Emilia McCarthy – Zombies

By starrymag | February 16, 2018

By: Robert Warren

 

 

Q) In the Disney Movie Zombies you play a character named Lacey. Can you please tell us a bit about your character Lacey and how she fits into the film?

 

A) Lacey is one of the human cheerleaders who falls victim to society’s expectations. She lives for cheer and literally only owns cheer outfits. But, inside, she has an individuality that is wanting to come out like everyone else.

 

Q) Please describe what it is like for Lacey living in Zombietown, the isolated community in the film.

 

A) There is actually Zombietown and then there’s Seabrook. Us humans get to live in the perfectly picturesque town of Seabrook and are very scared to enter Zombietown.

Q) How is it for you switching from dialogue to singing?

 

A) This is the first film I’ve sang in! It was a new, but cool experience for me. We got to record the songs before we shot the scenes. So, once we were on set filming, we’d actually get to hear ourselves while preforming.

 

Q) The film is set fifty years after a zombie apocalypse, but if you were nearing a zombie apocalypse how would you handle it?

 

A) Unfortunately, I’ve actually thought about this a few times. I’ve decided that I would move to a farm where there’d be no one really around. I’d bring my friends and family though.

 

Q) Being a part of Disney’s Zombies, a musical, how do you work on keeping up with the dancing? 

 

A) I’ve danced since I was really little so dancing isn’t completely new to me. I love being able to incorporate my dance background into my acting!

 

Q) In your opinion, what is the greatest struggle or obstacle that Lacey is faced with in. Disney’s Zombies?

 

A) Lacey’s greatest obstacle is finding her own voice. She’s so brainwashed by society and her cheer captain, Bucky (Trevor Tordjman), that she has lived her life pretending to be someone who isn’t completely herself.

 

Q) What are some of the relationships your character Lacey has to the other characters?

 

A) Lacey is part of the Acey’s. There is Tracey (Mickeey Nguyen), Stacey (Jasmine Thomas) and Lacey. We are Bucky’s right-hand women and would do just about anything for him.

Q) What was your favorite scene to work on and why?

 

A) My favorite scene to shoot was probably our audition scene! It’s one of the scenes where the Acey’s tell Addison (Meg Donnelly) off. We knew that scene like the back of our hands!

 

Q) What is the MOST exciting part about being a part of Disney movies such as Zapped and Zombies? Are there any moving experiences you can share?

 

A) Being on Disney productions, you get to meet some really talented people. You get kids who can sing, dance and act! I’ve made some really close friendships on both sets, since we’re all usually the same age. So, overall they’ve influence my life by gaining amazing friendships!

 

Q) How was it journeying thirteen episodes of the Netflix Original show “Hemlock Grove” as Alyssa Sworn? Did you see a journey happen as you played the character more and more?

 

A) The more I played Alyssa, the more I realized how nasty she was! I think they were leading up to my last scene – spoiler – where I get eaten by a werewolf. So, she had to deserve it.

Q) What had been your most moving moment as an actress and why did it move you? 

 

A) I’ve had some emotional moments when productions are over. On “Max and Shred” we became such a close little family. We would be on set every day for almost a year so it really became a part of our lives. Filming the last scene, I remember Saara [Chaudry] and I couldn’t hold in our tears.

Q) What is it about acting that really makes it special to you? 

 

Any production is really a creation of team work. There’s so many things that go into making someone’s idea come to life. So, it’s honoring being chosen to portray someone’s idea they had in their head and that somehow you were able to guess how to embody it.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you excited about the instant fan feedback you are going to receive to Zombies?

 

A) It’s so cool, we already have so many people supporting Zombies. There’s fan pages etc. Which is amazing because the success of a production really comes down to its fans.

 

Q) What else do you want to be sure that our readers know about Disney’s Zombies?

 

A) Disney is doing something really cool where they made a movie that has a very well timed and meaningful message. The zombies actually represent those who are marked as minorities by today’s society. So, it’s really a movie about coming together and breaking free from society’s expectations. All while singing and dancing to it!