27 February 2013

Interview with Cynthia Preston : Starring in Carrie 2013


I had the pleasure of recently talking to Cynthia Preston who is playing Elanor Snell in the new Carrie that is due out in Oct 2013.  Cynthia is no stranger to the horror genre having starred in Prom Night 3: The Last Kiss and was on a couple episodes of Friday the 13th The Series as well. 

TC: How did you get the role of Mrs. Snell on the new Carrie?

CP:   I just went in and auditioned and they told me they wanted the part played really naturally, and I said well that's good because I work naturally.  The casting director gave me some notes and told me what to do and usually they tweak it.  I did it and he said "no change that was perfect!"  I found out just the day before shooting that I got the part.  I had just driven from Toronto and found out that I got the part, so I had to turn right back around and drive back to Toronto because they were shooting the next day.


TC: Is there anything new that you feel you brought to the character?

CP: I have not seen the first one since I was a kid.  I didn't want to watch it again because I didn't want someone else's version in my head.  If I have someone else's portrayal of the character in my head then I don't want to be going for that, or trying to avoid that.  I want to be able to go completely from instinct and listen to the director.  So after I see our version of this movie I will revisit the original.


TC: How was your experience on the movie?

CP: It was really incredible.  I am a really big fan of the director Kimberly Peirce and I loved working with her and seeing her work with the other actors.  It was absolutely fascinating to see how the other big stars work.  It's very interesting to see how other people interact with the director and the rest of the crew.


TC: Are you a fan of the horror genre?

CP: I cannot say that I am because I get really, really engrossed into whatever I'm watching and I get really scared.  I think it was The Ring that was one of the first horror movies that I really loved and my ex husband at the time said it did not count because I had my eyes covered for part of the movie.  I actually went out for Halloween as the girl from The Ring.  I got this hospital gown and the hair and makeup and little kids walked past me and burst out crying because I looked so scary.  So the next night when we were giving out candy I wore my costume but I did not put the facial makeup back on.  I auditioned for the Saw movies and told them "I will bleed for you.  I will cut off appendages for you, but I will not watch these movies."


TC: How long did it take to film?

CP: It took 2 months to film.  Now with the digital age it is much shorter but back then it was 2 months for a feature and 6 weeks for a TV Movie.  When they started making movies in 28 days I was horrified.  I have even done a film in 15 days.  You really don't even get a chance to get to know the crew anymore.  Before you were on the film for 2 months these people became like almost family and now you just don't even have the time.


TC: Who do you most remember working with on PN3?

CP: Jeremy Ratchford who played Leonard the geek.  He is always the person who is cast as the popular guy or the star quarterback type of character.  I remember ruining all of Jeremy's takes by laughing because he was playing it so well and playing such a dork.  I had to keep apologizing to him because I could not stop laughing during his takes he was being so funny.  I dont know if it translated on film but he was absolutely hystarical.

TC: Is there anything else that you remember about filming PN3?

CP:  I remember that it was my first film back after I had a really bad car accident.  I had been in the hospital for 3 months and I had been out of acting for over a year.  They had a running double and a walking double for me.  I have pictures of me and my double and they were really good.  They had her hair matched mine and the picture is us sitting there reading the script together.  I had trouble moving so they were very conscientious of that and when I did have to run they had me on this rig with people pushing me and I'm moving my arms trying to make it look like I'm running.

Be sure to check out Cynthia on her website at: www.Cynthiapreston.com

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