An up-and-coming genre actress with several genre projects to her name, Chelsea Jurkiewicz is not only making a name for herself with her recent appearances in several genre films but also outside the genre that's helped hone her into the powerhouse she's becoming. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her start as an actress, her upcoming film Abigail Haunting and other projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, where did you get into acting?
Chelsea Jurkiewicz: That's everybody's first question. Acting was something I always loved doing. As a kid, I was always performing little skits with my cousins at family parties. When I was 11, I saw a flyer about auditions for a children's theatre musical. I wanted to do it really badly, but was hesitant at first because auditioning for a play was a totally new thing for me. I eventually decided to go. I remember my audition pretty vividly. I was all nervous and had light pink pants on. And a pink shirt with a silver horse on it. And tennis shoes, I think. As nervous as I was, I had fun at that audition. I love performing, and the other kids there were nice to me. That wasn't the case with the school kids, so I thought it was really cool when the other little girls trying out wanted to sit with me. After some callbacks and whatnot, I ended up getting cast in the show. And that was the beginning of something beautiful.
Me: Were you always into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
CJ: I didn't actually grow up watching horror films. My family always says they're surprised by my genre acting, because I was such a princess-y, Barbie-y, fairy-y little girl. I guess that little girl is still in me in a lot of ways. Just because I do horror movies doesn't mean I get overly excited for Halloween or anything. Sometimes I get the impression that people think that. I do horror movies because I love being dramatic, not because I've always watched them. That being said, though, I've loved watching them ever since I was like 15 and started acting in films. The first horror film I remember seeing in the theater was Oujia. (Totally underrated film, by the way!) I remember seeing the trailer and thinking it looked really cool. Only I had no idea that was how you spell Oujia. So I thought the movie was going to be about a demon named "Ow-jah". I think some of the greatest horror films are The Conjuring, Crimson Peak, The Witch, and Hereditary.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing?
CJ: Not really, I'm kind of down for whatever comes my way. I choose roles based on the film, the production, the director, the juiciness of the character, etc. I'd never be like, "Oh, I can't play this girl because she stands for whatever whatever." Things that really appeal to me in a movie offer are if it's a period piece, or if it's got ghosts in it, or if there's a lot of dialog. I LOVE dialog so dearly. Something that makes me turn down a role is too much raunchiness. I'll do risque. I won't do raunchy. There's a difference.
Me: What is the thought process towards taking on various roles, regardless of genre?
CJ: I'm not sure how to answer that, because I don't always believe in strategy. When I'm taking on a new role, I do whatever research is necessary, I rehearse a lot, and the character just comes. There were a few years where I took acting too seriously. I tried to do all these specific things I heard actors should do. But that's when I started to fall out of love with it. And there is literally no point in having a career you don't love. So I don't have methods to find a character. It can just come naturally and that's where the magic lies. That's where the love is.
Me: Having worked on plenty of short films and series early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future film-projects?
CJ: That's a wondrous question! I'm not sure about the shorts and series', but the first answer that comes to mind is something I learned in the theatre when I was a child. When you're in a live show, you do the same performance every night, and the runs can get pretty long. That medium of acting taught me that even if it's not my first time acting it out, it's the audience's first time seeing it. That reminded me to keep up my energy and try my hardest every night. I've carried that over into my film career and think about it when I have to do a lot of takes of the same scene.
Me: That brings us to one of your latest projects, "Abigail Haunting." What can you tell us about your character in the film?
CJ: I play Katie Fredrick, a girl in her early 20's with a hard past. She was raised as a foster kid, and never really had the adult supervision everyone needs. This has caused her to get on kind of a dark path, and when we meet her in the film, she's basically on the run. She takes refuge with Marge, who used to be her foster mom, and whose house may or may not be haunted by a demon named Abigail. It's kind of hard to say who's creepier - Abigail, or Marge! So besides a horror film, it's also a twisted family drama. It's really cool. One of the best scripts I've ever read. This character is just super dang awesome.
Me: How did you relate to the material she goes through? How do you stay in the characters' mindset while filming?
CJ: Are you sitting down? Because this answer is very interesting. I have an extremely rare and severe mental disorder called Psychasthenia. Basically, it's a condition that makes me believe things are happening that aren't actually happening, and I can feel things on my body that aren't there. This disorder has caused me an unfathomable amount of emotional pain over the years and makes everyday life a struggle. During the making of Abigail Haunting, I was going through one of the rougher times with it. Usually, I am not a method actor AT ALL. I am in this business for the social aspect as much as the art. But during that time, I wouldn't have been able to handle both the movie and the Psychasthenia. So I made the Psychasthenia a metaphor. I matched everything Katie Fredrick was going through to things I was going through. And it isn't hard to think of my experiences as demonic. I remember when I was like 14, I was actually worried that I might be possessed by a demon. That's how intense it can feel.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
CJ: The set was very professional. There was so much talent in every department. How did they react? Well, everyone was scared of Abigail, heehee. Literally. The director's wife was driving me back to where I was staying one night and thought Abigail was going to be in the road. I think the story freaked out everyone who worked on that movie. It didn't freak me out too much, because having Psychasthenia makes me have imaginary fears, but I can't really feel the real ones that people are supposed to have. That's why horror is a good genre for me. I definitely know what fear and deep emotion feels like, but my movies don't give me nightmares or anything because I don't have a lot of rational fear. That being said, though, there's a scene in the bathroom that actually DID scare me when I went in public bathrooms for a bit. And that NEVER happens to me. That's how powerful that bathroom scene was.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
CJ: That's an awesome question! I'm surprised this is the first interview where I've been asked that. This story is the first thing that comes to mind. There's a scene in Abigail Haunting where I'm in my character's bedroom, then leave for a second, then come back, and the room looks different. We were doing this in one shot, with the camera following me. There were crew guys hiding in the bedroom closet, ready to jump out and mess up the room when the camera left. Then they'd jump back in when me (and the camera) re-entered the room. It was all choreographed really well. When I was about to re-enter the room, I was trying to look in with a dramatic facial expression. But it was hard not to laugh because I could see all these random crew guys dramatically running and jumping back into the closet. It was hilarious! Also, off-set, the production put me up at a really nice Airbnb in Vegas. So, I didn't know what the term "Airbnb" meant, and I definitely did NOT know that I'd have my own 2-story house. That's amazing and everything, but I was totally not used to being a house owner! I accidentally left the keys in the outside of the door...overnight...twice! IN VEGAS! And I also accidentally got real blood on their bedspread and hid it with a random pillow, but it was totally obvious. And also this was the first movie where I was lucky enough to have my own trailer! That was cool because I could literally have smoothies in there. Yeah, it was a crazy time hahahahaha.
Me: As it's still in post-production, when can we expect a projected release for the film?
CJ: APRIL 22, FOLKS. AMAZON. Other places in May. Please check it out or Abigail will come.
Me: Beyond that, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
CJ: Well, I have two other feature films that are going to be released later this year. One is called The Crumbs, and one is called The 13th Cross. They are both amazing, so please look for those as well! I'm sure there will be a bunch of press interviews and things about those when we're closer to the releases. Also, I have a few short films in the festival circuit right now. They are Lumeria, Angie Bleeds, and Through the Valley of the Hunter. I'm actually nominated for a Best Lead Actress award for Through the Valley. That's never happened to me before! I'm pretty sure I was jumpin' the day I found out!
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
CJ: My message would be to have confidence in yourself, not only as a performer but as a person. And never give up!
This interview ran as part of our month-long Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our interviews and reviews we've conducted for the event:
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