Amanda Wyss Talks The Id and More!
In The Id (review here), Amanda Wyss plays a lonely and fragile woman caring for her domineering father. She’s barely holding her psyche together as it is, but she’s pushed to the breaking point when someone from her past returns. Wyss is best-known for the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, but she’s been acting steadily over the years – and this latest role is one of the meatiest. We caught up with her to ask about The Id and what’s coming up in the future.
Dread Central: Meridith is such a dark, troubled character. What did you do, knowing her better than anyone from the inside out, to make her sympathetic to the audience?
Amanda Wyss: There is so much going on inside Meridith. She’s trapped in her home, in her situation, in the past. She’s worn down and worn out. She feels beholden to her father. She has a thin grasp on reality. My intention was to be truthful and to let myself live in that space. I didn’t think in terms of sympathetic or not sympathetic. I just wanted to bring Meridith to life. It was important to let her be human. Sometimes that is unlikable.
DC: I’m sure you’ve known Thommy Hutson for years, since he’s covered A Nightmare on Elm Street so extensively in his documentaries, but tell me what it was to work with him on an original creation and in a narrative feature.
AW: I met Thommy years ago through Heather Langenkamp. He sent me the script and I was very intrigued. I knew the challenge would be to keep Meridith grounded in truth and humanity. We talked a lot about the character and the story. We had a similar vision for Meridith and the movie in general. As friends we had a short hand with one another. There was a trust that created a safe place to let go and do the work. I look forward to our future projects together.
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DC: You must get offered a ton of scripts. What is your selection process, and what keeps you grounded having been in the industry since the 80s?
AW: I’ve had a long career with ups and downs. TV and film. Different genres. Successes and not. It’s a mercurial business. I’ve learned to roll with it. In a perfect world, I look for interesting and thought provoking stories that I want to be a part of telling. I look for roles that are challenging to me, that offer me new territory to explore. It doesn’t always play out that way, but that’s my intention.
DC: How would you describe The Id for those who haven’t seen it yet?
AW: The Id is a raw psychological thriller that explores the extremes that one can be pushed in order to survive. It’s thought provoking and explores some universal psychological themes that will stay with the viewer after the movie ends.
DC: What’s coming up next for you, and where do you see yourself five years from now in terms of career?
AW: Next up I’ll be filming a movie called Catch a Fallen Star about redemption and country music. I’m in a narrative Virtual Reality horror short that is available on Samsung. Also, an award-winning horror short, Oct 23rd is on Vimeo. Where do I see my career five years from now? Ideally, I’ll be working with talented filmmakers of all genres, and I’ll have played a whole slew of great lead character roles like Meridith.
Synopsis:
The psychological thriller tells the story of Meridith Lane (Amanda Wyss, A Nightmare on Elm Street), a woman who has felt trapped in her home. Thriving on memories of youth, she watches the years slip by while caring for her abusive father… until a figure from her past makes a surprising return. In order to live the life she desires, Meridith must confront her father’s monstrous cruelty and attempt to escape his tyrannical grip. But the man who controls her every move won’t let go without a fight, leading father and daughter into a series of desperate and irreversible acts.
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