Horror movies &stuff: Brinke Stevens - "Bryan Loves You" Interview
Actress Brinke Stevens has appeared in countless genre films beginning with 1988's "Monsters and Maniacs", up until 2006's "Skeleton Key" (Not to be confused with The Skeleton Key starring Kate Hudson). Now she talks with us about her latest genre movie appearance, in the creepy cultists flick "Bryan Loves You", which is due to be released this October.
MR. H:What made you decide to take on a role in this particular film "Bryan Loves You", what exactly attracted you to this film?
Brinke:My actress-pal Tiffany Shepis first told me about the project after she'd been cast in it. Being a nice person, she also mentioned me to the filmmaker, Seth Landau (who hired me after one phone call).
Tiffany got a fabulous spa day for her help. I was glad the project was SAG (union) and was excited about shooting on location in Phoenix, AZ. Seth lodged his actors at the ultra-hip Hotel Valley Ho, 1950's-era resort with a retro-cool Trader Vic's restaurant. On the night I arrived, I threw a party for all my friends who live in the greater Phoenix area, such as Chaos Comics guru Brian Pulido and young actor Jeff Dylan Graham.
MR. H:Were you familiar with the story of "Bryan Loves You" before you took on a role in the movie?
Brinke:I first heard about the "true story" aspect when Seth sent me some press articles. I had not known about the incident prior to shooting.
MR. H:In the film, you're credited as playing "The Evil Nurse", how does one prepare for a role such as that?
Brinke:Perhaps I'm more of an "evil doctor", since I wore a white lab coat instead of a nurse's uniform. Fortunately, I used to be a scientist and still own a lab coat. So, really, it was just a matter of pulling
it out of my closet, practicing a menacing look, and saying the lines in a flat sinister voice. We filmed my scenes as a sort of "theater-in-the-round", with numerous video cameras positioned in the corners, on the ceiling, on furniture, etc. It made the shots go
incredibly fast -- there was no need for set-up time to move the camera and lights. Shooting was a breeze, thanks to an efficient crew, as well.
MR. H:Were you happy with the role you got, or did you want something bigger and in the lead department perhaps?
Brinke:I just love to work and am happy with any size of role. It was fun to meet Seth, and an honor to be a small part of "Bryan Loves You". I think he was very smart to get such stellar names for cameos (Tony
Todd, George Wendt, Daniel Roebuck, etc.) There's a possibility I'll have a larger role in his next project, playing the Mother.
MR. H:You have a massive resume of projects that you've done as far as indies go. Would you like to possibly get a shot at doing a really big budget, mainstream studio film sooner or later?
Brinke:In the early 1980's, I began my career playing small parts in big movies: SPINAL TAP, THREE AMIGOS, BODY DOUBLE, PSYCHO 3, PRIVATE SCHOOL, and so on. Later, I fell into indy horror films and have shot
almost 140 of them in the last 25 years. Yes, it would be very fulfilling to be cast in a big movie again. Currently, I'm getting back into the mainstream Hollywood system with a new agent, in hopes of landing more TV-work on genre shows.
MR. H:Do you get recognized by random people on the street as a character from some of your past films?
Brinke:The greatest thing about being a "Scream Queen" is that I can be a famous cult star at fan conventions, and yet be quite anonymous on the street. Lately, my documentary "Something to Scream About" has been playing constantly on Showtime. So, I've had a few people stare at me (like at the gym) and ask, "Are you an actress? I thought I saw you on TV last night..." I always shrug it off and say, "Yeah, funny, I get that a lot.".
MR. H:Was it hard for you to break into the business when you were first starting out, or was it easier than you had expected?
Brinke:I never aspired to be an actress. I first came to LA looking for a job as a scientist. One fateful day, I happened to walk past a casting office; they called me in and hired me for a movie the very next day. It was wild! I always say, "I didn't choose my career. My career chose me."
MR. H:You've done a ton of horror movies, which one of your films that you've watched scared you the most?
Brinke:It's nearly impossible to get scared by your own films, because you know too well how it's all been done. However, I would definitely recommend "Grandmother's House" as a very frightening story set in broad daylight. I also enjoyed making "The Haunting Fear", with Jan-Michael Vincent and Karen Black. It's a tense little murder drama
loosely based on Poe's "Premature Burial".
MR. H:Have you done anything else in the realm of film besides acting, if not do you want to some day?
Brinke:I've written and sold several scripts, like "Teenage Exorcist" (1994), "Wild Spirit" (2003) and "Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots"
(2004). I've also had short stories published, like in the "Hot Blood" series, and have written dozens of articles for FEMME FATALES magazine, WEIRD
TALES, etc. When I retire from acting, I hope to become known as an artist and painter.
MR. H:Who in your opinion is the most eccentric director you've worked with so far??
Brinke:John Landis was pretty crazy. When we were shooting "Three Amigos" on the Universal Studios backlot, he got fed up with the tour buses passing by every five minutes. Grabbing a horse, he chased after one the tour buses, shooting blanks and hollering. I also had fun working with Brian DePalma, although he was extremely intense and a bit eccentric, as well.
MR. H:If "Bryan Loves You 2" should materialize, would you like to return as the evil nurse??
Brinke:Maybe I'll get promoted to head of the hospital, ya never know.
End.
( Be sure to visit Brinke at her official website Here! )
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