Exclusive Stills and Interviews: The Girl in the Photographs’ Miranda Rae Mayo, Kenny Wormald, and Luke Baines Talk Wes Craven and More
Sean Decker
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One of the last projects Wes Craven left for us is his executive produced feature The Girl in the Photographs (review), and with the indie thriller having recently made its Los Angeles premiere at ScreamfestLA 2015 on the heels of its TIFF premiere, we thought it high time to chat with three of the film’s primary cast members regarding the film as well as their remembrances of the late horror maestro.
Directed by Nick Simon, who co-scripted with Oz Perkins and Robert Morast, the logline for The Girl in the Photographs is as follows: Big-city glamour clashes with small-town values when a celebrity photographer and his entourage descend upon a sleepy community to investigate the bloody doings of a serial killer.
In addition to Miranda Rae Mayo (ABC’s “Blood & Oil”), Kenny Wormald (Footloose), and Saving Mr. Banks’ Luke Baines (Q&A’s with the trio below), the film stars lead Katharine Isabelle (American Mary), Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar), Claudia Lee (“Hart of Dixie”), Toby Hemingway (Black Swan), and Craven alumnus Mitch Pieggi (Shocker).
We posed the same questions to the three, and here are their answers.
Dread Central: Was Wes Craven’s involvement as an executive producer a determining factor in accepting your role, and what impact had he had on you as a filmgoer and an actor prior to production?
Miranda Rae Mayo: “Absolutely (he was). I actually never had been all that interested in being involved in the horror genre until I saw Wes’ films. I remember not being allowed to watch any of them when they first came out. It wasn’t until I was about nineteen or so when I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street and became acquainted with Wes’ work and really fell in love with him as a storyteller. It was such an original idea that also happened to be terrifying. I liked that. I thought, ‘If I’m ever going to be in a horror film, I want to be in one like this.’”
Luke Baines: “I saw Scream when I was eleven, and it was a life changer. Immediately after seeing it, I stole my Dad’s handicam and very poorly recreated all my favorite scenes – me as Ghostface and my primary school girlfriend as everyone else. From there, I rediscovered the rest of Wes’ movies and became a lifelong fan. I honestly never thought I’d be given the chance to work with him; it just didn’t seem like something was possible for a kid from a small town in Australia, so when The Girl in the Photographs came up, I was tripping over myself to do it. I could have been playing the janitor and I still would have been down.”
Kenny Wormald: “(It) definitely was a huge factor having Wes as the executive producer. When I saw that he was at the table read, I accepted the offer. It’s rare to be around a legend; when he’s on board, you trust the process. Growing up a fan of his films, which scared the shit out of me, I felt the responsibility as an actor to perform well, to forever be a part of his legacy.”
Dread Central: What do you feel he brought to the project, and what was your personal experience with him during production?
Miranda Rae Mayo: “I think Wes brought a quiet, yet powerful confidence to the project. He surprised us at our table read and told us how excited he was to be involved. We all could feel his genuine enthusiasm, and it was so motivating. He was such a brilliant leader in the fact that he built us all up and made us feel like we had what it took to make The Girl in the Photographs great, and if Wes believed we could, who the hell were we to think we couldn’t?”
Luke Baines: ”The film itself mixes various different elements of the horror genre, and having Wes on board brought all of those together. He also really added his unique brand to the film – from using masks to influencing how the scares play out. Also, from a filmmaking level, this project would never have been made without him. He’s the star of this film, and that’s why so many people got behind it.”
Kenny Wormald: “He brought confidence and excitement to the project. When his name is attached, people want to see it. It’s the power he’s gained over the past few decades, and we were all happy to be on board.”
Dread Central: Wes praised Nick Simon’s directorial chops. What was your experience working with Simon, and in a sea of interchangeable horror films, what do you feel this film brings to the table, and what did you intend to bring to the table pertaining to your character?
Miranda Rae Mayo: “Nick Simon is probably my favorite director I’ve worked with so far in this film life of mine. He is so trusting of his cast and crew, it makes for the best work environment, especially for us actors. Plus, his vision was so specific, and he was really great at communicating how to illustrate that vision. I really wanted [my character] Rose to be a hot mess – a fun, hot mess. I wanted her to be competent, yet on another planet, and sobering but always high, all while serving some ‘Rihanna-fashion-realness.’ Being in her skin was so much fun. I feel like what makes this film great is similar to what makes a great song; there’s an ease to it. From the cast to the cinematography to the score, it all fits together so effortlessly. Wes once said in an interview when asked about making scary movies, ‘Don’t be restricted to just being violent, but be interesting and talk about things that reflect the world around you.’ I think that’s basically The Girl in the Photographs in a nutshell, and if it’s congruent with what Wes thinks is great, I think people are going to love it.”
Luke Baines: ”Nick’s a fantastic director and just an all-around awesome person, which really helps the process. He’s probably the biggest horror fan I’ve ever met, and because of that, he knows the genre inside and out. He’s littered this film with funny references and throwbacks to some of the greatest horror films, and then created completely new ways to frighten people. In terms of his style, he’s very laid back about the process, which is smart. I never felt rushed or under the clock, even though we were. There was no pressure. It was like a bunch of friends getting together who also happen to be making a movie. It was honestly the greatest working experience I’ve ever had.
I first met Wes at the table read. I was five minutes late and the last person to arrive, so I was already panicking, and when I walked in and saw him, I just froze. Also probably because everyone was waiting for me to start and staring at me. I remember the whole time during the read watching his face to see his reactions – when he’d laugh and when he looked serious – as some indicator of what his thoughts were. After it, I walked over and said hello and fumbled through a conversation like the nervous fan I was, and he was so sweet and gracious. I immediately regretted not asking for a photo, and even more so now. I also really wish I could have thanked him – for his work and for allowing me to be in this film – but I thought there would have been another chance for that. Sadly, there wasn’t.
You know, I think you absolutely nailed it there with ‘interchangeable horror films’ because that’s very much where we’re at. For me, this film is different. When Wes started out, his work was about shocking people into the scare, and since then there have been so many movies trying to replicate that with imitation and cheap tricks. Horror has become so much about how many scares there are and how quick you get there, with each film trying to outdo the next that the whole concept has become passé. This film doesn’t rely on that, and it doesn’t take itself so seriously. It’s so much more about unsettling the audience, in a tempered, almost-Hitchcockian way. There’s also no chase scenes and no drawn-out kills because as horror fans, we expect that. Nick gives us something new by not giving us what’s expected.
[As for my character], I just wanted to make Tom as real to life as possible. My worst fear for him was to be a caricature of a killer because he’s not. So I did as much research as possible to jump into his psyche – reading interviews with convicted serial killers, reading psychological profiles, and speaking with an incredible forensic psychologist, Dr. Schlesinger at John Jay College, to really understand who this person is and why he does what he does.”
Kenny Wormald: “Simon had the honor of that praise but also the pressure that comes along with it. Nick was amazing to work with; he’s confident in his choices, yet loves to collaborate with his actors. He was a great leader, and I think the praise was worthy!
I think this film separates itself because it’s a current homage to old school horror films. The film has real life horror; this could actually happen! Yet, it also offers a lot of fun and comedic moments. We had a blast making it, and I think that reads on screen. Also, having Dean Cundey as the DP makes it all that much more badass. He was incredible! We were lucky to have two legendary filmmakers on the team!”
For more on The Girl in the Photographs, visit its Facebook page here, and follow the film on Instagram here.
We miss you, Wes.
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