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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
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| May 29 2009, 7:01 PM EDT (current) | philmesserer | 1 word added, 1 word deleted |
| May 29 2009, 7:01 PM EDT | philmesserer | 1 word added, 1 word deleted |
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THE STARS
Devon Dionne as Helen Baxter
Interview with the Vampire
Nominated for Breakout Female Star at the 2008 Action On film Festival, Devon BaileyDionne has a degree in Acting and Classical Dance from the Pratt Institute in New York. Her theater credits include: The Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing. She was so tired on the set of Thicker Than Water (she had a day job) that she slept inside her character’s coffin between takes. After the shoots, she would often go to work as Cinderella at kids' birthday parties.
Eilis Cahill as Lara Baxter
Eilis Cahill Audition
Nominated for Best Actress at Action on Film and B-Movie Fest, Eilis Cahill is of Irish descent and a native New Yorker. In preparation for her role as 16 year-old Lara, the actress attended high school for a day and pretended to be a student. Nobody was the wiser.
Jo Jo Hristova as Mom
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Jo Jo Hristova’s performance as the old-world Bulgarian Mom who must choose between the proverbial water and blood, is not the fact that she was only 32 when production began, or that the actor playing her son was 33, or that she had to play her with a limp, or even the fact that English is her second language. What’s truly amazing is that within a span of thirty minutes, a time frame she was allotted before every shoot to get into character, she completely transformed herself from a bubbly, talkative young woman to the morose, hardened image we see on the screen. Strangers to the set did not recognize her. Her personality is about as removed from Mom as can be. Recently honored with the Accolade Award for Best Supporting Actress, Jo Jo Hristova opens up about her experience making the film:
When I got invited to audition for the part of “Mom” and leafed through the script for “Thicker than Water” I said to myself, “I want this part”!
I bought a dress, specifically for the role and headed nerve-stricken to the first audition. I was invited into the room by two very friendly guys whom I felt I could totally trust. As I wanted the part so badly, I was completely taken by the role, leaving the two gentlemen unattended. These gentlemen turned out to be Phil Messerer and Dustin Leddy, who played my two daughters at the audition. I can still recall Phil giggling as I was yelling at both of them, as if they had been under my Bulgarian motherly wing forever. And when Phil asked me whether I had any children, a true asset in such a character role, I bravely replied, “No, but I have a mother.”
When I finally got the role, I remember screaming at the top of my lungs. It was so unlikely to play a woman thirty years older than I was.
This role has turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. It offered me the opportunity to work with many talented and enthusiastic people, whom I instantly befriended, like Eilis Cahill, Davon Bailey, Michael Strelow, Anthony Morelli, Michael Gongora, Russ Spitkovsky. During the shoot we became one big crazy family. I felt that the team really looked at me as “Mom”. I was truly inspired and blown away by their arresting character transformations, and felt the urge to keep up. I would daily witness how Eilis turns into a stubborn teenage Goth, how Michael molds into a gay nerd and how Devon shifts from a sweet popular cheerleader to an inhuman creature. What was even more touching was these accomplished actors seeking my counsel and advice on their portrayal. It was divine synchronicity: I felt in the right place, with the right people, at the right time, and I poured my heart unconditionally into the project.
The role of “Mom” was both challenging and fun. It required that my face be heavily painted. It took the amazing Randall Leddy two hours each day to age me 30 year. To make the character authentic, I placed wooden sticks on my hip to create a limp, which was quite painful sometimes. I was also urged to cry on cue without smearing tons of make up. To add to the whole experience there were days when I was drenched with fake blood made from corn syrup and fabric dye with no running water on the set. I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything!
Phil treated me with utmost respect, for which I am forever grateful. He smartly fitted me into the role, switching the American “Mom” to a Bulgarian one. He never hesitated to entertain my avalanche of questions, patiently
guided me into the role, encouraging my suggestions and allowing me rather not play the part but own it. He was patient enough, keeping the team on hold, while I was preparing before shoot, meticulously providing all the vital necessities for an optimal performance. We clicked immediately, creating a relationship based on a mutual trust, a sort of artistic synergy that for me is one of the most essential ingredients in an actor-director tandem. Now, as I watch the movie, I zoom through every scene into the magical experience of that moment. I still can’t believe that it was me, who was selected for the role, and that it was my reflection on the screen. I feel truly blessed and fortunate for having been part of such an incredible project.
