Nicole Dambro – Groupers

By starrymag | November 12, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

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

 

A) Well, this year has been great to me so far! In addition to Groupers, two of my other films were also released on digital: Alone in the Dead of Night and The Axiom. Groupers is set to be released on digital by the end of the year and a Christian film called A Walk With Grace just announced that it will debut in November. In addition to those films, I shot another awesome feature film called I Wrote This For You, as well as a short film about a young man coping with assault trauma called Third Time Lucky. Other than that, I am excited to say I have a few rods in the fire, but I’m unable to share the exact details just yet…

Q) Please tell us the premise for Groupers.

 

A) So, the film centers around the question “Is homosexuality a choice?” My character, Meg, seduces and kidnaps her little brother’s high school bullies and ties them up at the end of an empty swimming pool where she informs them that they can only escape by “choosing to be gay for each other.” What looks like the beginning of a sadistic kidnapping story actually turns out to have several layers that start to peel back in hilarious fashion.

 

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

 

A) Max Landwirth, who produced The Axiom, was also producing Groupers. He brought me in to audition for the project, which he described as “a story about a girl who kidnaps two bullies.” I was sold! I have played darker antihero characters before and it’s really my sweet spot. What sealed the deal for me though is when the director explained why I was kidnapping them – and that the movie was actually a dark comedy with commentary on groupthink mentality and homophobia. This combination is what really made me realize how special this film could be – not only would it be entertaining and fun, but it would also spark a thoughtful conversation about a controversial topic.

 

Q) How was your character Meg originally described to you?

 

A) “Cute but crazy!” Meg needed to be seductive enough to trick the boys into letting her kidnap them and she had to be crazy enough for them to see her as a threatening captor. Lastly, she’s a psychology student at a local college. So, it was imperative to bring that intelligence and motivation into the character so that she didn’t have any remorse since she was doing it all in the name of science.

 

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

 

A) Actually, when I was going through the final rounds of auditions, we started doing chemistry reads. One of the scenes I did was opposite Jesse Pudles, who ended up playing my brother. We clicked right away. From the natural existence of our brother/sister bond I decided to give Meg a major soft spot when it comes to her brother, often at the price of her own sanity. I think this ended up making my character a whole lot more dynamic and grounded, but also allowed her to become unhinged and frantic at times.

 

Q) What advice did director/writer Anderson Cowan offer during filming that you took to heart?

 

A) He told me not to overthink it. When we started filming, I started losing my voice and was extremely overwhelmed with the amount of dialogue that we were ripping through in a day. Anderson told me to just go for it and to trust it and what I had prepared. When I started saying “f—it”, that’s when the magic started happening.

(Also, he told me not to use the taser on the other actors in real life. Wise advice I almost didn’t follow…)

 

Q) What were some of the most challenging scenes to film?

 

A) At the end of the film there’s a long scene in which I’m holding a djembe drum over my head. That thing was almost fifty pounds! I would hold the thing up over my head for an entire scene and then collapse at the end. My arms were shaking and rapidly turning into noodles! Man, my arms looked amazing after that day!

 

Q) How did you shake off a long day of filming?

 

A) A nice hot bath with lavender Epson salt and multiple cups of fresh ginger/lemon/manuka honey tea. Or a fat glass of wine.

 

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching Groupers?

 

A) I hope that people walk away from watching the film and want to start a discussion about what they just saw. The whole thing is so interesting. I think everyone will find a part that they like or that piques their interest and they’ll want to talk about it. That’s what I love about this film: it’s fun AND it’s a thinker!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media can be a lot of work… but I also think it’s an exciting way to connect. I like it because it gives me another chance to express the real me. For example, when people watch my films, they might have a certain idea about how I am based on their impression about that character. But if they peep my social media, they’ll realize that I am messy, sarcastic, love a cheesy pun and have my own obstacles to overcome. I like that my “fans” get to see the real, imperfect side of me. I know social media can make us all a little crazy because it can be a giant highlight reel, but I like it because I think it can also show us how similar and connected we are at our core.

 

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

 

A) Wow… First of all, I’d like to say thank you for the support; and thank you for being a supporter of independent film! I have been extremely lucky in that I have been given the chance to tell some really cool, unique stories with some very talented people. Without the passion and commitment from my fellow actors, directors and more from in front and behind the camera…I wouldn’t have been able to give the performances I’ve given. So, the praise goes out to the team!