Anne Winters – The Bride He Bought Online

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Recently, I did the movie for Lifetime and I’m about to start working on a new show for ABC called “Wicked City. ” Then I just finished “Tyrant” on FX. I was on four episodes of that this season. I’ll be back on next season if it gets picked up for a third season.

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film The Bride He Bought  Online and about your character Avery.

A) It starts out with these three girls who are doing harmless pranks and putting it on this blog. Then, they take a prank too far by luring this innocent man to meet at the airport a woman he thinks he bought online as his bride. He finds us online through cyberspace and takes revenge. I play Avery and she is the more level headed of the three girls. She has been best friends with them for a while, but doesn’t really like where they are taking this blog and doesn’t like the pranking and joking. It just goes to show you that if you are involved in something you still get dragged into the problem or mess, even if you don’t want to be.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the movie?

A) I really just loved the message, the script and the director. When I got the script, I just started researching the dark net and cyber bullying. It is a really big deal and it’s something we’re all facing today with society and social media. There is so much that goes on online that we can’t take back and it’s on there forever and it follows everyone where they go because it is on phones and computers. It’s a big deal! I thought it would be cool to be a part of this project and have fun on set. It was just a cool experience.

Q) What did you add to your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) I feel like I always kind of bring a little bit of myself to every role that I do and try to find a different aspect to the character that you wouldn’t normally see on the script. But we didn’t improvise too much or do too much differently than the script because it was already pretty good, other than screams as I was running through the basement.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when you began working with Travis Hammer or did spend some time together to bond?

A) I feel like I kind of always saw him as this innocent man and we just took a prank too far. Even when we were captured, my main goal was just to be level headed and just try to get to him. I felt like I knew he was normal, but this was what he didn’t want to do. This was just a mistake that went too far. He just seemed so innocent. So, I think I was just really trying to get to him, but I obviously got more scared of him at the end. I just was trying so hard to see that innocent man who was just so lonely and trying to find a girl. I was trying to reach that part of him. Off set, he was in character the whole time so I really didn’t talk to him much. He was very off on his own and doing his own thing. I spent most of my time with the actresses playing Mandy and Kaley trying to get that chemistry and our friendship going so we would have that on set and make it as real as possible.

Q) What was it like working with director Christine Conradt?

A) It was great! It was her directorial debut and she also wrote the script, but it worked well because she did both since she had a heart for it and had a vision. She just kind of helped us get there. I think it all worked out and she ended up liking it. We all had a great time working with her. She took Lauren [Gaw] and Annalisa [Cochrane] to dinner and we talked about our characters before we started, which was really nice.

Q) What were your most memorable moments from filming?

A) My most memorable moments were all from when we were being held captive. We would get to set and be just trashed in dirt and soot. We looked like chimney sweeps! We were filming in the old Herald Examiner Building, which I think they are closing down. We were filming in the bottom of the whole building and we had to wear construction masks between takes because it was so humid and dusty that we would start to get dizzy and almost faint. It was crazy! Everything else was fun and memorable. That is what I love about being on set, you get so many memorable moments and learn so many different things.

Q) What makes the film a good fit for the Lifetime network?

A) I feel like Lifetime always has those hard hitting message movies that you don’t expect to take a turn for the worse, but then it does. You always think in the beginning, “These are cute little girls setting up a blog,” or “Babysitters are just babysitting,” and then all of a sudden you realize these teenagers go through real things and they have these dark sides. I think it is important for Lifetime to show it because it is a family network and it creates a good place for a family discussion afterwards. Lifetime does a really good job on those things. They always have those crazy ending movies, but they are real.

Q) What message do you hope people take away from watching the film?

A) I just feel like it presents a really hard hitting message and a scenario that you can be aware of for cyber space and catfishing. It’s such a big deal these days with social media, hiding behind the internet and doing your own thing. You don’t know who you are hurting until it comes back to haunt you. To take that chance is not worth it. I hope people take away a warning that this is real and whatever you put on the internet is up there and hard to take down. Cyber bullying is all around and we need to do things to stop it. In the film, people are supporting these pranks, which gives us the power and keep doing bad things. That’s how it starts.

Q) Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will receive through social media?

A) I am! It’s always fun to see what other people think. I’m not the biggest fan of watching myself, but it is always fun to see what people take away from it and what the fans think. As long as they are happy and they get something out of it, I get through to other people, that’s really cool.