HW: Many actors have a love/hate relationship with auditions. What mindset do you adopt when you audition? DS: Auditioning is an animal all its own. But things are a bit different now. Ten, fifteen years ago, you always auditioned in person. Your agent would call you to attend a casting call, you’d audition in front of a panel and that’s the way it was. Now, I mostly audition via video. They’ll send me the material and I’ll tape myself or have someone tape me doing that character. It lets me audition for more gigs because I live in Orange County (CA) and getting to L.A. can be crazy. It also frees you to do your best take, to be in the moment and put your best foot forward. In terms of mindset, you’re not going to get every part and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or you’re not right for the part. Sometimes, it just doesn’t click.
By: Alex A. Kecskes
HW: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Your background could be described as nothing less than eclectic--fitness gym founder, singer, actress, South Africa AIDS volunteer. Let’s start with your love of singing and acting. When did that begin? DS: I’ve always loved singing, acting and anything in the entertainment field. Starting at a young age, I’d put on little plays for my family and make up songs. In school, I was in choir and drama. And I had excellent teachers who gave me the confidence to follow my dreams. After college, I was in a girl duo, where we wrote, created and shot a music video. Then I got married, had my two beautiful daughters, and when they grew out of needing mommy 24/7, I had the opportunity to get back into acting with The Vault. HW: Some actors will work with only certain directors, others prefer to be in majors over indies, and still others choose action over drama. What do you look for when accepting a role? DS: I’m open to different directors and genres. It challenges me to do something new every time. I think it’s great that some people like to stay in their wheelhouse, but being in a horror movie is totally different from being in a drama. The character and what surrounds you are always very different.
HW: In The Vault, you worked with James Franco, Taryn Manning and Francesca Eastwood in a horror/thriller described as The Town meets The Sixth Sense. Can you tell us about the film and the challenges you faced? DS: I loved this script. When I first got it, I thought it was just another horror film. But it’s not. So I was excited to work on it. Like you said, it’s a combination horror/thriller, so as the movie starts out, you’re unaware of this supernatural element. There’s this bank robbery with action and you think it’s a thriller, but after it gets going, you get these creepy vibes. And as the movie plays out, you realize it’s not just a bank robbery but all these other things. It’s this twist and turn of events that shock you throughout the movie. HW: You’ll also be in Day of the Dead: Bloodline, a remake of the 1975 George A. Romero zombie classic with Sophie Skelton and Johnathon Schaech. What can you tell us about being in this survivalist horror/thriller? DS: This is horror, full out, with all the blood and guts people look for in these movies. So you’re getting your zombie fill for the day. It’s fun to be part of this franchise because it has such a huge following and people are really excited about it. I play Linda, someone who doesn’t know about zombies. She suddenly comes to the realization: okay, there are zombies everywhere. We worked in a huge studio in Bulgaria, which was amazing. I was in these outdoor city scenes with things exploding, and I worked with the stunt crew to do my own little stunt. The directors and actors were great. Jeff Gum is a good friend who I’d worked with before.
Debbie Sher FROM BUSINESS TO SHOW BUSINESS
24 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY