Your new movie Circus Road - in a few words, what is it
about, and what can you tell us about your character in it?
Circus Road is
about a bride and her bridesmaids who get stranded in a desolate
desert town run by a crazy clown cult! My character, Kat, is the only
daughter of the twisted cult leaders, Tiny Clown and Myrtle. Having
brainwashed the community into believing outsiders are no good, Kat
isn't exactly who you would expect her to be, but she has the choice
to be good or evil like anyone and I guess you could say things take a
very interesting turn.
What
did you draw upon to bring your character to life, and how much of
Courtney Akbar can we find in Kat?
I drowned
myself in a lot of research into the history of past and modern cults,
brain washing and human psychology. I don't feel that there is too
much 'Courtney' in Kat, besides maybe a little rebellious heart and my
love of pink. Overall I enjoyed the full process and had a lot of fun
with this character, I definitely wouldn't mind getting back into
Kat's shoes in the future for the screen again. Wink wink. To what extent could
you identify with Circus Road's horror theme, and is this a genre
at all dear to you?
Circus Road is
a fun movie and I'm sure it won't disappoint horror fans, especially
if you're afraid of clowns. I love horror movies! It's usually my go
to for chill nights.
How did you get involved with the
project in the first place?
I had
auditioned for the director, Minh Collins, and got cast on another one
of his upcoming films prior to Circus Road being written. I believe he
had me in mind for Kat while he was writing the script with Sadie
Katz. Circus Road got ahead and happened to be shot first, just how
the movie business works sometimes. What can you tell us about
your director Minh Collins, and what was your collaboration like?
Minh is a
really cool guy and very supportive to allowing everyone to get
involved as artists within a collaborative environment. He gave me a
lot of freedom to play with my character and it was easy to bounce
ideas about scenes back and forth with each other during
pre-production to even minutes before shooting the scenes. Do
talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
I had a really
good time filming this movie! All of the sets were phenomenal and
really set the mood for everyone, I think some of the crew were even
creeped out by some of the sets. Our production designer Chad Quick is
amazing, he also worked on my previous film Astro. Most people don't
think about it, but the sets are somewhat characters themselves
as much as us actors. Great sets really do help a lot with performing
in the world we create. Any
future projects you'd like to share?
I am currently
working on a TV show called Paradise Apartments, which is very timely
with everything that is happening in the world today. I also have a
few scripts I'm reading at the moment but am not able to speak much on
those yet, but stay tuned for all the updates as 2019 looks to be very
exciting ahead. What got you into
acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal training on the
subject?
I've had the
desire to be an actress and have had a passion for the arts for longer
than I can really remember as I grew up performing on stage for school
plays. I do have a history of training at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio
under her method which I started after moving to Los Angeles as a
teenager. I have really enjoyed my studies there and I refer to her
methods on every project. I learn more with every new project I take
on and that is part of my fascination with the craft of acting. The
research and preparation that I have been trained to use for each role
educates me notably on that particular character and subject matter,
it's always a learning experience and I love it!
What can you tell us about your filmwork prior
to Circus Road?
I have a wide
range of genres under my belt prior to Circus Road, but I do have to
say this has been my favorite, as it's been my most vulnerable role
yet. I've recently co-starred in a sci-fi film called Astro along
with experience in drama, action, crime, and comedy films and TV
shows. How would you describe yourself
as an actress, and some of your techniques to bring your characters to
life?
I would
describe myself as professional and versatile performer that has no
problem taking direction and collaborating with my team to make the
best possible project we can together. Along with the Chubbuck
Technique, I consider myself a method actor when it comes to my
characters so I truly feel what I am experiencing on set and I have no
problem improvising on the spot if it calls for it. Actresses (and indeed actors) who inspire you?
I definitely
look up to great actresses such as Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie,
Jennifer Aniston and Margot Robbie to name a few as they are all very
versatile and play the kind of roles I aspire to take on throughout my
career. Your
favourite movies?
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That's always
a tough question, but I would say Pulp Fiction, Tommy
Boy,
Kill Bill (both 1 and
2), The Nightmare Before
Christmas, National
Lampoon's Vacation, Titanic, Terrifier... these are just some of the
films I don't ever get tired of. I feel as though film is like music,
the mood, characters, and timing have to be just right for the type of
genre it is. ... and of course, films you really
deplore?
While I can
say I honestly do not deplore any film because I understand and can
respect everything that goes into making one and how hard it is to
even get it on a screen, but I have seen a few movies I won't be
watching again and don't have an interest in seeing, some I couldn't
even get past 5 minutes of, but I don't think I have the right to
judge anyone's artistic vision negatively to the world.
Your website, Facebook, whatever else?
The best way
to stay up to date with what I am doing is through my Instagram. You
can find me as @insta_courtneyy, and don't forget to follow me for
all the fun and exciting updates ahead! I also love interacting with
my fans and having a way for them to reach me personally so come and
say hi! Anything
else you are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I would like
to just thank you guys for this fun interview and for having me here!
Also, a big thank you to all my fans around the world that continue to
love and support me, I love you all! <3
Thanks
for the interview!
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