Jennifer Laporte Talks Clinging to Clinger
Jennifer Laporte stars in the horror comedy Clinger (review), releasing on October 23, 2015 and we caught up with her to get the skinny on the film.
Dread Central: After watching the movie and then looking up your credits, I see you only did one short before Clinger… Have you always loved acting, and what’s the attraction for you?
Jennifer Laporte: Actually, my first film work was for a Capital One commercial that didn’t end up airing, and then I did some industrial films. But I started in theater, and I’ve just always had a love of storytelling! For me, theater and film (and especially the horror genre) can be so imaginative, and that is so what makes it fun to work on!
DC: I was lucky enough to meet Michael Steves on the set of the second movie he directed, West of Hell (I think it was called Cold Descent at the time) – and was so impressed by his knowledge and professionalism. I see you’re in that movie, too. Tell me about him as a director of Clinger vs. West of Hell. Any changes?
JL: Yep, Michael is the real deal. I’m lucky to have been able to work with him twice! He has a ton of knowledge about the horror genre, which is definitely important. He’s such an open collaborator, especially being one of the writers of Clinger and West of Hell. He really knows his characters but is always open to seeing what every actor will bring, which is the best of both world.
DC: You have to go through so much as Fern in Clinger… from performing some pretty silly, cringe-inducing comedy scenes to physical moments to emotional – and I’m assuming it was low budget so time was tight. What was the most challenging aspect for you, and on the flipside to that, what was the most fun?
JL: The physical aspects were always the good kind of challenge! You have to be really precise for the camera, and figuring that out on the go was exciting. And I really enjoyed the fight sequences because they were always really rewarding. Fern and Robert’s relationship was also something that we had to all get on the same page about for every scene, and to really be conscious of, and again, I found that to be the good kind of challenge for an actor.
DC: Tell us about doing some of those gore scenes. What was it like to have to catch a disembodied head, be drenched in gore, etc. Was it hard to keep from laughing during takes?
JL: The energy was always incredibly focused because blood shots need to be so exact. The tension helped with really feeling the stakes of a disembodied head falling into your hands! But I actually really enjoyed the blood stuff – it’s hard not to feel badass! Though, my shower was sticky and red for a while after Clinger was done shooting.
DC: Your co-star Vincent Martella is so funny! And you guys have real chemistry. Did Michael audition you together to make sure, or were you just cast?
JL: We were cast separately, and we met on set the first day! But we always rehearsed our scenes before, and Michael helped us with exercises to help us get into various scenes. He was a blast to work with! Always full of energy and goofy quips to keep us all laughing.
DC: Describe the perfect audience for Clinger and describe a bit of the plot, from Fern’s perspective.
JL: The young, and young at heart who want to see a fun, goofy, gory movie! Fern starts dating a guy named Robert Khlinger (bad sign already, right?), and when he becomes too clingy, she decides to break up with him on Valentine’s Day. But things go horribly wrong, and he ends up being decapitated, and coming back to haunt her to kill her so that they can be together forever. But she finds a lot of strength and battles it out against him!
DC: Lastly, what’s the scoop on West of Hell? I mean, we were there so we saw some of it and know the story… but wow, what a cast. Tell us what it was like to shoot, and what you hope will come of it? How did you grow as an actor, surrounded by all those talents?
JL: West of Hell is a western horror by Clinger Digital as well, starring Tony Todd and Michael Eklund, and it was another insanely fun project. The cast was epic to work with, and the characters were so fun to get behind and bring to life! Plus we had a massive prank war break out on set. It was awesome to see everyone’s preparation process for being on set, and you absolutely always learn by just observing someone else who has been doing this for such a long time. It’s in post right now, and I’m really excited to see the finished product!
Michael Steves directs the supernatural horror film he co-penned with Gabi Chennisi Duncombe and Bubba Fish.
Vincent Martella, Jennifer Laporte, Julia Aks, Lisa Wilcox, and Debbie Rochon star.
Synopsis:
When her possessive high school boyfriend dies in a gruesome accident, Fern Petersen’s life is thrown into turmoil. Things go from bad to worse when he returns as a love-sick ghost to kill her so they can be together for eternity.
Categorized:News
