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Your new movie Blood
Brothers - in a few words,
what is it about, and what can you tell us about your characters in it?
The film is about two brothers who are
attempting to commit their first murder. I play two women that the
brothers attempt to kill: Genevieve, a friendly waitress and Vanity, a
street walker. What
did you draw upon to bring your characters to life, and how much of Hannah
Levien do we find in either of them?
With
Genevieve I drew on a very trusting and kind energy - from within myself,
and also by spending time with the actress who played my daughter, Maddie.
I spent a fair bit of time with the actress' real mother as well.
With
Vanity I spent quite a bit of time with the choreographer of the film, and
listening to a lot of influential music. Vanity says "I always wanted
to be a dancer", and I found music & movement very helpful and
tapping into that character. Costume definitely helped also.
Playing two rather
opposite characters in the same movie, is that at all straining or what's
the experience like, actually? It's
definitely a challenge, one I wish I got to experience more often. It was
a very interesting experience - because it allowed me to different ways to
tell a story in the same film. It was challenging because we were very
limited on time and resources. But I felt very supported by Jose [Jose
Prendes interview - click here], the
director, and the team. Having quite a bit of time for rehearsals
definitely helped also. How did you get involved with the project in the first place? I
was approached by the producers who were familiar with my work from other
projects. I then met with Jose and we got on really well and it went from
there. What can
you tell us about your director Jose Prendes [Jose
Prendes interview - click here], and what was your
collaboration like? Jose and I
had a great time working together and develop a strong friendship. He's a
very talented writer/director with so many stories in his mind. He's very
playful with what actors bring to the table. We both had ideas about both
of my characters - it was quite a creatively inspiring process. What can you tell us about the shoot as such,
and the on-set atmosphere?
It
was a great on-set atmosphere - everyone was really stoked to be there. You
don't always get that on set! Any future projects you'd like to share?
I
have a few things in the pipeline but nothing I'm able to share just yet!
What got you
into acting in the first place, and what can you tell us about your
training on the subject? I've
always been passionate about stories and storytelling. I loved performing
and collaborating from a young age. I grew up in Brisbane, Australia &
trained at a company called the Australian Acting Academy during high
school, and after school I went to university and got my BA in Acting.
It's basically a three-year conservatory style training similar to the UK.
As far as I know, before you
got into doing movies, you did quite a bit of stagework - so what can you
tell us about Hannah Levien, the stage actress, and how does performing on
stage compare to acting in front of a camera, and which do you prefer,
actually?
I
have to say I love both - and I feel they're quite different and feed
different parts of me. Both have challenges - in film/TV, the days are long
and often scenes are shot out of order, you can do the same
line/moment/scene over & over again (pending budget & time). And
there is often very little rehearsal time.
In
theatre, you have several weeks of rehearsal, and the experience is
different every night you perform. But each time you perform you
only get one take. Both require a different mindset and probably in some
ways different preparation.
Supernatural |
What can you tell us about your
filmwork prior to Blood
Brothers? My first
from experience was on an Australia thriller called The Horseman. It
played a number festivals including SXSW. I cut my teeth on a number of
short films to gain experience, and went on to work on a number of
independent films once I was living in the States - including Children of
Sorrow.
I've also been working in TV over the last couple of years on such shows
as Supernatural and The Magicians. Your career eventually took you from
your native Australia to LA - so what are the main differences regarding
filming here and there? I
would say first and foremost American productions often have larger
budgets - but that said Australian film is very strong and our TV is
becoming stronger all the time especially with platforms like Netflix
becoming available. I'd say I've personally experienced more diversity in
American content in terms of the roles available to me and the stories. How would
you describe yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to bring
your characters to life?
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The
actress I'd like to be is someone who plays empowered female characters
and is dedicated to telling good stories. Actressess (or indeed actors)
who inspire you? Cate
Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Maggie Smith, Gillian Anderson. Your favourite movies?
Deerhunter,
Short Cuts, Beginners, Shame, Jurassic Park, Stand
by Me. ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
Hahaha...
I probably don't want to name names! But I'm not much of a fan of films
that encourage style/VFX over substance. Your website,
Facebook, whatever else?
Twitter:
@hannahlevien
Instagram:
@hannahsaurusrex
Web:
www.hannahlevien.com
Anything else you are dying to
mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? If
you like a good horror film, get out and see Blood
Brothers! And thanks for the
support :-) Thanks for
the interview!
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