Carl Beukes – Secret Life of a Celebrity Surrogate

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) Please tell us the premise for The Secret Life of a Celebrity Surrogate.

A) A young woman decides to be a surrogate for a famous celebrity. She enters a dream world of glamour and great fortune, at least that’s what she was expecting. Things take a turn for the worst rather quickly and the young surrogate realizes that she entered a nightmare instead.

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

A) Mark [Gantt] approached me with the script and after reading it I was very interested in playing Hayden, but still a little hesitant as I wasn’t sure what Mark expected. Once I met up with him and we discussed his vision, I was all aboard.

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

A) Hayden was basically a ‘husband in the background’ when we first approached this. The man behind Ava’s (Brianna Davis) celebrity life.

Q) Was there anything you added to the role that wasn’t in the initial breakdown?

A) No, I wouldn’t say I added anything per say. I tried to flesh the character out to bring him more life. We spoke about how troubled he was, but to bring truth to that trouble I had to really get in there. I suppose as I got to understand him better, he began to transform into something different than what we originally thought.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on the film?

A) I wasn’t. I mean, I immediately did my research as soon as I heard who I was going to act with and very quickly realized that the standard of work I was going to be in and amongst. I can honestly say it was also a definite attraction to doing this film as well.

Q) What research did you conduct to get information on celebrity surrogacy?

A) I did a bit of reading, but I did more research on Hayden and who he was than the story surrounding him. 

Q) What advice did director Matt Gantt offer during shooting that you took to heart?

A) “When you’re done shooting, shave your beard and leave a mustache.” And I did just that.

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to shoot?

A) I honestly don’t have a favorite. I guess I really enjoy the ones where we got to explore a bit and throw ourselves in, but generally they’re all in the favorite scenes for me.

Q) With such an intense subject matter, how did you shake off a long day of filming?

A) I’d go back to the hotel, lie in bed and watch bad TV. It helps to just escape and give the brain a rest.

Q) What do you think it is about The Secret Life of a Celebrity Surrogate that will make it a fast favorite thriller for Lifetime fans?

A) I like the fact that even though this is a thriller, it could definitely happen to anyone. These characters are dealing with real issues that are turning them into monsters and I find that scarier than ghosts or demons. So, if you’re in for an everyday world that quickly becomes something horrifying, this is your jam.