Actress and producer Katelyn Pearce arrives on Close-up Culture to talk about her ‘beguiling’ performance in Keola Racela’s horror-comedy, Porno.
Q: ‘Porno’ sounds like one of the most unique and entertaining genre films in recent years. It follows five teen employees of a movie theatre, in a small Christian town, as a mysterious old film unleashes an alluring succubus. What was your initial reaction when you heard about this project and the read the script?
A: When I first read the script I was intrigued, and also a little fearful. It’s a big decision, to play a role like Lilith. A lot of stuff can come with it…
Ultimately I wanted to go for it. The team is young, but I knew the casting director and she’s very supportive of women so I trusted I would be in good hands during the audition process. I wasn’t entirely sure I would accept if I booked it… but when the time came I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.
Q: I don’t think we have ever had someone on Close-up Culture who plays the monster – or in your case the succubus – in a horror film. Were you excited by the prospect of being in a category with Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Chucky as a horror villain?
A: I actually compared Lilith to Michael Myers! And YES. I’m ecstatic about it. I LOVE horror so much. Even the idea of being in a category with those iconic roles is a dream.
Q: Eye For Film praised your performance as ‘beguiling’. How did you prepare for and approach the task of portraying Lilith?
A: Since Lilith doesn’t speak, I did a lot of physical work and meditation to various music. Portishead was a one of the bands I listened to a lot while on set. Also the “true form” makeup makes believing I’m a monster easy. I terrified people on set.
Q: Given the nature of the film, I understand the role of Lilith involves a lot of nudity. Is the physicality of the role something you felt comfortable with from the start?
A: Yes. Honestly. I know that’s weird for most people. I kind of grew up in a naked house. I was raised by a single mom with four kids, and three of us are girls.. god bless my brother, haha. I basically lived in a ladies locker room. And my granddad was an artist so he had all sorts of naked forms in his studio.
Nudity has just never been something that has bothered me. I was weary of what others might think, but at the end of the day it’s about being true to who you are and what you want. I wanted to do the role. So I did.
Q: I’ve also heard the film has amazing special effects, including a scene with exploding testicles. Do you have any fun memories from being on set and being a part of these crazy scenes?
A: I have a lot of memories of freezing my ass off, haha. But looking back it made for a lot of bonding. It was the middle of winter on Long Island near the ocean and the heater in the movie theater was off, so we just had space heaters and all the prosthetics were basically glued to my face and arms for half of my scenes and they somehow made me feel like I was holding ice
against my body, haha. But it was all so much fun to shoot. So much laughing between takes. And the FX team is BRILLIANT.
Q: This is director Keola Racela’s debut feature. What was he like to collaborate with?
A: Keola is a gem of a human and artist. He was so easy going, so earnest and a whole lot of fun. I would work with him whenever, forever.
Q: ‘Porno’ is currently screening at festivals around the world. I’m already excited to see the film at FrightFest in London this August. What is your message to audiences who hope to catch the film?
A: Ha! I hope they have a ton of fun watching it, and perhaps take another look at sexual repression and what that does to people.
Q: You also have a role in the upcoming horror film ‘Good Samaritan’, which marks the feature debut of direct Jeffrey Reddick. How exciting is it to be involved in this project and to work with the mind behind ‘Final Destination’?
A: Landing this film was a dream come true! I actually auditioned for the film at SXSW. The script is sooooo good. I was on the edge of my bed reading it in my hotel. And the first Final Destination is one of those movies that made me fall in love with the whole genre. And Jeffrey is a wonderful man. I couldn’t have been more thankful.
Q: As well as acting, you have a blossoming career as a producer. Can you tell us about your passion for working behind the camera and the type of projects you’d like to create?
A: I started doing it just as a way to stay creative and make work when I wasn’t getting any and then I just fell in love with the process.
My dream is to eventually have my own company that creates projects that give women more opportunity and tells our stories. We still only make up about 30% of speaking roles and over 50% of the population. I’m over it. I’ve been so blown away with Reese Witherspoon’s production work lately. She’s such a inspiration.
Q: Lastly, any future plans or ambitions to share with us?
A: I’m currently shooting the feature film Kurt. It’s a really edgy film about sexism and the me too era in the modelling industry. There’s also this really cool horror short series, Night Terrors, I am developing with my manager, Lori.