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Your upcoming film Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich
- in a
few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your character
in it?
The Nazi scientists managed to escape.
They went to various places around the world and secretly continued
experiments on human subjects trying to create the ultimate in super
soldiers. One man has
uncovered the secret and has to try to stop it.
I’m not going to tell you anymore because I really don’t want
to spoil things for anyone. The
one thing I WILL say is that these are NOT zombies.
I played Lt Mary Maion, a Romanian spy.
She’s a lover of the hero and one of the very few good guys.
Sort of. Nothing is
ever quite as it seems in a Phil Gardiner film [Philip
Gardiner interview - click here].
Seriously, when you initially heard the film's title - Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich
-, what were the first thoughts going
through your mind? And how could you relate to the film's subject matter?
I honestly thought “Excellent! I can get covered in blood this time!”
I was desperate for a bit of action and the first thing I did when
I got the script was look through to see what was going to happen to my
character. I have to say I was
utterly thrilled! There have been a bit of a glut of Nazi zombie films
recently, no bad thing at all, some of them have been fabulous viewing but
I was a little worried that this was going to be another film in an area
that’s fast becoming saturated. I
was very wrong.
Rachel with Graham Gill |
It was well known that the
Nazis were, for want of a better phrase, organising breeding programmes
in order to try to create the superior race.
It’s also well known that Hitler was very much into the
occult, marrying the two together wouldn’t have been too much of a leap
and I know that Phil (Gardiner) researched this meticulously and has years
of research under his belt. It’s
something that I took a look into a while ago and found some very
interesting results. As for the subject matter,
it’s very difficult to relate to it but I think there will be parts of
the film that we’ll all relate to on some level.
Those times when you’re not quite sure whether you’re dreaming
or awake but what you’re seeing at that moment is straight out of a
nightmare and it will stay with you for the rest of your life.
I think we’ve all had those.
What can you tell us about Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich's
director Philip Gardiner [Philip
Gardiner interview - click here], and what was your collaboration
like?
Phil is wonderful to work with, and I’m not just saying that because I
know he’ll read this! Initially
he seems quite reticent, then you realise he’s watching you.
He’s looking to see exactly what you’re going to do.
He wants to know that you understand what he’s looking for and
without messing around. He
speaks his mind, he tells it all without sugar coating and you know where
you are. I admire that, I
don’t like dishonesty and I’d rather someone told it as it is than
smiled and gave me false compliments.
Phil gives you your freedom,
you have the construct of your character and the situation you’re in but
it’s up to you as the actor to breathe them into life.
With a nod and a smile, he’ll let you know that’s fine or there
will be a bit of a look that tells you that it’s not enough for that
scene but there’s a trust there that is extremely refreshing.
From what I heard, at least parts of Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich
were shot in an unheated warehouse during the coldest days
of the year - so what can you tell us about the shoot as such and the
on-set atmosphere?
Unheated, no electricity, no running water, no flushing toilets, asbestos
walls and ceilings, broken glass on the floor and roofs that looked like
they would completely collapse with a bit of a nudge.
It was fabulous! If it
had been any other team, I’m sure it would have been hellish, but
everyone just dug in, got on and laughed it all off.
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Rachel with Nathan Head, Nikki Webster |
I used to think, when you
heard actors in interviews talking about how much fun the shoot was or how
wonderful everyone was to work with, that it had to be a load of rubbish.
It had to be something they’d made up, there must have been
points when they really didn’t want to do something in a particular
scene. I don’t think that
anymore. The atmosphere really
was incredible. Friendships
were cemented and it was a joy to go back in to see those same people
every day. I miss them when
we’re not working together.
If there ever was a Dead Walkers II: Since the 4th Didn't Quite
Succeed Either, Let's Raise the 5th Reich, would you be on board?
In a heartbeat!
Prior to Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich, you have made
another film with Philip Gardiner [Philip
Gardiner interview - click here], Exorcist Chronicles - so
what can you tell us about that movie and your role in it?
Ahh, Exorcist Chronicles. The
one that started it all off for me! It
was here I met the majority of people from Dead Walkers.
I played the mother of a girl who was possessed. The
character was a normal, happy, catholic wife and mother.
Her daughter returns after walking the dog, both her and the dog
have become possessed. In one
afternoon, my character’s life has been turned upside down, she has no
idea what to do. She’s
terrified of and for her daughter. It
was hugely emotional and I spent a long time sobbing!
From what I've read, Philip Gardiner pushed his cast quite a bit on Exorcist Chronicles
- so did you ever have the feeling of being pushed too far,
and what can you tell us about your experiences on the movie set?
I never once felt like I was being pressurised into doing anything
I didn’t want to do. If I
had any restrictions, they were ones I’d placed on myself and I soon
realised that I really didn’t want to box myself in. It was liberating
to throw myself into everything and I soon found that saying ‘yes’
allowed me to have a better experience.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is that if you can
wake up after the day before without regretting anything you’ve done,
you know you’re alright. I
didn’t regret a single thing I did and would happily do it all again and
more.
I did end up being very
close to having hypothermia at one stage and that was scary I will admit,
but not only did I come through it I realised that I truly can do anything
I set my mind to. We all say
we can, but to realise that you really can is quite enlightening. Even
learning a Romanian accent!
Let's go back to the beginnings of your career: What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
Many moons ago (I’m not saying how many!) I was involved in Saturday
morning theatre workshops, I was helping to run them after having been
involved in plays, musicals and panto.
Other than a minor qualification from college, I’ve never had any
formal training. Although my
experience has let me teach Drama in secondary schools.
Sometimes I think that formal training stops the organic experience
coming through, I think that it’s sometimes better to think how I would
react in this given situation rather than work through it in some form of
taught method. Acting should
be something intensely personal.
What can you tell us about your filmwork apart from Exorcist Chronicles
and Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich?
Other than being involved with a promotional funding trailer for I’M
Perfection (a We Are Heroes production) I hadn’t done any
filming before.
Any future projects you'd like to share?
More work with the fabulous Phil Gardiner and Michelle Gent [Michelle
Gent interview - click here]!
Later this year, filming will start on Dusty The Demon Hunter.
I’m going to be playing Dusty’s mum with the incredible Nikki
Webster [Nikki Webster
interview - click here] in the titular role. I’m
also going to be working very closely with Phil on a secret project.
I can’t tell you anymore about that right now.
No, not even if you ask me nicely.
Over the years you have also done quite a few stage musicals, right?
So how does performing and singing on stage compare to making a movie?
They’re worlds apart. The
same dedication and professionalism is needed for both, but I think
theatre audiences are far more critical.
You don’t have the chance to make a mistake and have it sorted
out in editing. If your voice
cracks and wavers while you’re singing, everyone there is going to hear
it, there’s no hiding. People
are also very quick to compare you with the person they’ve seen play
that character before. I
played Maria in an amateur production of The Sound of Music some
time ago, I overheard someone saying “that Maria was fantastic, but
she’s no Julie Andrews is she?” No,
I’m not. There is only one
Julie Andrews but that’s the unfortunate part of stage work.
It’s amazing, the adrenalin buzz is out of this world and it’s
incredibly hard work but audiences will compare.
From what I've read, you're also a skilled swordswoman and
experienced belly dancer. You just have to talk about these two talents
for a bit of course?
Oh with pleasure! I’m a
living history re-enactor. I
haven’t been able to be involved for a couple of years for a variety of
reasons, more’s the pity, but I’m one of those that sits in authentic
medieval costume, basically wool, under a blazing sun or drenched with the
usual British summertime rain. But
occasionally, I get the fun of playing with my sword.
It’s a hand and a half sword, otherwise known as a bastard sword
and I’ve been trained by some excellent people.
Going out and having a sword fight in the back garden is one hell
of a way of beating stress!
I’ve been belly dancing
for around fifteen years now. It
was actually something my mother used to do, she was a semi-professional
belly dancer and once got called on to dance on a table during a corporate
meeting! I always thought she
looked incredibly beautiful in her costume and make up and found a class
and it grew from there. It’s
an amazingly sensual and graceful way of moving that seriously improves
self-esteem. There’s a huge
amount I could say about the empowerment of the feminine, and there is all
that to it too, but I just loved it. I’ve
always loved dancing but found that belly dancing really was the thing for
me.
Any other talents of yours we need to know about?
I also write for AWESOME Online Magazine and copy edit.
I’m an editor of a bi-monthly newsletter for New Writers UK.
I like to keep my creative side up as much as possible.
Besides all this, you are also a qualified teacher - now how does
this tie in with all the rest, and what can you tell us about Rachel
Malone, the teacher?
A teacher, by their very nature, is also an actor.
They have to be able to stand in a class of people and present.
They have to have a confidence that they can stand and command
attention. As a teacher, I was
also very approachable, I enjoyed having a class that laughed as well as
learned. It was important that
my students looked forward to coming into my classes and I loved the whole
class environment. Like many
other teachers though, I found the restrictions placed on them by upper
management too stringent. Being
told what you needed to incorporate into every lesson started to make
teaching less of a vocation and restricted how I was able to give lessons.
Teaching is also ridiculously stressful, it’s the most monitored
job out there and a work/life balance is extremely difficult to achieve.
It’s a regular complaint of most teachers that they’re working until
midnight every night and anyone who honestly thinks that teachers work
8.30 – 3.30 and get ridiculous amounts of holiday seriously needs to try
it. The average day in school
for a teacher is 8 – 6, then there’s all the planning and preparation,
all the marking, all the extra training that a teacher needs to do in
order to keep their qualification relevant.
That’s without the added extras from the school in relation to
other training that they think you would benefit from.
Being able to take on all of
that and still keep sane is incredible training for anything else you want
to do in life.
How would you describe yourself as an actress, and what do you draw
upon to bring your characers to life?
As an actress I just throw myself in there.
I can see what’s needed and I’m happy to do it.
If that means being smothered, and I do mean smothered, in fake
blood then bring it on! If
it’s not a challenge, then where’s the fun?
Bringing a character to life takes a lot of thought.
Who are they? What have
they done? What’s their
family life like? I’ll sit
and meditate on them for quite some time, what exactly will they do in
order to achieve their aims? Most
of us have had some dark times in our lives, or we’ve been close to
people that have suffered. We’ve
had to watch helplessly and all of those experiences are things that
I’ve been able to draw on for characters.
Once you’ve got that
character, you can set yourself up for scenes and just know what’s
needed from them in that scene. It’s
getting out of character sometimes that’s hard.
Actresses (or indeed actors) who inspire you?
I’m a huge fan of Viggo Mortensen.
He’s never the same person twice from film to film.
He’s not afraid of any challenges in films; from fighting naked
to riding across a desert he’ll put himself in any position that’s
necessary for the scene. He’s
also a massive animal lover and adopted Bill the Pony from The Fellowship
of the Ring and the horse that played Hidalgo.
They both now live on his ranch.
Helen Mirren is a huge
inspiration. She makes
everything seem so effortless. She’s
incredibly beautiful and is someone that I could watch opening an
envelope.
Your favourite movies?
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I usually jump immediately to Jaws. There’s
nothing about that film that I don’t like, but I’ve recently rekindled
my love for Singing in the Rain. However
I will also say that it depends on the time of year, Christmas just
isn’t Christmas without Die Hard! All
of those though, I’ve seen so many times I can quote them.
For sheer quality though, I think it’s hard to beat All About Eve.
... and of course, films you really deplore?
Those extremely loud and extremely annoying Disney Channel originals!
Gah! The films are the
same, only the titles and actors change.
The endings are usually so cloyingly sweet you can feel diabetes
setting in. Stock characters
of stereotypes reacting in a stereotypical way with a stereotypical story.
Your website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.facebook.com/RachelMaloneActor
www.awesometalentagency.com
Anything else you are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten
to ask?
I take my coffee black.
Thanks for the interview!
You’re very welcome and the coffee’s on you!
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find Rachel Malone at adultvideouniverse.com
