First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
don't already know you?
I'm Chandler Maness. I'm from Washington, D.C. The rest is
is self-explanatory. A few words about your upcoming Orgy
of Blood? If the title appeals to you, the movie will
deliver what you're looking for. What can you tell us about the Final
Girl-movies, which you are working on presently I think? Its
a project unlike any I've ever seen or been a part of. Its creative
visionary filmmaking... really a bold idea. I'm excited about
getting down to work, as I get to play several characters. Plus I
love the producers, and I've already worked with Elissa [Elissa
Dowling interview - click here], Devanny [Devanny
Pinn interview - click here], Creep [Creep
Creepersin interview - click here], Domi [Domiziano
Arcangeli interview - click here], and Nikki so it should be a great working environment as well.
Don't worry, there's still lots of blood.
All
above films are directed by Creep Creepersin [Creep
Creepersin interview - click here]. What can you tell us about the
man? Creep's awesome. Once the industry realizes how
fast and efficient this guy is, he'll be working nonstop making
the powers that be lots of money. He expects certain things from his
actors, and shoots at rapid-fire pace. He writes most of his
projects so he thinks on his feet and adapts the script if we
run into any issues during production. I would work for
him anytime. Unlike studio projects I've worked on, and major
factor for Creep is the attitude and willingness of his actors
to do whatever it takes to get the shot. Thats great for me,
because I loathe having to work with divas, and it's also fun
because I know I have to be ready to roll 100% of the time. I like
the challenge. His wife's pretty cool too, I guess ;) How did you first come into contact with Creep
Creepersin?
I auditioned for Orgy of Blood, same as
everyone else. I booked the role, so we got to work together... and
when he realized he could tolerate me, well, it was the beginning of a
beautiful relationship. He brings me flowers. A few words about your upcoming Box of
Shadows? An interesting experience. I had a supporting
part, but everyone involved was really talented. My favorite on
set moment was when I literally scared the living crap out of director,
Mauro Borrelli. I was hiding underneath a car in the parking
lot on set in my Reaper costume and leapt out on him in front of the whole
crew... and he screamed like you wouldn't believe. There is nothing
more gratifying then scaring the director on a horror film... in front
of lots of people. The film itself is has a supernatural
storyline, but its also mixed with real-world themes like
drug-addiction and obsession. I think it'll do well. What can you tell us about your webseries Don't
be Evil? A friend of mine Tyler Johnson is a
brilliant writer-director... and he's only 21! The typical
film-school dropout, he writes like 10 scripts a week.
Basically he got a bunch of buddies and a HVX-200 and shot
this series about a guy named Steve (played by me) who was an sports
agent and gets nailed by a car. He ends up being sent back to
earth as a guardian angel, but he's still the fast-talking asshole he was
while he was alive. Hilarity ensues... yadda yadda. You also were in the short The Devil's
Matchmaker? Yes. These questions aren't
open-ended you know. We won best comedic short at the 2009 Dances
with Films festival in LA.
You also had an uncredited role in the Walt
Disney-production Race to Witch Mountain. What can you tell
us about this experience as opposed to acting in inependent films as you
usually do? I've never watched such a waste of money before
my eyes. It's very routine... and no one's there for the passion.
Everyone's making ridiculous amounts of money for doing very little,
and I feel like that's just not a good work format. I learned a lot...
that I like indie movies. I get some input. I like
to get my hands dirty... not get treated like a number. Any filmwork I have left out you would like
to talk about?
There was my stint as Cody
on the webseries 2/8 life. You can check it
out on HULU or at facebook.com/28life.
I got to play a self-obsessed reality TV star in this biting
comedy. It makes fun of a lot of pop culture stuff that drives me
insane, plus I got to be an exagerrated version of what
people expect me to be. That's fun. Also, I just shot another
feature that's revolutionary and really gonna blow some people's minds. Elissa
Dowling [Elissa
Dowling interview - click here] plays the lead, and our mutual friend Ramzi is
directing. I'm pretty sure I can't say more than that. Any future projects?
No,
my career is over. Just kidding... I hope. I'm doing
Corporate Cutthroat Massacre with Creepersin Films, and I'm the lead
in an indie drama shooting early spring in Ethiopia called The
Coffee Merchant. I'm also in the running for a part in
the new Mike Mendes (Gravedancers) film.
A few words about The Janice Dickinson
Modeling Agency, the show that first brought you to the (small) screen? This
will haunt me forever. I had just gotten to LA and was
desperate. Theatre diplomas didn't do anything for me, so I auditioned
for this everything. Somehow they ended up booking me
on the show, one of 9 people out of over 4,000. I had never modeled
before and kind of was tongue-in-cheek about the whole thing. Laughing at the show, myself for auditioning, the whole thing. I
guess that's why they chose me. But, somehow in this ass-backwards
town it opened doors for me. Also, for what it's worth Janice is
fucking cooler than anyone in America knows. She's an actor too,
really. She's whip smart, sarcastic, and sort of humble... believe it or not. What
do you prefer, acting or modeling, and why? No offense,
but thats' a stupid question. No, I take that back. I was
just insulted because I hate modeling. It's boring, vapid, and
talentless. But it pays well. Acting gets my goat... living as someone else is awesome even if for just a
short period of time. It's truly controlling your mind and body, and
I can't liken it to any other thing on this earth. The writing
process, the filmmaking process, and the character creation process are
just the most interesting things to me. Studying people, their motivations,
their interactions with others... it's all enjoyable. So basically,
its not even really work in the classic context. It's doing what I love for a living. I'm blessed. How did you
get into acting in the first place? My dad was a Colonel
in the Army, so our family moved every two years. As most people
know, socializing when you're growing up can be brutal. Each and
every place in the world has different customs, and different things are
socially acceptable and cool. So I basically had to
become someone else every time I moved to have friends and not be an
outcast. I failed for the most part. So between learning how
to change traits in myself, and developing a sense of I'll show
them all, there was really only one place to go. The
theater. I double-majored in theatre and history at the College
of Charleston, and moved out to LA as soon as I graduated. Bam. Did you ever take
acting classes? Yes, lots of them... and I don't think I'll
ever stop. I always learn something new, or at least get
reinvigorated for what I love to do.
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Actors (or indeed actresses) who
inspire you? I have several categories... young
actors whose work I admire: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James McAvoy, Ben
Foster, Michael Pitt, I've never seen Ben Foster in a movie he
didn't steal, well, except for X3, but he didn't really have the
chance. Joseph-Gordon Levitt's performance in The
Lookout will blow your mind. Older actors whose work I admire:
Edward Norton, Steve Buscemi, Eric Bana, Jean Reno, Robert Downey Jr, Val
Kilmer, and whoever played Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. Holy
shit... that guy stole that movie hands down. Classics: Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall,
William Hurt, and of course De Niro and Pacino. You can't beat Raging Bull
and Dog Day Afternoon for new
school realism films that still hold up. To make sure I don't leave
the ladies out, I think Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton are
tearing it up right now. You're originally from the Netherlands.
What made you move to LA? There was a lot of places in
between those two... Germany, France, Detroit, Washington DC, Charleston,
S.C. But ultimately I moved here to pursue my career as an actor... and I don't necessarily mind the weather. Your website, MySpace,
whatever else?
www.imdb.com/name/nm2976887/
www.facebook.com/thechandler
www.myspace.com/chandlermaness
Your favourite films? So many. I
already mentioned Dog Day Afternoon and Raging Bull. I'm dropping quotations
now... On The Waterfront, The Godfather II, Gomorrah,
Hunger, Brick, District 9 (yes, I know it's too soon, but
still), Gremlins, Scarface, Legend, Labyrinth (I would give anything to
be in a fantasy film), Clash of the Titans, The
Descent, The Lost Boys, Heat, There Will Be
Blood, No Country for Old
Men, Pan's
Labyrinth, Man Bites Dog, 500 Days of Summer, Three
Kings, Enter
the Dragon, Reservoir Dogs, Sin City, 400
Blows. I could go on
for a irritatingly long time. Films
you really deplored? Anything Dane Cook is in. I like
the guy, but come on. Anything else you are dying to
mention and I've simply forgotten to ask? Not
particularly... I'm a closeted Jason Statham movie fan. I
can't help it. Thanks for the
interview! You got it chief.
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