| Hi Lennox, why not start all of us eager beavers
at www.racksandrazors.com out with an image &
describe the room where you're answering these
questions?
Kewl!
Well, I'm coming to you live from my little
office area in my living room. I'd love to make
it sound like a sexy room, but it's actually
quite cluttered! Plus, I usually eat at my desk
as well so there are a lot of paper plates and
bowls and forks and stuff lying around. I'm a
slob!
So Lennox, as a
horror fan do you recall any specific incident as
a kid that hinted that one day you would grow up
to be Scream Queen of the Month?
Well
there wasn't any one isolated incident, but my
parents used to let my best friend April, my
brother Jeff, and myself watch all kinds of crazy
B-horror films. We got into it because my mom
liked them so she'd rent an occasional one and
let us watch, but pretty soon--like by the time I
was in 6th grade--we'd rent them endlessly. That
was all we'd watch! Like our friends would
probably be watching those hokey "After
School Specials" while we'd be laughing our
asses off at the guy getting his head chopped off
while sledding in "Silent Night, Deadly
Night." I should mention that, despite all
the horror films we watched as children, we all
grew up to be really well adjusted adults with no
desire to drive ice picks into anyone's skull or
eat them alive! But, anyway, it was that early
introduction to horror that instilled in me my
desire to be a Scream Queen.
Somewhat going
along with that - what exactly does the naming
"SQ of the Month" process entail and
(other than this racksandrazors.com piece) have
you noticed any repercussions or benefits of
having that title bestowed upon you?
The
process was simple . . . my boyfriend actually
nominated me--he sent in the materials and
such--but he had me write my own bio! He
submitted me in May 2005 but I wasn't picked
until May 2006 so the bio text is a bit
outdated--I've done a lot more acting and
modeling since last year when I wrote my bio.
But, I was happy that they went to my website and
picked out some of my newer photos to use. As far
as what the title means for me, first off it
enables me to have my pictures and a short
biography on the http://www.screamqueen.com website. This is
great because I've gotten hundreds of hits on my
site from that site and exposure is worth
everything to me at this point. Plus, I had one
movie offer from a filmmaker who saw me on the
site. Unfortunately I have a full-time job in
Atlanta and so I can't take off 2-3 weeks to
shoot the film in Kentucky. Finally, I've had a
lot of "fan mail" from people who saw
me on the site. That means the world to me!
Did you always
want to be an actress (and specifically a horror
actress) or was this a recent career development?
In a
nutshell, I've wanted to be an actress since I
was a kid, but at the same time the acting and
modeling really is a pretty recent career
development for me. I'll explain. Since I've
always been a super nerd and have my Masters
degree and conduct Health Policy research for a
living, I get this question all the time--I'm a
little hard to figure out and define since I have
so many sides to me. But I'll try to explain . .
. when I was growing up and then even all through
college and graduate school, I was a total
teacher's pet who won many academic awards and
scholarships. I was fiercely driven to be Number
One academically. I even made Phi Beta Kappa as a
junior in college! Anyway, I was always wanting
to do the "right" thing and for me that
meant going to graduate school right after
college . . . I was intelligent, I loved studying
and research, and it just made sense to me and
everyone around me that I'd would be an academic.
Well . . . about three years after obtaining my
Masters degree and being in the working world, I
got bored. REALLY bored. I thought about what lit
me up in my current state and couldn't think of a
thing. So I decided to return to what I loved as
a kid--acting. I used to take acting classes as a
kid and was a total ham and loved being the
center of attention. In elementary school I would
host/narrate school plays and speak at P.T.A.
meetings and do morning announcements and such.
But when I went to Junior High I just stopped all
together for whatever reason. Anyway, I loved
being a "host" more so than an
actress--I like playing myself, so to speak, as
opposed to a character. Keeping that in mind I
wanted to target my acting to hosting. My
boyfriend was such a blessing to me at that point
(and still is!). He convinced me to "go for
it!" even when I thought I was being
ridiculous to pick back up this new hobby at my
age. He was the reason I went to my first
audition to host a couple of pilot episodes for a
live music show which never ended up getting
picked up, but I got the gig and I was off and
running! Getting that first gig made me 100% more
confident that I was doing the right thing for me
and that no dream of mine was too far-fetched. So
I also decided to pursue being a Scream Queen
since I absolutely loved horror movies. The rest
is history baby! :)
I'd love it if
you would discuss a bit about your work as Amber
in "Sleep" (2005) -
can you give me a teaser that is going to make it
irresistible to www.racksandrazors.com readers?
Hmmm, a
teaser . . . how about "They really were her
bras and panties--but she didn't sleep with
him!" Yeah, that should be the tagline of
our movie poster. Well, actually I wasn't the
lead so I think the lead would be pissed if that
were the case. Anyway, the movie centers around
three female friends, a lot of plotting and
scheming, and a lovely little twist. I can't
reveal too much but I will say that Amber was
set-up. And she didn't deserve to die!
I also want to
hear about your work as in ''Deadly
Predator, Deadly Vengeance" What
was the most memorable part of filming that role?
The most
memorable part of filming that movie was that my
scene partner NEVER SHOWED UP to shoot, thus I
had to quickly turn my dialogue into a monologue
and make it seem believable. We decided that I'd
deliver it the monologue as if I were responding
to someone on the phone. I *think* it worked
okay. :) I did "Deadly Predator, Deadly
Vengeance" for Lynch Films, the same company
who did "Sleep." One thing I want to
say about them is that they are so good to their
actors. They always pay and pay them well, even
for small roles. Gary Lynch totally respects his
actors and I love working with him.
And I also must
hear about your work in the upcoming feature 'Plague
of the Damned.'
Oooooh!
I'm so excited about this film! I play the
character of Stormy Winters in the upcoming film
"Plague of the Damned" which is now in
production. This film hopefully will re-imagine
the zombie genre. Stormy Winters is a former porn
star who has been exiled to the
"contaminated zone" for her medical
background (i.e. she's considered a health risk
because of her porn background). I guess I should
explain that the "contaminated zone" is
a place in the Midwest where sick humans and
zombies were exiled after the fictitious
"Black Flag Act." The humans there are
essentially slaves and eventually food for the
zombies who run the zone. Anyway, Stormy and six
of her fellow Black Flaggers' are total renegades
and loot and pillage villages along the
contaminated zone while fighting constantly to
survive the zombies in charge. The bulk of the
action takes place over three days when Stormy
and her gang go on a mission to retrieve some
diamonds. There will be a lot of fight scenes.
'Plague of the Damned' mixes Peckinpah with
Romero for a gory good time! I'm super thrilled
about playing such a strong, female lead. I even
have to undergo weapons training. I'm grateful
that my producer believes in me so much - I mean
I'm a total girlie-girl, but he envisions me
learning to fire weapons and kick-ass and I thank
him for that. Hey check out my producer J. Caleb
here: http://www.myspace.com/highlandroguefilms .
Are you a big
hollow-eyed fan of zombie flicks?
Actually
no. And that's awful to say since my upcoming
movie "Plague of the Damned" is a
zombie flick! J. Caleb (my producer) would kill
me for saying no! Shhhh, don't tell!
Somewhat going
along with that Lennox - what does it for your
horrorwise - vampires, zombies, witches, aliens,
creatures, werewolves, psychos, haunted houses,
ghosts - what genre does it for you & why?
The
things that scare me most are:
1)
Regular people (as opposed to zombies or
vampires, etc. who are "off" in some
regard--those people who are outwardly one thing
but then inside they're totally psycho and
plotting something terrifying. I mean they could
be outwardly a bit weird but no one would peg
them as twisted--take "May" in May or
"Jack" in 'The Shining' or even Norman
Bates in 'Psycho' . These characters aren't
supernaturally strong in any way but they are
much, much scarier to me than say Freddy or the
Chucky because they are real people who just lose
it. It implies that we really don't know the
thoughts that are lurking around in the heads of
those who seem outwardly normal or just weird but
not murderous . . . but they could be!
2)
Possession. The thought that humans could be
possessed by demons is horrifying! The
"Exorcist" and films like that right up
through "American Haunting" which I
recently saw scare the hell out of me! They make
me wonder if one day some evil spirit will enter
me and use me. It's totally frightening to watch
on-screen and to think about. Plus, my
boyfriend's dad is a pastor and he grew up
actually watching exorcisms that his dad and
other church members would perform. He's seen
possessed people and has told me all about it.
It's real and it's scary!
Do you have any
other upcoming projects you would like to tell
the www.racksandrazors.com about?
I am
filming a short thriller called "Casting
Call" in mid-June, again for Lynch Films. I
play Lisa, a, um, well, slutty girl who tries to
use her looks and charms to win a role in a
horror film. She's actually an awful actress! The
script is about 80% improv so it will be neat to
see what I can do with my character. It has a
nice twist too, of course! Oh and I actually
don't get killed, but my impending death is
implied and someone else gets killed.
Also coming up is
a HOOTERS commercial I was in
with Brooke Burke. Look for it to air nationally
May 22nd.
As well,
I'm in the "waiting stage" for what
could be some very big projects. For instance, I
test shot for Playboy in February and am just
waiiiiiiiiiiiiting to see if they want to shoot
me. And I met with the Liberator last week on a
go-see--I'm now in their database and could
potentially shoot national campaigns for them. I
hate the waiting game but I guess it's a natural
part of what I do.
Currently you
reside in Atlanta - how is that for filming &
do you foresee a time in the future when you will
absolutely need to get to either LA or NY in
order to move your career to the next level?
I'm
totally itching to get out of Atlanta--I've been
here my whole life. However, I'm the least
risk-taking person you'll ever meet meaning that
I wouldn't pack up and move out to L.A. or New
York just on a dream . . . for a big contract
with guaranteed work and money, then yes I'd make
the move. Atlanta is full of opportunities for
short films and actually for horror movies. For
instance, Lions' Gate just picked up "Motor
Home Massacre" that was shot here (I wasn't
in it). As well, I've always heard that Atlanta
is a big market for commercials, but without an
agent I've never even seen a casting call for
one. I definitely need an agent to fully realize
the potential of the Atlanta market but I think
I've been so lazy about getting one because
acting and modeling isn't my bread and
butter--because I'm already making money at my
full-time job then I don't feel impelled to go to
every audition out there. Right now my love of
the craft and the experience is what drives me,
and believe me I hustle like no one's business to
market myself, but I know I'd have more
opportunities with an agent. Hmmmm, this
interview may just propel me to get off my ass
and try to get one! :)
Okee doke - we're
pulling the jalopy into the Lennox Miller Drive
In. What three films are going to be on the
triple bill and what goodies are you going to
have the folks serving at the concession stand?
Ooooh,
let's talk about the food first! We will totally
be serving cereal and chocolate at the concession
stand--my two favorite foods. Yummy! Like Cocoa
Krispies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cap'n Crunch
and then chocolate truffles, cookies, and cake.
With these goodies, damn, who needs the feature
films? But since you asked . . .
My triple
bill would consist of horror-only! The first film
would be my number one all-time favorite horror
movie and favorite movie in general, "The
Shining." There are so many layers to this
movie and people have analyzed it to death with
their theories like oh, it's really about the
genocide of Native Americans and whatnot. The
cool thing is that Kubrick does leave what could
be interpreted as "clues" (I've heard
'Shining' analysts call them called
"confirmers") all over his masterpiece
so you can draw your own conclusion depending on
what you pick up and how you put it all together.
At its very core it's an epic horror film, it
really is. And when you factor everything else
in, the film is as complicated as the Overlook
Hotel's maze and for that, God I love the movie!
I've seen in like 17 times and would watch it 17
more!
Next we'd
move onto the film that disturbed me moreso than
anything I've seen in my life, "Last House
on the Left." I mean when my boyfriend said,
"Well I'm not sure you can handle it,"
I dismissed him as thinking that he just meant
it'd be too gory for me and so we popped in the
DVD. I mean Wes Craven's gore had never freaked
me out before . . . but, gory wasn't the problem.
The rapes, butchering, torture, and general plot
was horrifying. I still can't believe that I
watched it and that it actually played in a
theater 30+ years ago. It seemed like a snuff
film to me more so than a horror film. I don't
think it would be allowed in theaters nowadays.
One good thing that came out of us watching the
movie is that it's actually become the gauge my
boyfriend uses to tell me if I really could
handle a movie or not. Like I wanted to see
"I Spit on Your Grave" and he said,
"Absolutely not. It's comparable to 'Last
House on the Left.' " And then I understood
I wouldn't be able to handle it and thus I didn't
want to see it! Anyway, I want everyone to see
that movie and suffer through it like I did
because I'm cruel! I mean I was disturbed for
three days straight after seeing it--I couldn't
stop thinking about it.
Finally,
to end the evening on a much lighter note, let's
watch "Re-Animator." We need some
horror/comedy at this point and this movie
certain fits the bill!
What makes you go
psycho in real life?
Well I'm
totally impatient so anything like long lines
with slow cashiers or problematic customers makes
me want to chop peoples' heads off. Oh and
screaming, out-of-control children whose parents
will not reprimand or remove them from stores
even when they are clearly disturbing everyone
around them. That's my number one pet peeve! In
that scenario I usually mutter very loudly
something like, "Control your
children!" or exclaim to whomever I'm with,
"Why can't parents take their screaming
children out of the store?!?" I have no
patience for poorly behaved children and parents!
What scares you
in real life?
I am such
a wuss! I am totally that girl who never stopped
thinking there were people under her bed. Plus I
think my bedroom is haunted--no kidding. So I'm
pretty scared to sleep alone. I've felt my bed
shake hard and so has my boyfriend and it's not
the case that it's because a car is driving by or
a door closed or whatever other reasons people
try to console me with. I think someone must have
died in my apartment before I moved in it and
they like to stop by every now and then to say
hello. Who knows? But fortunately my ghost is a
friendly one--it just wants to be recognized but
doesn't cause trouble . . . so far! Oh and I have
a deep-seated fear of flying. I've only flown
twice and both times were awful and I had massive
panic attacks that disturbed others on-board and
embarrassed those who I was flying with. |