Khylin Rhambo – 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

By starrymag | August 30, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

A) I just finished my film 47 Meters Down, which is in theaters now. Other than that, I’ve been doing a lot of personal writing with me and a few friends. I’m still auditioning. The life of the actors is having amazing times on set and then it’s time to find a new one. Right now, I’m finding a new character and we’ll see who that is when it comes my way.

Q) Please tell us the premise for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged and about your character Carl.

A) 47 Meters Down is your summer shark movie. I was really interested in it because they are underground in this Mayan cave and cave diving is one of the scariest things to do without sharks. Adding sharks to it was intense. With my character, Carl, he is an experienced diver who planned on excavating this Mayan kingdom and ends up in the midst of the ravenous sharks.

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

A) That’s the thing, this movie was a girl movie so we didn’t want any of the male character to just be filler characters, just whatever characters, so we wanted to add as much as we could. I’m a very silly person on set. I’m a very serious person, but at the same time I’m never serious – if that makes sense. So, the director kind of utilized my goofiness. It didn’t make it to the final cut, but he added this entire dance sequence under water. My character is listening to music underwater and it ended up being kind of funny.

Q) Were you a fan of the first 47 Meters Down feature?

A) I had heard about the movie before I auditioned. When I got the audition the first thing that came into my head was, “Wow! They’re doing a sequel.” I knew it was a big indie film and I looked it up and saw it was one of the biggest of that year. I was really excited as far as the caliber of work and it was a legit project to be a part of that had previous success. I kind of just got into mode. It’s one of those things that you have a rare chance at doing, as far as filming underwater. So, I was completely game from the beginning.

Q) How experienced at diving were you prior to filming?

A) My goodness. I had absolutely zero experience. I could snorkel, but that wasn’t scary because you have to cover your nose. That was a lot for me, but to be honest – when I actually got the training it was probably one of the rewarding, just incredibly magical experiences that I’ve had in a long time. It’s something that I honestly do outside of the film now. I’m a certified diver.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars?

A) No. I wasn’t familiar with any of them. I don’t know what’s better – being on a set where you don’t know any of them and you kind of have this thing where you experience a lot of new people or being on a set where you know most of them. This was one of the sets that I didn’t really know any of them, but literally now I have a lot of new friends. We hang out all the time.

Q) How much of the sharks were CGI and how many were real?

A) Technology is incredible, man. There was not one ravenous shark on set.

Q) Filming with CGI must be old hat to you from “Teen Wolf.” What was it like though shooting under water?

A) Well, see, that’s the beauty of this industry. We have a lot of people that help with that so it’s not just left up to the actor, which it shouldn’t be. The actor should be able to handle imagining a shark. That should be there, but we have a great director and it’s something as simple as while I’m filming…Let’s say the shark is behind me and he goes, “The shark is coming. Here it comes. You sense something behind you. And there it is!” He is kind of narrating and they can edit his voice out. That is so much easier to make happen because we do respond to external stimulus. So, if there is something external happening then it is that much more challenging to make a fake response. With a good director you can make anything happen.

Q) Talk about working with director Johannes Roberts.

A) I just let him do his thing because I knew that he knew what he wanted to make. I knew he had a vision for it and it was a clear vision that was communicated excellently. It was simplified at every turn, at least with my experience. He didn’t try to over glamourize certain aspects of the film. He knew he was making a thriller. Just his energy behind creating gets it done at all costs and I really admired that. I was definitely willing to serve him in telling this story and he’s just a great guy to work with. I can’t see any negativity coming out of him, to be honest.

Q) What were some of your favorite moments to film?

A) What’s crazy is my most favorite moments also happen to be my most challenging moments. When I filmed a very significant scene of mine under water I was very, very sick and it was very challenging to film. I was under water and the pressure on my sinuses was pretty intense. I had to really endure it and that level of…commitment and getting it done…when it was over there was nothing like that. Before I filmed under water I was in the Dominican Republic and it was like a vacation. I didn’t have any struggles or challenges, but the moment where I was in London under water – that’s where all the challenges things came. But I felt way, way better after they were accomplished. I love being challenged.

Q) What do you think it is about 47 Meters Down: Uncaged that will make it a fast fan favorite thriller?

A) Well, there is a side of it being an extremely stressful (I guess in the best way possible) thriller. It shows a lot of diversity in the cast. Every single one of us all come from a different background – racially, culturally and genders. I really liked that because it reflects my experience, personally. All of my friends are from here and there – girls and boys. It’s just a message that I like to put out into the masses, that we all are one and we all are in this together. These group of people happen to be in an intense situation together, but they definitely realize the oneness they all share. We’re all out here together and let’s survive this thing. Watching the film, that was one of my favorite parts that I thought Johannes really accomplished.

Q) We loved seeing you on “Teen Wolf.” What did you personally take away from your time on the series?

A) Man, I took away a lot. It’s incredible because most of the things I took away were intangible. They were showing me how to be myself. I learned that on set because everyone on that set was so themselves and accepted as themselves. I was the new guy and I wanted to be everyone’s friend and be in everyone’s good graces. I realized I was trying so much. So, being on set and learning for three years – being around genuine people made me be genuine myself. It was incredible working on that show. That’s just one of the major things, not even as an actor, but as a person.

Q) Your storyline was wonderful as well, seeing an open and accepted LGBT character of color. What did it mean to you to have such a supportive fanbase?

A) Dude! That was literally the best thing that I could have asked for because I knew the fans of “Teen Wolf” were just intensely committed. They were so committed! I knew this when I booked it and I was kind of nervous. I had no idea how they were going to take a new, black, openly gay character. But, at the same time, I did know because, like I said, from my experience the people that I’m around (and I know this isn’t like that everywhere in America or even in the world)…I’m lucky to be around a lot of accepting people – family members and friends. So, it was amazing to receive that level of acceptance throughout the fanbase of the show. I couldn’t have asked for a better response, to be honest.

Q) Have you kept in touch with any of your costars?

A) I hang out with Dylan Sprayberry literally almost every day. I’m going to hang out with him in two hours from now. We want to track down [Tyler] Posey and hang out with him because it really affected us being on that show. We really are a big group of family.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) I would tell them that being a fan and supporter of me is truly like being a fan and supporter of your best self. At the end of the day, what I really, really care about is…I love that I get to act and that people get to admire the stories I get to be a part of, but I think what we’re all here for is to be the best versions of ourselves. To discover what that is and go on the journey to find that. Anyone who follows me, at any point I can, I’ll remind people of this truth. I believe it should be spread. I would tell anyone that admires anything that I do I’d thank them and tell them to find the thing that they do. That’s only going to cause a ripple effect and cause others to admire them the same. We’ll live in a paradise eventually if that continues.