Horror movies &stuff: Susan Frank - "Morrow Road" Interview
In this interview, actress Susan Frank talks to us exclusively about her role in director Francis J. Sampier's upcoming supernatural horror movie "Morrow Road". Which is based on an actual, real life Michigan legend.
MR. H:When did you first decide you wanted to be an actress??
Susan:I've been participating in theater productions since middle school and through college. My interest grew as I became more involved in different projects. It started off as more of a hobby, it's something I really enjoy. Now that I've been given the opportunity to be a part of something big (and get paid for it), I am really considering it as a profession.
MR. H:What made you decide to take on a role in Francises film "Morrow Road"?
Susan:Morrow Road was actually the first film for which I had auditioned. My interest in the film came from the idea that the movie is based on a real Michigan legend. Also, before the auditions I took a look at the website and found very detailed descriptions of the characters and their backgrounds. I was impressed to see that there was already some good story development.
MR. H:Tell us a little bit about your character in the film Allison Marsh.
Susan:Allison is the soft-spoken and kind of shy best friend of Ivy (the lead). She is one of the town locals and is relatively familiar with the legend of Morrow Rd. She has a little sister named Renee (Sarah Hopp). The two sisters are very different. Renee is much more confident.
MR. H:What do you look for when deciding to take on a project? Like when you receive the script, what are the key elements within it that you're looking for as reasons for you to decide -- "I want to be a part of this movie"?
Susan:I look for a solid story and interesting characters. If the story doesn't make sense you'll lose your audience. And I also look for characters that I think the audience could identify with.
MR. H:Is horror your preferred genre to work in?? Is it a genre you can see yourself gradually maturing in as an actress i.e. Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh?
Susan:I never really thought of sticking with one genre. I'd like to do some other stuff too. But there is something about the horror genre that is very appealing as an actor. With horror there is no holding back and the range of emotions is pretty expansive. One moment your character is living life, then fighting for their life.
Of course I would love to have the success of Jamie Lee Curtis or Janet Leigh. But what I like about their careers is that they have also acted outside of the horror genre. I was a fan of Janet Leigh from her role in The Manchurian Candidate before I saw her in Psycho.
MR. H:When working on a horror project, what are three things that you think an actress needs to do other than being a "sport" about being drenched in fake blood very often??
Susan: 1. Have a good sense of humor
2. Be creative
3. Stay focused (when necessary)
MR. H:Does it take a sort of mental preparation to do a horror film in your case, or do you approach it like you would any other project?
Susan:I've approached it like most other projects. However, it's been difficult drawing from past experiences to capture the emotion fear. I can't say I ever had to seriously fear for my life.
MR. H:In the real world, there still is sort of a sexist attitude towards strong women and a disbelief that women can protect themselves, but in horror movies 9 times out of 10 the woman is either the heroine or the lone survivor. Do you think that continuing this trend and the trend itself has helped to eliminate certain sexist stereotypes about women?
Susan:I've never considered that before that's a great question. I think it has helped. The horror genre has definitely moved away from the "damsal in distress" representation of women. In horror movies there are a lot more women being depicted as the heroine. And it's not just about the physical strength, it's emotional strength and intelligence. I think this trend has spilled over into other genres as well: thriller/suspense, biographical, historical, etc. Hopefully the trend will continue.
MR. H:Do you get to scream alot in this film??
Susan:I get to scream a little bit. Last Halloween I went to a bunch of haunted houses and corn mazes with my friends. I let out the most blood curdling screams I could (sometimes not on purpose).
MR. H:What's it been like working with director Francis J. Sampier??
Susan:Working with Francis has been really great. He's a terrific director. Since I received the call saying I landed the part of Allison I've been regularly updated on the status of the project. Francis is really good about making sure that no one is left in the dark. And he's doing everything to make sure that this project comes together with the highest quality. The best part is that Francis is truly enthusiastic about this film and that helps everyone else get excited about too. Of course, it's a great screenplay, how could you not be excited about it?
Another great thing is that we occasionally have cast & crew get-togethers. We've all gotten to know each other and have made some great friendships. Something I've learned is that there needs to be trust between everyone on the set. If you're not comfortable you might holdback a really fantastic performance.
MR. H:Is acting a hobby for you or are your goals set much higher, like turning this acting thing into a long term career and possibly landing a part in an Oscar buzz film later on down the road?
Susan:Seeing as I have been in school until just recently ( I graduated from Michigan State University in 2006! yay!) I haven't been able to make acting a big priority. But I always found ways to get involved with stage plays, independent films, and acting classes. I would love to pursue acting as a fulltime career.
MR. H:If you were always known as an *indie actress*, like having to carry that label around such as some actresses today in Hollywood do, would you be okay with that or do you want to eventually break that label and become just *an actress*?
Susan:I would be okay with any title they give me as long as I am partaking in good quality films (studio or independent).
MR. H:."Morrow Road" is based on a local Michigan Legend, give us one really creepy local legend from your hometown that you've heard about recently or in the past.
Susan:Well I've heard some interesting stories from Detroit, but the creepiest story I've heard is from my college years at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The dorm I lived in freshman year was supposedly haunted. More specifically it was the floor I lived on that was haunted. From time to time our TV or radio would turn on or off by itself and our elevator did a lot of funny stuff. The story behind it wasn't so creepy, but experiencing it was a little scary.
MR. H:What was it like working with the "Evil Dead" ladies? Did you get to or will you get to do any scenes with them?
Susan:I will get to do a few scenes with one of the ladies, Ellen Sandweiss. We got to meet at one of cast dinners and she was extremely kind and I'm sure she will be a pleasure to work with.
MR. H:Two parter: If you could sum up "Morrow Road" in one sentence, what would it be? And give us your best pitch as to why genre fans should keep an eye out for "Morrow Road" in 2008.
Susan:Morrow Road approaches the small town, local legend with a view you haven't seen before. It has a spectacular story. Everyone who has seen the script loves it and wants to be a part of the project. Even those who haven't seen the script, but have heard of the movie want to get involved. Because of all this we have top-notch people working on this film. Take a look at www.morrowroad.com and you'll see what I mean. The execution will be of the highest quality.
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