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Bum Interviews:
The Eliza Swenson Interview | So today I have the pleasure of interviewing composer, model, and most importantly for us actress Eliza Swenson. I try to clean up some of the beer bottles around the office, but the trash can only holds so much. Before I can really start to worry if the car freshener hanging from my desk lamp will mask the pungent smell coming from the trash, in walks Eliza.
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Eliza: *As I walked into the inner abode of the legendary Rufus, King of the Bums, it was a feast for my senses; not only did it remind me of spring mornings as the dew is lingering on the vines, but he was one handsome devil!*
Rufus: Eliza, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with BumsCorner.com. I want to start out discussing one of your newest movies DRACULA'S CURSE. Now, I must say I had one hell of a time with this one. It had flare, humor and a nice twist to the normal vampire story. This movie also tossed you right into the forefront as a lead actress. How was it working on the movie?
Eliza: Dracula's Curse was the film that everyone knew was special, we had been talking about it for months and months, but it also seemed to be cursed! It was shot over the Christmas break so people were coming and going, locations were falling through, and one actor that was to have one of the major roles just never showed up. On the first day of production we just had to cut the role. Gracie, my character, was supposed to have a motorcycle instead of a Porsche, but hey, driving around in a Porsche ain't so bad either.
Playing Gracie was awesome. It was a lot of pressure on me for many reasons: it was the first movie that Leigh Scott directed with that many action sequences, I was the heart of the film making sure to keep it grounded and meaningful while also slaughtering evil vampires, I was scoring the music, and I also helped with writing the screenplay to add those little touches that make every character colorful. Since you have watched it, it is truly an endeavor. I forget how many speaking roles there are, but it is probably over forty. I love Gracie. She is a bad-ass, with a "lets just get things done" attitude, but also so heroic. I don't want to spoil anything, but lets just say that she has a lot of issues including falling for bad boys. She is a pureblood as was her mother and her father was also a vampire hunter.
Rufus: This was your biggest role to date, am I correct? The Gracie role did have a make it or break it feel to it. Luckily it definitely made the movie.
Tell me about this role that got cut out completely. Would that have made the movie any different? Hey, you opened the floodgate, now I'm curious...
Eliza: Yes, the biggest roles that I have had were Gracie in Dracula and Crystal in a movie called Pineapple that I went and shot in Austin, TX the day after we finished Dracula. It was actually the last fight scene of the Dracula and I think that we wrapped around 6am and then my flight was 9am.
I like to be really involved and work together with the director on creating the characters I play and being the leads usually lends its self more to that. I just want something that is flesh and bones and in horror films today, ironically, usually that is hard to find. Someone that is real....unless it is comedy:)
Did you guys review my movie Candystripers yet? It is totally up your alley; I play the frumpy nurse; hey, there are 3 playmates in it so I decided not to put up a fight.
Lol...oh, the rewrites were insane. Jimmy was supposed to actually be two people; a New Yorker and his wisecracking sidekick. We had to combine most of that character into Jimmy...it created some problems when Jimmy started talking to himself. In the end, I think that it turned out better this way though because Trixie and Jimmy became a little duo.
Rufus: Now that is one hell of a long day of filming. I never give actors any credit for long hours. Maybe I'll rethink that now.
No, I can't say that I have ever seen Candystripers yet. I will have to look for that one. I'm always on the lookout for movies involving frumpy nurses. My collection now consists of only NURSE BETTY starring Renee Zellweger, and Kathy Bates in FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. Now those are some frumpy nurses.
So Jimmy was really two in one. Interesting. Personally I thought the character of Jimmy was hilarious. Now looking at IMDB Jimmy gets no
love. This role was played by Derek Osedach correct? | |  | |
Eliza: Ya, you would be right. Actors do have some things easy. Our hours are usually shorter, if it is freezing and we are filming exteriors, we only have to be outside when our shot is up. However, still with lower budget films, we have a very team/family attitude; no trailers, no special gourmet food, etc. When I was filming in Texas, we all stayed at the Clarion, nothing too fancy and then one of the "name" actors stayed at the Omni and...well, most of the other actors thought that it was silly.
Yes, frumpy nurses do make for great films and you are right, there just aren't enough of them out there. I do love me a little Nurse Betty now and again. In CandystripersI was the frumpy nurse that enjoyed inflecting pain on her patients:) Fun fun fun.
Well. Derek, the guy that played Jimmy; that is him. So, we pretty much tailored the part to who he is; except that he doesn't hunt vampires.
Rufus: The Clarion is not that bad. Gotta love the complimentary toast breakfast.
Watching Dracula's curse again, like I said in my review, Derek is the direct to video Adam Goldberg, but enough about other people. I apologize from straying from why we are here.
So....how ya doing? Now did you always want to act, or was this just something that presented itself to you. Kind of like the old story of working at Waffle House when a casting director walks in, sees you laying a piece of American Cheese on some hashbrowns and signs you right there. I worked at Waffle House for 5 years and that never happened to me once. A mulleted lady truck driver said she was one once, but after the casting couch audition in the back of her 18 wheeler, I found out that I had been fooled. (Shudder) Sorry about that. Your story?
Eliza: Nope. The Clarion ain't bad. Most days I preferred their continental breakfast to the film caterers. At least you always knew what you were eating. I was thousands of miles from home for three weeks and lived off of HBO, toast breakfast, the Dennys across the street and riding around in the grip truck:)
Actually, I started out as mostly a musician; my family is very religious so being an actress was not really an option. The day that I decided to move to LA, absolutely no one supported the idea and most of my family and friends were considering sending me to gt help. Looking back, they were right; becoming an actor is a crazy way to live. When people pay you tons of money to act stupid or show up naked and then baring your soul you do for free. Strange alternate universe. They should have gotten me when I was a baby when running around naked and screaming and crying were second nature.
Rufus: So one day you decided to up and move to LA? Very ballsy move. I attempted that, but made it as far as the end of the block. Now on your website you do have a nice composed piece that was used for Dracula's Curse; eerily gorgeous. Now is composing music what took you away from home, or were you looking to be more of a Lita Ford or Pat Benitar?
Eliza: I guess there are a few people out there that are star-makers, star-finders, but most people lack long term vision so I can't imagine that I would ever want to put someone else in the pilot seat. Also, I think that it is a very romantic, and actually very true concept that we create our own destiny. At any moment in your life you can stop everything and plot a different course. The music that on my site is more of what I was trained to do; just like Gracie is a trained hunter, I am a trained film composer :O) Ok, not as exciting. I love it, but I also love acting writing, being a rockstar. My scores do tend to have that gothic touch if it is appropriate because that style kicks a**. I love things that are a little imperfect; a little off center. And if you have noticed, I do that with my roles too; usually playing characters that are a little off. I figure if something is interesting for me to play than it is interesting for you to watch.
Rufus: Very poetic. Now are the offers to compose becoming more frequent for you lately? Another role that you play (I guess a triple threat) is a model. In life I have found some doors closed to me because of my ridiculous good looks. Has this ever been an issue for you? Do you find yourself at times being offered roles based solely on the outside. Of course I ask this with the frumpy nurse not counting.
Eliza: Yes, I have gotten some offers to compose for other films but sometimes I don't end up taking them because of acting jobs. Actually, in the course of this interview, two days ago I auditioned for Drake and Josh, a show on Nickelodeon, booked it, and since then have had two rehearsals. It is a very funny character; I play a Russian foreign exchange student. lol....you have to attach some photos from your modeling portfolio to this interview:) Break me off a piece of that! But seriously, being involved in modeling has probably given me more acting opportunities than setbacks but when problems do arise, it isn't about directors thinking that I am too pretty to play this or that, but it is more a battle to get the managers and agents to understand what they should pitch me for. | |  | |
Rufus: Congratulations! Sad to say that I watch Drake and Josh. I am man enough to admit it though. That show cleans the pallet from all the gore, decapitations and mutilations that Bumscorner makes me watch on a daily basis, and it is funny as hell. Make sure to let our Bums know the air dates of your episode, and we will put it on the calendar. So at the moment are you working on anything else that our Bums community should know about?
Eliza: There are a lot of things in the works. A political thriller, a comedy with a crazy assortment of characters, a fantasy film, and also another horror film towards the end of the year. So, a busy schedule and lots of variety. Got to have those 31 flavors. What a twisted mind you must have after watching almost all of the gore that has ever been captured on film! And how do you feel? Can you still feel? Does your body have a tingly sensation all over or just when you are carving the Thanksgiving turkey?
Rufus: I've pretty much become numb to the world. If I ever find myself becoming too emotionally numb however I just pop in my DVDs of The Golden Girls. That Blanche, I tell ya.
So what are the chances of The Divine Madness gracing itself in our small state of Ohio?
Eliza: Yes. The Golden Girls. I love them, but my all time favorite sitcom is I Love Lucy; probably because it was the first. I'm not sure if The Divine Madness is coming to Ohio soon, "Hello Cleveland!" But you never know. They are so awesome that I think they will be signed within the next few months and selling more sperm, dirty panties, and Tees in Hot Topic than any other band in the history of rock-n-roll. Stranger things have happened. Until then, the EP is for sale on myspace.
Rufus: OK Eliza. Now that we are wrapping up with this perfect interview I am going to ruin it all with a sting of mind numbing questions that BumsCorner are known for. I guess I should start you out with a sample to get your mind frame set.
Nipple rings on a man. Cool, anti-establishment sheik or sad, anti-bathing freak?
Eliza: Funny you should mention that because, see, nipple rings get in the way of nipple clamps. I do have a thing for nipples. I like them any way, every way; as long as there are only two. Speaking of anti-bathing, my sister told me today that antiperspirant is thought to be linked to short-term memory loss; I guess it is the zinc.
Rufus: I'm sorry, what were we talking about. I think I forgot.... Oh yeah, is it getting hot in here? OK, question two.
If a man loves the song IT'S RAINING MEN by the Weather Girls, is that a turnoff?
Eliza: Can't say that I could ever judge a person based on a series of criteria. I look for people that are unique; they kind-of sparkle. With that said, "raining men" doesn't necessarily mean you want to sleep with them, right? I mean, it can rain cats and dogs and most people don't want to sleep with them...This does bring up a very good story.
See, I have very good gay radar but even better straight radar, always have, always know. I have an actor friend and I knew him for a year, everyone else was convinced. Me, not so much. Then, one night we were walking around and he just starting kissing me...hardcore pinned up to the wall kissing! Yup, I knew it! Never turned a guy gay, but quite the opposite.
Rufus: So listening to that song still makes you a man. Hmmm. Interesting. YOU HEAR THAT SCRAPS!?!
So, pinned right up against the wall huh? What powers you possess!
Now for the last question......
Eliza, with all that you have on your plate, and all that you have accomplished already, has any of that compared to being able to speak with BumsCorner?
Eliza:
..
Crickets: Chirp, chirp
Rufus: And with that I have scared Eliza off. I knew that the leather chaps were too much for one womans mind to handle. I want to thank Eliza Swenson for her wonderful sense of humor and taking the time out of her schedule to speak with myself and BumsCorner.com. Bums, be sure to keep an eye on the calendar for any releases or news from Eliza, and also be sure to check out her MySpace page by clicking HERE, or check out her official site. |
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Updated Wednesday, May 10, 2006 Written by Rufus |
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