Your movie House
of Good and Evil - in a few words, what is it about, and what can
you tell us about your character in it?
For me House of Good and Evil at
the core has always been a love story gone wrong that exposes the good and
evil in all of us. Chris, my character, is trying to save his marriage. He
is ultimately a good guy, but he definitely has some issues… What did you
draw upon to bring your character to life, and even though he's quite a
bit of an asshole, do you find anything of yourselfs in Chris as well? I
tried not to look at him or play him as an asshole. But instead look at
his need to be loved. Every role I play I bring myself and my own
experience of life to it. But at the end of the day it's a character you
play that you leave on screen.
How
did you get involved with the project in the first place, and what
convinced you to come on board as a producer as well? Long
story short: I was approached by Blu [Blu
de Golyer interview - click here] probably five years ago and was
intrigued by the material. We had many different people (directors,
actors, producers) involved and I am happy to see that the movie has
finally come to see the light. What
can you tell us about your collaboration with House
of Good and Evil's writer and producer Blu de Golyer [Blu
de Golyer interview - click here] and director
David Mun [David Mun interview - click
here]?
Independent filmmaking always feels like working with family. You are so close for a
couple of weeks. We didn't kill each other and made it out with a great
movie. What more can you ask for?
With the film being first and foremost a horror movie - is
this a genre you can at all relate to, and why (not)? For
me it's more like a psychological thriller. And we always approached it as
one. It's definitely a genre I like.
What
can you tell us about the actual shoot and the on-set atmosphere? We
shot it in this amazing small town, called Floyd in Virginia. The whole
community took us in and supported us. Fortunately we had a small cast and
crew. I had a great time.
Let's
go back to the beginnings of your career - what got you into acting to
begin with, and did you receive any formal training on the subject? I
started on stage in Germany when I was a teenager. My uncle was a stage
director and my sister and I always had fun checking out local productions
from backstage. And I caught the acting bug early on. Can
you still remember your first time in front of a movie camera, and what
was that experience like? My
first time in front of a professional camera was shooting a milk
commercial with Tiffany Amber-Thiessen when I first moved out to Los
Angeles. We had a great time, drinking lots of milk all day.
You are originally from Germany but
(according to my information at least) have long moved to the USA - so how
and why did that move happen in the first place? I
moved to NYC as an intern for BBDO (advertising) and fell back into acting
right then and there. After the internship ended, I decided to move out to
LA to give it a shot. That's where my career started, Germany came much
later. You
have starred in films and TV shows in both Germany and the USA - so what
are the major differences between shooting here and there? You
can't compare them at all. But both have their pros and cons. For
example, there are no unions in Germany that protect you as an actor. But
in Germany the competition isn't as crazy. Besides
starring in indies like House
of Good and Evil you've also been in quite a few big budget
blockbusters - so please talk about your blockbuster experiences for a
bit, and in what ways does working on a big budget Hollywood movie compare
to working on an indie?
with Cate Blanchett in
The Good German |
I
was fortunate to work with some amazing filmmakers, like Steven Soderbergh
or the Wachowskis. Almost all of them started their careers in amazing
independent films. It's fun to be on a big blockbuster set, but it's
even better when the blockbuster doesn't feel big. Someone like George
Clooney treats everybody the same, there are no egos involved. Shooting
with Tom Cruise is a different story. It's like working with the
president of the United States. Security everywhere… But still, who
wouldn't wanna work with the “President”? Any future projects of yours
you'd like to share? I
currently have a few projects lined up that I am developing for me to
produce and/or star in. But let's talk about it when they are in the
can. How would you describe yourself as
an actor, and some of your techniques to bring your characters to life? I
do as much homework and study of the character as possible before. And
when I show up on set I just try to be in the moment. Actors
(or indeed actresses) who inspire you? Working
with Cate Blanchett really inspired me. She is an amazing actress and an
amazing human being. Your favourite movies?
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The
Shawshank Redemption, The Usual Suspects, Bullitt. ...
and of course, films you really deplore? I
think and hope that everyone sets out to make a good movie. Unfortunately
some fail. But it's not mine to judge. Your website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.christianoliver.com
Just
started Facebook - www.facebook.com/OfficialChristianOliver
- and Instagram - http://instagram.com/christianoliver33.
Thanks
for the interview!
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