|
Your new movie Legend
of the Red Reaper - in a few words, what is it about, and what can you
tell us about your character in it?
The story is about Aella, The Red Reaper. She and the other
reapers are beings who are the mixed offspring of demon and human, and
while they are ostracized by many, they are tasked with protecting
humans from the demons.
My character is Ganesh, the leader of the demons. Tara entitled
him "The Lord of the Horde." Ganesh is the most powerful
demon, and he is also Aella's father. They have a very …
tumultuous relationship.
What did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how
much of Ray Eddy can we find in evil Ganesh? I approached
this character from a more philosophical perspective, rather than one of
pure violence and hatred. I thought that as the leader of this evil
horde he would necessarily have more to draw upon than just physical
strength. He is a thinker. He is even a bit soft-spoken, which
may seem unusual for a demon-character, but I really wanted him to be more
than just a big strong monster. I think people who know me would say
that I'm a thinker. You spent
most of your time on Legend
of the Red Reaper in heavy makeup and wearing a 35 pounds
chain mail shirt. Care to elaborate in what way that influenced your
performance and also your stuntwork?
Having a stunt background helped the most, because as a stunt performer
it's NEVER about being physically comfortable. You have to be
comfortable with the action because it's definitely about being
safe. But if you have to wear something bulky or awkward or
uncomfortable, or you're hot, or cold, or tired, well, that's the job!
Be a professional and deal with it.
So when we got to filming Legend
of the Red Reaper, it was just applying that
professional mentality to the acting. After a short time you kind
of forget about the makeup and wig, but every time you move you
definitely feel that chain mail! And in this case, as a stunt
actor I would say it actually helped drive the action. I had to
have the strength to make it look real, and the stamina to keep it going
for a long night of filming, but fighting against gravity every moment
certainly kept me connected to the intensity of the moment.
How did you get
involved with the project in the first place? Actually it
was simple - I saw a posting online looking for actors for an action film,
specifically for actors with sword fighting experience. Stage combat
is my passion, so that's all I needed to see! I submitted my
headshot and resume, and Tara and her team brought me in for an interview.
From there she'll have to tell you why I got the job - I don't know! What can
you tell us about Legend
of the Red Reaper's creator/director/star Tara Cardinal [Tara
Cardinal interview - click here], and what was your collaboration
like?
I can say without hesitation that Tara is the most focused and driven
filmmaker I have ever met. To hear what she went through to get
this project completed is absolutely mind-boggling.
Working with Tara was terrific. She surrounds herself with a great
crew, and that's something else I really respect. And she was a
real pro on the set, always prepared and enthusiastic. If she was
tired or frustrated, you'd never know it. And between takes there
was always a good environment on her set, which speaks volumes to her
leadership.
Do talk about the actual shoot for a bit if you
may!
Well, it's fair to say that it was challenging, but not in a bad way!
At times we had multiple characters performing multiple fight
scenes simultaneously on a huge set. And at night the set would
have to be lit like crazy. Everyone had makeup, and half of us had
essentially full-body makeup. You have to get good sound, but keep
the boom mike out of the shot …. What part of it WASN'T
challenging??
To really give you an idea of what it was like, imagine hearing "We
have to hurry, we only have a couple of hours until the sun comes
up!" There you go.
Any future projects you'd like to share? Sure
- I produced, directed, and am the lead in a new film called The
Lost Coven. We just finished post-production, and we're
currently talking to a few distributors to see if any want to pick it up.
You can check out www.facebook.com/TheLostCoven
for more info. What
got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject?
Honestly I started out in stunts.
I always wanted to be a stuntman when I was a kid, but I never
thought it was realistic. I went to college, got a job, got a
master's degree, got another job, and on and on until I finally chose to
start my own business largely so I would have time to train and try to
become a stuntman. Once I started getting some stunt work I realized
that acting training would help my stunts as well, and then I got hooked
into acting. I have studied acting for years now, trying different
styles with a number of terrific teachers. But my favorite acting
projects are still action-oriented. I like to think of myself as a
stunt-actor since I have a lot of training in both areas, rather than
being a stunt guy who can act, or an actor who can do some stunts. Besides an actor, you're also a
fight choreographer, right? So what can you tell us about that aspect of
your career? Yes I am. As I mentioned, my favorite
area of stunt work is stage combat, so I have trained extensively in that
specific area. In fact, on 2 occasions I have trained at a 3-week
intensive stage combat workshop held by the Society of American Fight
Directors. And when I say intensive, I mean intensive! It runs
from 8:30AM-10PM Monday through Friday and 9-5 on Saturday for 3 weeks,
really focusing on perfecting your technique in multiple types of weapons
and styles of fighting. I have also worked one-on-one with other
terrific stage combat instructors. With over 10 years of experience
I have now started teaching people locally, and I have choreographed some
fights for a few small films and performing groups. What can you tell us about your filmwork
prior to Legend of
the Red Reaper? Most of my work so far has been in
small films, some TV, commercials, etc., as well as some live stunt shows.
Nothing really huge yet. I enjoy the work that I do, though,
and I'm hoping to continue doing it. If something ever breaks big,
then terrific! But this is a crazy, random business. I'm not
losing any sleep over the fact that I'm not big-time. How would you describe yourself
as an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your characters to life?
Having trained in various acting techniques, I like to think of each of
them as tools in a toolbag. There's not one that I subscribe to
exclusively. Sometimes Meisner will help me connect with another
actor, or maybe Method will help me get there, improv, Morris,
Stanislavsky, whatever.
Don't get me wrong, I am no master of any of these techniques! I
have just been exposed to a lot of different styles, and I think that's
helped me open up and experience the emotions you need to feel to be a
decent actor. If I can keep it simple, be in the moment, and
breathe, I have a chance to do something that I hope will be
interesting. And that's all I can do.
Actors
(or indeed actresses) who inspire you?
If I were to choose an actor whose career I would most like to emulate,
it would be Bruce Willis. He plays wonderful action roles, and I
really enjoy the humanity he brings to his characters. His work
just fits my style, and he does the kind of films I enjoy watching.
I really enjoy his work.
If I were to tell you my favorite actor, it changes over time. But
right now, my favorite powerful actor who always captivates every scene
is Alan Rickman. I loved his work well before Harry Potter. He
is absolutely extraordinary.
Your favourite
movies?
 |
Feeling lucky?
Want to
search
any of my partnershops yourself
for more, better results?
(commissions earned) |
The links below
will take you
just there!!!
|
|
 |
As a sword fighter, how could I not say The
Princess Bride? But I'll give you a few others, and this will
give you a glimpse into my personality: Raiders of the Lost
Ark, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and
The Matrix. ... and of course, films you really deplore?
Oh, I don't know. Even if a film isn't very good, it can be good
for a laugh, so that's something!
Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
I have two websites that I need to consolidate into one, but for now I
have an acting site at www.RayEddy.me
and an stunt website at www.RayEddyStunts.com.
I'm not really big on Facebook or Twitter, which is probably
another issue I need to address …
Anything else you are
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Not
really! Thanks
for the interview!
My pleasure. Thank you!
|
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.de
eThaiCD.com
