photo by Michael Helms |
First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who
don't already know you?
I’m Jon Mack and I’m an actress, musician and producer. Many know
me from appearing in Saw 6 as well as Playing For Keeps and several
SyFy
films such as the just released Lavalantula. I also produce music
under the name Auradrone. What got you into acting in the
first place, and what can you tell us about your education on the subject? I
grew up in the theater. My mother was a director and directed plays and
musicals throughout my childhood so I pretty much started acting in plays
at the age of 5. After that I went to study at Tisch School of Arts at NYU
and the Lee Strasberg Institute as well as Experimental Theater in New
York. One
of your recent films, the upcoming The Effects of Blunt Force Trauma
- in a few words, what is it about, and what can you tell us about your
character? And how did you prepare for your role? I play a
gun slinger named Reggie in the film which is both a complex love story
and action film based on illegal underground dueling. It takes place in
Colombia.
Ryan Kwanten, Freida Pinto, Jon Mack in
The Effects of Blunt Force Trauma
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The
Effects of Blunt Force Trauma stars Mickey Rourke - so what was it
like working with him?
I didn’t have any scenes with
Mickey. Instead I got the privilege of working with both Ryan (Kwanten)
and Freida (Pinto). It was a great cast and crew and such a pleasure to
experience Bogota in this way. How did you get involved with the
project even? I knew some of the producers already and it
worked itself out in a way that I was right for this role. Funny enough,
the role was originally written for a male actor but Ken (Sanzel), the
director, decided to try something fresh and took it in a new direction.
We kept the name though, which I thought was a great choice.
Another soon-to-be-released film of yours
is the short Strangers
in a Book - so do talk about that one for a bit, and your role in
it? I play Bettina, a dispassionate call girl with a dark
tale about a mysterious man. Again, it was a lovely crew to work with and
I look forward to seeing this one make the festival rounds. Shorts seem to
be popular lately which is nice to see.
Going through your filmography and stumbling over
titles like Stormageddon, Fire Twister, LA Apocalypse,
Mega Cyclone and Super Tanker, one can't help but notice
that you've been in quite a few disaster movies over the years. Any idea
why that is, and what is it like working on those (if those sets are at
all comparable to one another)? I’ve definitely done my
share of these type of films as I think it’s easier to cut your teeth on
these type of projects as an actor when you’re gaining experience and
working your way up. I’m not sure why I’ve often played a doctor or
scientist for whatever reason but I found this was an excellent way to
gain experience on set, working under tough conditions with tight budgets.
Every experience has been different and I’m grateful for the
opportunities to travel and work with crews all over the world.
Also, you've been in
quite a few pieces of spider horror, like Lavalantula, Spiders
and Camel Spiders - so are you at all afraid of spiders? ;)
Actually,
not really. Bugs don’t usually bother me. I tend to just take things
outside and leave them to their own devices… not to say that I’d like
to encounter a giant fire breathing lavalantula anytime soon ;)
As
far as I know, one of your earliest TV roles was as Ava Gardner in Introducing
Dorothy Dandridge - so do talk about that experience for a bit, and
was it at all intimidating to play such a larger-than-life character? And
is Ava Gardner an actress who inspires you?
I don’t think
I was intimidated. I was honored to work with Martha Coolidge and Halle
Berry, both amazing women… and playing an iconic film star to boot! I
always loved the golden age of Hollywood and found Ava Gardner to be a
trail blazer. She was tough and sexy in a way that was so natural and
still rare to this day. I live to play strong characters such as this. Now I know
if I didn't ask you about your involvement in Saw VI, horror fans
would probably tar and feather me - so please save me and talk about that
movie for a bit!
I played a junkie by the name of Jane. Not much is known about my
character other than I play an indirect role in part of the tragedy that
befalls Jill Tuck.
How would you
describe yourself as an actress, and some of your techniques to bring your
characters to life? It’s so hard to describe these things
in words all the time but I do believe that I have a versatility that has
rarely been tapped into. Perhaps now that’s changing a bit more at this
stage of my life and career, which is certainly welcome. I love diversity
in my work and enjoy raising the bar each time. One technique I suppose I
could say I do is plenty of research. I’m a firm believer that backstory
brings the character to life, even if the audience never learns the
details… the actor still carries it within and this comes across as
more emotionally complex layering. Besides being an actress you are
also a singer/songwriter, right, and are currently working on a new album
- so do talk about your music for a bit! I’ve been doing
music for a long time and have had many projects. I’ve had Auradrone
since 2007 when it began in my simple home studio. Over the years I’ve
collaborated with many talented musicians and Auradrone became an
extension of that. I write, sing, play and producer the music along
with various collaborators. I’ve independently released 3 albums and am
currently working on the 4th. Actresses,
musicians, whoever else who inspire you?
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I
usually name men but this time I’ll give a shout out to some amazing
women who’ve inspired me incredibly along the way:
Meryl
Streep (of course), Tilda
Swinton, Helen
Mirren, Julianne
Moore, Charlize
Theron, Joan
Jett, Stevie
Nicks, Annie
Lennox, Naomi
Watts, Ronda
Rousey (UFC fan here).
Your favourite
movies?
I’d say that I pick favorites more on directors
and their bodies of work… Scorsese, Terry Gilliam, Kubrick, Coppola, Luc
Besson, Woody Allen, Danny Boyle, Baz Luhrmann… These are just a few
among those whose work I’ve admired over the years. ... and of course, films you really deplore? Nothing
personal but I’m not a huge fan of the Human Centipede series. It’s
like… why?? Your
website, Facebook, whatever else?
www.twitter.com/auradrone
www.facebook.com/realjonmack
www.facebook.com/auradrone
www.itunes.com/auradrone
www.youtube.com/mzzjon
www.gofundme.com/dteprotect
Anything else you're
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I’d
love to mention a project I started last winter which has now come into
it’s own as a movement. It’s
called Defending The Endangered and we are working to fight poaching and
trophy hunting of the world’s most endangered animals. We
currently have a GoFundMe campaign running to finish a PSA video that we
started last year -
www.gofundme.com/dteprotect.
I am also working with some amazing people to organize
a charity event in the fall in order to raise funds that will help out
chosen sanctuaries and park rangers.
Thanks
for the interview!
My pleasure. Thank you!
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