Interview: Gianni Capaldi Fends Off Werewolves (and Lindsay Lohan) in AMONG THE SHADOWS
Travis Mullins
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Hold tight, guys… Soon enough, Lindsay Lohan’s werewolf flick Among the Shadows will be unleashed — and personally, I couldn’t be more excited. Directed by Tiago Mesquita, the film has been picked up by Momentum Pictures and will be premiering on VOD platforms this Tuesday, March 5. In light of this bad boy’s release, we caught up with Lohan’s co-star Gianni Capaldi to give us an idea of what to expect!
The Scottish actor is no stranger to the genre, having appeared in a string of indies, including The Devil’s Dozen, The Wicked Within (opposite Eric Roberts), Blood Trap (opposite Vinnie Jones) and Blood of Redemption (opposite Dolph Lundgren and Billy Zane). His turn in 2017’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (co-starring Mickey Rooney and Margaret O’Brien) even brought forth accolades from the San Diego IndieFEST and the Amarcord Chicago Arthouse Awards.
On the genre and its recent mainstream popularity, Capalidi comments, “The horror genre is brilliant. I love what Eli Roth, Jason Blum, Leigh Whannel, and James Wan have done. Hopefully, I get to work with some of these geniuses one day. Not to mention, Stephen King’s material… Look at It. Look at Get Out. Some of the best movies in recent years.”
Capaldi can also be seen in the dark thriller Nightworld, starring Jason London and Robert Englund.
Regarding that film, he says, “You can catch it on Netflix. It’s definitely worth a watch. I had worked with Jason’s brother Jeremy London three times prior but never Jason. Robert Englund was iconic to work with and he definitely loves telling a story or two at the end of the night at the hotel bar. Quite the company to have in Sofia, Bulgaria.”
His latest feature, Among the Shadows, also stars Charlotte Beckett (Penny Dreadful), Dominik Madani, Reynald Biales, Olivier Englebert, and Daniel Hugh Kelly (Cujo). Beckett — who recently shared screen time with Mark Wahlberg in All the Money in the World — is Kristy Wolfe, a private investigator searching for clues regarding her uncle’s unsolved murder. Aided in her quest by Lieutenant McGregor (Capaldi), Wolfe must hide the fact she is the descendant of a long line of werewolves.
In the process, the duo makes the discovery that not everything is what it seems. “We realize the president of the state and his wife (Lohan) have a lot to do with it. Expect the unexpected,” he states.
As Capaldi explains, “My role is a Scottish Lieutenant in the police force. He doesn’t believe in monsters so as the plot thickens and he is faced with non-human characters, the ‘oh shit’ reality creeps in. [The part] has some comic relief and is definitely likable. Getting into character for this one was fun. He is good-hearted. Not open-minded but good at his job.”
Aside from starring in the film, Capaldi also serves as producer. “I was attracted to the project because I love films with vampires and werewolves in the modern era. Twilight was great in my opinion and I would have loved to have been a part of it. Working with Lindsay was also a draw for me. I always loved her in The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday.”
Speaking of his interaction with Lohan, Capaldi offers nothing but praise. “As far as behind-the-scenes, I absolutely loved my relationship with Lindsay. Ever think of a time when you just click with someone and it seems like your friendship is solid? That was what it was like for her and I.
“Lindsay is such a strong actor. Talented and boy does she have chops. She knows her craft so well. I have nothing but praise for this girl. I have the utmost respect for how she works and her professionalism. She is a team player. Her performance in this is strong, she cannot help but give a strong performance. She was dedicated to the project in that she would wear some of her own clothes for the show. Her character is definitely strong and the life she gives to it and the meaning is one of power.
“I really don’t care what some critics say about Lindsay Lohan. As far as I’m concerned, she is extremely talented when she takes the stage. She definitely has a presence when she performs on-screen. She was such a good friend to me whilst we were filming in Brussels. We stuck up for each other, supported each other professionally and became close pals at the end of it.
“I hadn’t seen her in a year and we bumped into each other at the Cannes Film Festival and we hung out all night. It was like two good pals picking up like they had hung out the week prior. I absolutely want to work together again with her. She’s one of my all-time favorites.”
Aside from stints in London and Rome, Among the Shadows was primarily shot in Brussels throughout November and December 2015. “Oh my, I will never forget shooting in Belgium for six weeks. I was there during the [Paris] terror attacks. Next day, snipers and tanks were everywhere.”
During the first week of filming, production halted to accommodate the city lockdown after the perpetrators were revealed to be members of the Brussels branch of ISIS. Capaldi reveals, “Most people left town until it calmed down, but I ended up staying. My wife flew in from the States so that was great… to get to see such a beautiful city such as Brussels and tour the surrounding city Bruges.”
“[Director] Tiago [Mesquita] was a very artistic character. He definitely had his work ethic down. He knew his every shot. On-set moments were never dull, especially my choreographed fight with Lindsay. That and spending time with Charlotte and the amount of laughing we did during scenes.”
Regarding the film’s lead Charlotte Beckett, Capaldi found the actress to be, “…a doll to work with. Many nights, we would spend time together on-set, in a car, just laughing away. She is English and I’m Scottish so we have the same sense of humor and the giggles happened a lot. We ended up working together on the pilot Deprivation, which we shot in Rome.“
Since his debut in 2005, Gianni Capaldi has starred alongside a number of well-known actors in over thirty productions — but he counts his most recent project as his most warmly-regarded. In River Runs Red, he portrays, “…a police officer who was involved in shooting an innocent black kid – the son of an upstanding judge [Taye Diggs]. The story then follows Diggs on a quest for revenge for justice. A must-see that tackles one of America’s ongoing problems. Definitely a thumbs up.”
“On that film, I was determined to not break accent but as soon as Luke Hemsworth met me, that task became more difficult. Great times in Kentucky with Luke, George Lopez, and Taye Diggs. I’ve been blessed to get to know some iconic actors. Giving Danny Glover and John Cusack a taste of history and their first Glasgow Celtic scarves was a proud moment. Long may they last.”
As for what’s next? Capaldi just finished the historical epic Robert the Bruce — and as far as the genre is concerned, he isn’t shying away anytime soon. Brian Skiba’s Rottentail is due to be released this April… and during our interview, Capaldi was prepping for the Omar Naim thriller Becoming, opposite Toby Kebbell (Fantastic Four, Wrath of the Titans), Penelope Mitchell (The Vampire Diaries), Jason Patric (The Lost Boys), and Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
Putting the “working” in working actor, you have to give it up for Mr. Capaldi. Busy as he is, though, he does admit to hoping he will, “…land a show in the U.K. as I could get to spend some more time with family back home.” For now, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled on his battle with a vampire…
Among the Shadows will be released through VOD platforms on March 5, 2019.
Synopsis:
Kristy Wolfe (Charlotte Beckett) is a Brussels private eye descended from werewolves who must go to work when her uncle Harry Goldtsone is murdered in a politically-motivated attack. Patricia Sherman (Lindsay Lohan), the wife of European Federation President Richard Sherman, hires Wolfe to investigate Goldstone’s killing, as he was her husband’s campaign manager. Wolfe finds bodies falling all over city and must use her innate instincts to unravel the case and stay alive long enough unmask the conspiracy.
Categorized:News
