Your new movie Venial
- in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your
character in it?
Basically, Venial
is about a woman who after experiencing a tragedy
denounces her faith God. As a result, her mind and household become
plagued with demons. At the same time, horrible things begin to happen in
her town and people are becoming worried. My character, Claire, in the
beginning, is a devout Christian woman with a blessed life. She cannot
handle losing her husband in the war and tells God that she will no longer
worship Him. Of course, she doesn't realize what this will bring upon
herself and her children. What did you draw upon to bring your
character to life, and could you find any of Claire's characteristics in
yourself? I
will answer the second part first. I do have some things in common with
Claire. I am a Christian and also my husband means everything to me. I
started with those basic things and then I put myself in her situation; I
would be devastated if something happened to my husband or my family of
course and I'm sure I would question my faith in God. It's always about
creating a truthful performance. How did you get involved with the project in
the first place? I have worked with Joe Ciminera in many of
his previous productions. He contacted me for Venial
and let me know he
had this role for me. What can you tell us about your
director Joe Ciminera [Joe Ciminera
interview - click here], and how did the two of you first get in
touch? And since this is not your first movie with Joe, what are your
collaborations usually like, and what can you tell us about this one in
particular?
with Joe Ciminera at the Venial-premiere |
First
of all, Joe is extremely creative and driven. He thinks outside of the box
and knows exactly where he wants a scene to go. Also, as an actor it's
wonderful to work with a director who does everything he can to get his
projects noticed. We first got in touch when I applied for his film
Purification through Craigslist a few years ago. I have to say we work
pretty easily together. He tells me what he wants in a particular scene
and I do my best to deliver. Working on Venial
really wasn't any different
from working in Joe's other productions other than the fact that I had
more scenes and shooting days. Since Joe Ciminera doesn't necessarily work
from fully worded out scripts - how much of a challenge is that for you as
an actress, and is it in fact also liberating? Well,
normally it's a little of both, but in the case of Venial
it was
definitely more of a challenge because not only is the film a period
piece, but we also had to speak with proper English accents. It really
took a lot of preparation. Claire has been my most challenging role yet.
And of course, one of the most fun and satisfying. What can
you tell us about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? Even
though Joe works very quickly and likes things done a certain way, the
atmosphere on set is overall pretty laid back. We can get a lot of work
done in one day but still have time for a few laughs; especially since
most of us have gotten to know each other pretty well through Joe's films. Any
future projects you'd like to share?
Thankfully, I do
have a few things coming up. I recently finished filming an awesome
indie feature called Tiger Lily (directed by Matt Hahn) which should be
premiering soon. I am currently filming two other features, Redemption
(directed by Ryan Callaway) and Histories and Auguries (directed by
Milton X. Trujillo), and a web-series entitled The Great Internet
Swindle (created by Tom Khan). I'm very excited about those as well. And
it looks like I may be working again with Joe very soon so stay tuned
for that!
What got you into
acting to begin with, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject? I
began acting in church plays when I was a kid. I had so much fun and
people would compliment my performance so I decided to take theater
courses in school. The rest is history so to speak. I haven't had formal
training but I do take classes in various studios in NYC. You have actually started your acting career on
the stage - so what can you tell us about your acting-in-the-theatre-days,
and how does performing on stage compare to acting in front of a camera?
And which do you prefer, actually? I
consider my theater background to be priceless and I am very proud of it.
Of course the main differences between acting for film and acting for
stage are 1) on stage you are in front of a live audience and 2) acting for
film is much more subtle. For me, there is more pressure involved with
acting on stage. And although nailing a performance in front of a live
audience is exhilarating, I do prefer working in front of the camera. I
feel more confident in front of a camera (and crew) than in front of an
entire audience. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to work on stage
again in the future.
Can you still
remember your first time in front of the camera, and what was that
experience like?
I can! I was 18 and
was an extra in Coca-Cola commercial that was filmed in Virginia where
I'm from. It was fun but everyone was doing anything they could to get
their face on camera. My first on-camera speaking role was for an indie
movie trailer (I don't think anything came of it) that I shot in
Brooklyn. I had one line and it was amazing to me. I like to look back
on that time and realize how far I've come.
What can you tell us about your
filmwork prior to Venial? Since
moving to New York City in 2005 I have been blessed to have worked in
several indie films and a couple of true crime reenactment television
shows. Most of the roles I play are very emotional and dramatic although
I've done a couple of comedic things too. How
would you describe yourself as an actress?
Passionate,
dedicated, hardworking, and professional.
Actresses
(and indeed actors) who inspire you?
Audrey Tautou, Audrey Hepburn, Johnny Depp, Bette Davis, Jessica
Chastain, Juliette Binoche, Juliette Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Bryan
Cranston, Christian Bale, Parker Posey, Cate Blanchett, Betty White,
Meryl Streep. Just to name a few, lol.
Your favourite
movies?
Breakfast at Tiffany's, Funny Face, The Lord of the Rings
Trilogy, Les Miserables, Field of Dreams, The Wizard of
Oz.
... and of course, films you really deplore? This
is such a great question but I honestly can't think of any. Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
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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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Official Site: www.tiffanybrownetavarez.com
Blog: www.tiffanybrownetavarez.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/tiffanybtavarez?ref=bookmark
Twitter: @tavareztiffany
Instagram: @tiffanybrownetavarez
IMDb: http://m.imdb.com/name/nm3203208
Anything else you are
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? I
can't think of anything. I think you were pretty thorough! This was
awesome. Thank you so much!! Thanks
for the interview!
Anytime.
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