Exclusive: Maria Olsen Talks Mark of the Witch
Unless you are a hardcore fan of indie horror, the name Maria Olsen may not ring any bells. But once you see her face, it’s like the bells of Notre Dame, chiming loud and clear! She’s been in so many genre films, it would take up too much bandwidth to even list half of them here, but I will say that some of my personal faves are Starry Eyes, Lords of Salem, and Paranormal Activity 3. She’s got fantastic screen presence.
Maria’s latest movie is called Mark of the Witch, in which she plays a very scary lady indeed. We got the chance to catch up with her to ask about being in yet another horror film and what it is about the genre that keeps her coming back.
Dread Central: Mark of the Witch has been getting a lot of attention in regard to its beauty – it’s definitely a visual film, meant to dazzle the eye, above all else… so, where does that leave you as an actor? Tell us about how you might prepare for a movie like this, as opposed to a more story-driven, linear tale.
Maria Olsen: The character I played in Mark of the Witch was larger than life, and as she was also possessed of supernatural powers and had lived for centuries, she was also more than human. My preparation for this role involved both the physical and the mental: the physical because I felt she had to have a very definite, slow and somewhat creepy way of moving; and the mental because she was a very powerful being who was used to getting her own way, and this had to be shown in how she interacted with others. I also found her slightly less complex than most of the human characters I’ve played as, for the most part, her objectives were fairly obvious, and she worked steadily towards one goal throughout most of the story. That being said, I would prepare for each day’s scenes to shoot, perform them how I felt they should be performed, and then open myself to whatever direction [director] Jason [Bognacki] wanted to take the character in. He’s a great one for having an actor give multiple interpretations of a role – often conflicting interpretations – and I soon learned that I should just relax and follow his wonderful direction.
DC: Tell us about your inspiration to be in this movie – and do you have a particular interest in witchcraft or/and Satanism?
MO: After I initially auditioned for Jason – some years before we started shooting the film – I found he gave me roles in every film he made. I played the same role in the short film Another, which was re-worked and extended to become Mark of the Witch, so I basically never chose to audition for either the role or the project. Jason would send me segments of the script, and I would work them into the overall view I had of the character, and we would also shoot shorter, more physical stand-alone scenes, which would later be fitted into the framework of the story. Whatever scene we shot, the process and the story we brought to life were both incredibly interesting, and I saw my character grow in both stature and on-screen time as we went on. Of course, all this made it even more interesting and alluring for me.
Although I do indeed have an interest in witchcraft and Satanism – everything supernatural, in fact – this interest isn’t excessive or obsessive. I adore works like Anne Rice’s Tales of the Mayfair Witches, for instance, and I also enjoy films like The Craft, where witches take center stage. As a woman, I find the concept of “the female in power” fascinating and liberating, and there’s something ancient, mysterious and very powerful about the figure of the witch. Within the film, however, this figure is broken into the traditionally mythological Virgin, Mother and Crone, which, of course, refers directly to the worlds of Wicca and Neopaganism. Jason has, to me, taken a very old tale of light vs. dark within the female world and re-worked it to become something new, beautiful and sensuous.
DC: What was it like to work with Jason in that he really is the driving force of the film, not just a hired hand – was it helpful to have the writer and the director in one? How did he present the story to you initially?
MO: It was wonderful to work with Jason as he is so incredibly visually creative. He would delight in taking my character, and those of Paulie {Rojas] and Nancy [Wolfe], into places that we never even thought to go. It was also a gift to have him as both writer and director, and we absolutely knew that he, as director, would work and continue working to get exactly what he, as writer, wanted. This is something that is so often missing in film because the director often has his own take on the material, and for obvious reasons, it’s the director’s, and not the writer’s, take that ends up on screen.
Initially Another was presented to me as a short script, and in fact, even then I never had the entire script in my hands at one time. The journey from short film to feature was also for Jason – I think – an extremely organic one, and at no time was I ever presented with a complete script. Indeed, we shot and re-shot parts of the story that he thought didn’t work, and there were quite a few twists and turns that the story we shot made that didn’t make it into the final film. It was indeed a bit of a challenge creating and sustaining a character who stayed constant throughout this entire process, especially when you didn’t ever know exactly where the story was going, but I think we did really well under the circumstances!
DC: You have 15 movies out, or coming out, this year. So… what kind of horror movie would you say “no” to? Tell us about what draws you in to say “yes,” especially as an actor specializing in horror.
MO: I would, most probably, say no to a film where my character intentionally abused or killed animals, as I see absolutely no merit in, and have no interest in, portraying this on screen. Yes, it’s horrific, but can it be classed as “horror for entertainment purposes”? No, I don’t think so. I would also probably say no to scripts that are badly written or roles that I don’t feel I’m right for. I’m probably the only actress you’ll ever interview who turned down a role because she thought she was too old for it!
The factors that sway me to become a part of a project include how good the script it, who else has been cast in the project and how interesting my role will be. At this stage, I enjoy playing roles that are different from those I’ve played before and have an added aspect to them that makes them interesting. In the upcoming Straight on Till Morning, for instance, my character is confined to a wheelchair; and in Meir Zarchi’s I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu, I had the opportunity to work with the legendary Meir Zarchi and Camille Keaton. I like roles that grab my imagination and that I also connect to emotionally. If there’s no connection, I won’t be able to play the character.
DC: You have so many other interests and accomplishments outside of acting. Tell us about some of the other things you’re up to right now (we know there are six movies – and counting! – slated for 2017) and how you fit everything in and stay sane. (Or maybe you’re NOT sane? 😉 )
MO: Nope, I’m definitely not sane!!!
I’m blessed – or cursed! – with a very high IQ, which means that I need to keep my mind stimulated all the time or else I fall into a rut, get listless and bored and start to think too much about things beyond my control.
I love reading and (when I find the time) cooking, and my latest passion is watching documentaries while I knit doggie scarves! I also enjoy traveling and being out in nature, as I love seeing new things, eating new food and experiencing things I would never experience if I just sat behind a desk my whole life.
Mark of the Witch is available NOW on VOD!
Directed by Jason Bognacki, the film stars genre favorites Maria Olsen (Paranormal Activity 3, Rob Zombie’s Lords of Salem) and Paulie Rojas (Down and Dangerous, The Last Resort).
Synopsis:
On her 18th birthday, she will belong to the devil. Compelled by the idea she has an evil twin, a beautiful young woman is driven into a dark underworld of demonic possession, desire, and extreme indulgences when she learns she may be the devil’s daughter.
Categorized:News
