Any other
special talents you'd like to mention? Not
before dinner and a movie ;) Seriously,
I am not your typical girl. Even though I look very mainstream (due to
having a mainstream career in addition to a Scream Queen one) I’ve been
into the Goth and Vampyre scenes since I was a teenager.
Your website,
MySpace, whatever else?
http://www.seregonodassey.com
http://www.onemodelplace.com/model_list.cfm?ID=40067
http://www.modelmayhem.com/SeregonODassey
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Seregon-ODassey/55049623801?ref=search
– Fan page
www.myspace.com/seregonodassey (personal)
www.myspace.com/seregonodasseyactress
(Industry professionals only - no personal requests here please)
http://www.myspace.com/falsefacemovie
Actresses
who have inspired you?
Jennifer Connolly, Rachael Weisz, Natalie
Portman. Any
filmroles you'd love to have played (no matter how impossible)?
Lara
Croft, one of the cheerleaders in Bring it On (hey, I was a cheerleader!)
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Your
favourite films?
All
the Harry Potter movies, anything by Tim Burton, Labyrinth,
Blade Runner,
A Beautiful Mind, American Beauty, Star Trek: First Contact to name a few.
And of course,
some films you really deplored?
Eragon was pretty bad. Hostel was scary, but after
that it became nothing more than torture porn. Enough with the damned Saw
movies already! Meet the Spartans.
Anything
else you'd like to talk about that I have simply forgotten to ask?
Wearing all black doesn't make you Goth; putting fake teeth in your mouth
doesn’t make you a Vampyre. Get over it.
What I’m trying to say is,
let your appearance be an expression of
you, but don’t let it define who you are. Don’t judge a book by
its cover, and don’t let others judge you by yours.
And can I just tell people to stop doing
photo shoots in a graveyard - that’s SO over. Ok, that’s it ;) Thanks
for the interview!
Thank
you!! J
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