Eaoifa Forward – The Snare

By starrymag | December 15, 2016

 By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) You star in the new film The Snare. Can you tell the fans what the film is about and how your character fits in?

A) Three friends head to the seafront for a drunken weekend, only to be imprisoned on the top floor of their holiday apartment by a malevolent paranormal force. I play Alice Clarke who, (without wanting to give too much away) has suffered years of abuse from her father and as a result is an extremely troubled character. She is best friends with Lizzy (Rachel Warren) whose father is an estate agent and owns a property by the coast. Lizzy decides to steal the keys to one of his apartments without him knowing so that her, Alice and her boyfriend Carl (Dan Paton) can have a weekend away. That’s when the problems begin.

 

Q) How did the role in The Snare come to you and what was your audition process like?

A) I actually hadn’t heard from the director/producer Chris [Cooper] in about six months and then got a random call saying would I meet him for a coffee as he wanted to discuss a new project with me. When I sat down he said, “How would I feel about being locked up in a haunted apartment without food and water for six weeks?” I had previously worked with Chris on a number of short films so was very lucky and didn’t have to audition for the part. He actually wrote the role of Alice with me in mind.

 

Q) What did you find the most challenging aspect of filming the movie?

A) When we were filming, we actually all lived in the apartment that’s seen in the film so we didn’t ever leave the set. The set was literally our home for weeks. I actually had to sleep in the same bedroom that Alice sleeps in during the film – it was claustrophobic and incredibly stifling, which is how Chris had designed the experience to be. What made things even more intense was that from the moment filming began we were actually forbidden from leaving the apartment so we had no interaction with the outside world for the duration of filming. This was something we’d all agreed to in advance of course. Chris, the director, had decided to shoot the film strictly in chronological order and as the weeks went on, myself and the other two cast members were separated and forbidden from speaking to each other. He wanted to make us feel as isolated and alone as possible which meant that emotionally speaking we were all going through exactly what our characters were going through.

 

Q) Was there anything you added to your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) During my preparation for the role I created an extensive back story for Alice and wrote a diary that dated back to her childhood and teenage years. I wanted to create really strong and vivid memories of the abuse that she went through with her father and how that made her feel. Some of these diary entries then made it into the final film.

 

Q) Was there instant cast chemistry when everyone began working together?

A) Yes, we all had an instant connection and got on really well. However, because we were locked up together for a really long time, tensions did begin to run high whilst filming especially when we were forbidden from speaking to each other and kept apart.

 

Q) What advice did director C.A. Cooper give you during shooting that you took to heart for your performance?

A) Having worked with Chris before I knew that he was a total perfectionist. I remember rehearsing a monologue for Alice and thought I’d done a pretty good job of it – but when I showed Chris he said, “Yes, that was good, but I would say you’re about 20% of the way there.” I knew then that I had a mountain to climb in terms of what he required from me emotionally! Once filming began we seemed to find a rhythm when creating the scenes, we trusted our gut. If we both “felt it” we knew we had it and would then move on – but Chris wouldn’t ever move on unless he was happy. I remember one day we did about 45 takes for one tiny shot – it was awful!!

 

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming “The Snare?”

A) It has been the most challenging film role I’ve taken on to date and a shoot I will never forget. Everything we went through…from having to eat a real live spider to my entire suitcase being tipped out on a daily basis…not seeing the outside world for weeks, being half starved and dehydrated. Working from 7am until 2am, feeling totally exhausted with no real breaks, sleeping in Alice’s haunted bedroom – there was no escaping this film!

 

Q) Is there a moment you’re really excited or nervous about that you are looking forward to seeing fans reactions to?

A) I’m most nervous about some of the more provocative content and how some people might react to that as there are a lot of harrowing scenes and I’m worried some might find these very offensive. This is my feature debut in a lead role, so I’m excited to hear about what people think about the character of Alice and my performance – good or bad!e

 

Q) What is it about The Snare that you think will make people want to see it?

A) Everything you see on screen is real! Chris wanted the fear felt by the actors to literally be real. Unbeknownst to the cast, myself included, the apartment was actually rigged by the director and crew months before filming to make things go bump in the night. Chris then told us all these stories about the history of the building and how it was allegedly haunted in real life. Then, during the shoot and whilst living there, doors would slam shut randomly on their own unexpectedly…our things would be moved around (by the cast)…we were truly frightened most days!

 

Q) Did you always have an interest in acting or was that something that developed as you got older?

A) I started acting when I was at school and my passion grew from there. I was always playing make believe at home, directing plays and featuring as all the parts whilst I bossed my poor brother and sister into the minor roles of the beanstalk or props! I studied in both New York, LA and most recently have finished courses at both the Central School of Speech & Drama and also at the Actor’s Temple.

 

Q) Do you have any advice for our young readers who might be thinking about a career in acting? Anything you wish someone would have told you early on in your career?

A) You have to be prepared to work extremely hard. There is no easy route into this industry – I truly think it’s a mixture of hard work, tenacity, talent and a lot of luck. If you’re looking to earn money don’t become an actress only do it because you can’t imagine doing anything else!

 

Q) Social media is very important in your line of work. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback to the movie that you will be receiving?

A) Social media is a brilliant platform and a fantastic tool to get yourself noticed! I am on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and have made some brilliant new contacts as a result of this. I’m very excited to see and hear the feedback to the film!

 

Q) Is there anything else about your role or the film that you want to be sure to share with viewers?

A) I loved playing this role despite it being one of the most challenging things I’ve ever had to do. Pretty much everything you see on screen was done for real! Myself and the other actors all lost weight for the role and because everything was shot in chronological order you can see us actually deteriorating onscreen mentally and physically. The director worked us into a state of genuine terror and this “real fear” was captured in the film. We were truly terrified of that apartment and were literally losing our minds towards the end.

 

Q) Besides “The Snare,” are there any other projects you have been working on that the fans should expect to look out for?

A) I have recently just finished a short film called Home with Blink Productions. I play the lead role of Bethany Jones a young girl who has fallen madly in love. However, she’s diagnosed with a terminal illness and her partner has to make a really tough decision to end her life. This will be doing the festival circuit next year. I begin filming a new feature at the end of January and I am also in talks to star in three other films next year. There also might be some television, too!