LIMITLESS SKYE: Talking with Skye McCole Bartusiak by Owen Keehnen

Houston native Skye McCole Bartusiak is a young actress going places. Though a mere 12 years old (it’s just too weird to write she was born in autumn of 1992!) most horror fans are probably familiar with her work. Skye was the precocious and very mysterious young Franny in ‘Boogeyman’, she played young Charlie McGee (the Drew Barrymore character) in ‘Firestarter: Rekindled’ for USA Films, she was Pippa Hatcher in another Stephen King adaptation ‘Storm of the Century’, she was Michael Douglas’ kidnapped daughter in the thriller ‘Don’t Say a Word’, as well as in the USA Network horror flick ‘The Darkling’. Her non-genre credits include such A-list features as the Oscar winning ‘The Cider House Rules’ (in which she played Hazel), ‘The Patriot’ with Mel Gibson, ‘Riding in Cars With Boys’, ‘Blonde’ (playing Marilyn Monroe as a child!), ‘Against The Ropes’ (playing Meg Ryan as a child!), ‘Affair of the Necklace’ (with Hilary Swank), etc.

And all this says nothing of her extensive television series work, which includes guest roles on ‘24’, ‘Touched By an Angel’, ‘Frasier’, ‘Port Charles’. Judging Amy’, ‘Providence ’, ‘Law and Order’, etc. Going through the list all I can say is “WOW!”

And the greatest and most refreshing thing about talking to Skye was the immediate impression that this was a seasoned veteran of films…as well as a 12 year old! There are no limits in this charming young woman’s future!! The best is yet to come.

 
  Owen: You started your film career at 7 years old in the Stephen King mini-series 'The Storm of the Century' in 1999.  What is your most vivid memory of that shot?

Skye: I was 5 actually. I remember Stephen bought us all little bikes that we rode all over the set and also I remember them putting strawberry jelly all over my face to look like blood.

Owen: You also starred in the Stephen King project, 'Firestarter: Rekindled' a USA Network sequel to his book.  Did your previous role in his work ‘Storm of the Century' help you get cast in that at all?

Skye: Nope. Not at all. Actually I did a movie called ‘The Darkling’...Ahhh forgettable LOL. Anyway, they were the same producers and they called me to do it.

Owen: It's interesting, you were also in 'Riding In Cars With Boys' with Drew Barrymore and you play Barrymore's original character, Charlie McGee, (which Drew did in 1984) in 'Firestarter: Rekindled'.  Were you tempted to call her up for pointers about Charlie?

Skye: No, I never saw the original and so I never made that connection that the first was Drew or I would have mentioned it to her.

Owen: You're probably best known to horror fans for your fantastic performance as Franny in 'Boogeyman'. Was that film as scary to shoot as it was to watch?

Skye: Yes, it was scary to shoot. We shot that at this really spooky house in New Zealand that belonged to an undertaker and we shot very late at night and it was soooo creepy.

Owen: As you mentioned 'Boogeyman' was shot in Auckland New Zealand.  What was the strangest thing about being in that country for three months?

Skye: Probably the black sand beaches, which I loved. Also I thought it was strange the way the Maoris tattooed their faces, but I loved it and thought they were exotic looking and I loved them!

Owen: Tell me about the 'Boogeyman' shoot.

Skye: The director Stephen Kaye is the youngest director I ever had and he had a daughter Lily and we became friends. Stephen never talked to me like a baby, which drives me nuts. Some directors talk to kids like they are stupid and don’t get it or whatever – but he never did. I also liked Rob Tapert and his assistant Chloe. She had this huge dog and I painted his toenails red when Chloe wasn’t looking.

Owen: I know you said it was forgettable, but another good horror role of yours is as Casey Obold in 'The Darkling' with Aiden Gillen and F. Murray Abraham.  What do you remember most about filming that movie?

Skye: I just remember never really getting what it was all about when I was working on it and after it was on film. ‘The Darkling’ baby was pretty funny though. Also I worked with Nina Siemaszko’s brother in ‘Storm of the Century’. Her brother Casey played my father so it was cool to work with his sister and she is a doll.

Owen: Is it weird to see yourself on screen?

Skye: Yeah, and there is a lot of stuff I won’t watch myself in if I don’t like the dailies.

Owen: You have starred as a young Meg Ryan in 'Against The Ropes', as one of Mel Gibson's daughters in 'The Patriot', as Michael Douglas' kidnapped daughter in 'Don't Say a Word', as young Marilyn Monroe in the mini-series 'Blonde', as Hazel in 'Cider House Rules', etc. Those are some very high profile roles...which has been your favorite?

Skye: ‘The Patriot’ because there were tons of kids on the set who I love like Trevor Morgan and Mika Boorem and also I love Roland Emerich and he treated us so good and he is such a nice director and I loved his accent too. Also it was a six-month shoot and we became like family. ‘Blonde’ was a good set too, but that was a hard role, really emotionally demanding.

Owen: Are all the kids at school back in Houston totally jealous of your career?

Skye: No, most of them probably haven’t even seen most of my stuff, but a lot of my friends have famous astronaut dads and stuff so they aren’t very impressed with me!! LOL. I wish they were. LOL.

Owen: What projects do you have lined up in the near future?

Skye: I am filming a movie right now with some Swedish guys who have a lot of artistic vision so the film will be beautifully shot. It’s called ‘Kill Your Darlings’. Then I will shoot a short for Sundance and then if the cards fall right I will have another feature, which I can’t mention yet since there is no deal in place.

Owen: What is something that scares you in real life?

Skye: Not having money to shop. LOL, Kidding. Ummm. I have trouble sleeping after watching horror movies and I get a little spooked when we go camping and there are noises in the night.