A constant in the indie scene from Texas, actress Kelly Dealyn has built an impressive range of credits as an actress and voiceover artist working in numerous genres not just horror. Now, in honor of the premiere of her latest film
Derelicts being released on Youtube on the Kings of Horror Channel, I talk with her about her interest as an actress, the early stages of her career and working on the film itself.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, where did you get the urge to get into acting?
Kelly Dealyn: My mother and I used to rent movies and watch them all weekend long. That was our thing. We’d go to the video store and rent 5-10 movies and watch them all. When I was a kid, she didn’t censor me much so we watched all kinds of movies from kids' movies to intense thrillers. The one that did it for me though, was Victor Victoria. I was 7 or 8 and I had short hair so it was easy for me to dress up like Julie Andrews from that film and pretend I was her. That’s where it started. Then as I got a little older, I started really getting emotional watching some films and it made me want to be able to give that gift to other people…to give people an outlet to feel emotions that they may or may not allow themselves to feel in everyday life.
Me: Were you always into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
KD: No, I watched all kinds of films. As far as horror, I was always more interested in the suspense, thriller, mind-fuck films which started with films like The Jagged Edge or The Morning After. I guess around late elementary school, Nightmare on Elm Street made its debut and I just loved it. I remember slumber parties where we’d rent movies like Creepshow and Nightmare on Elm Street and others from that time and we loved to be scared. At this point in my life, whether I’m desensitized or whatever the reason, I don’t much care for the gory slasher horror films, but still prefer the suspense, thriller variety. The psychological thrillers are the ones that scare me the most and I love that feeling.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing?
KD: I like playing a character with a lot of layers. Someone who is complex but seems grounded. Someone who has a lot going on behind the eyes.
Me: Having worked on plenty of short films and TV shows early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future film projects?
KD: You know, I’m always learning new things. I continuously stay in classes to grow and there are always new skills to be learned. I think every time I look at my old work, I go…man I wish I’d known this or that. I think that’s part of being an artist too, as we grow, so does our work. Also, I think working with different people, actors and crew alike, add things to our toolbelt. People work differently and you adjust with each new project. It keeps me on my toes. So there’s nothing specific I can call out to answer the question but generally speaking, I walk away with something new from every project.
Me: So, that brings us to your new film 'Derelicts.' What can you tell us about your character Constance? How did you approach the role?
KD: I wrote a pretty long backstory for Constance. I met with Brett and summarized what I’d come up with and he gave me a couple of ideas that he’d thought of and they worked well with what I had so I went from there. Interestingly, Constance evolved from what I’d written, portrayed and ultimately the edited version of the film was different than I’d pictured her in the beginning. She was a lot stronger than I’d thought she was and looking back, I wished I’d realized that when I started. But then again, maybe she didn’t realize it either 😉
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
KD: Set was hot. It was very hot. July into August. We spent 12-13 hours a day in this two-story house with the AC off a majority of the time for filming and we had the cast and crew, so I dunno, 20 people breathing in hot, stinky air haha. When it wasn’t our scene, several of us would be upstairs in the bedrooms just trying to stay cool. It was fun though, I mean, being in that sort of situation means you really get comfortable with your fellow cast and it’s a bonding experience. One of my favorite things about acting is meeting people and this was no exception. I made lifelong friends on this production.
As far as how the cast and crew reacted..it was a lot of fun. The crew was really creative with the blood and the killings haha. We had a lot of laughs. It was fun to watch them work and to see the outcome. That house was pretty trashed by the end with blood on the walls and ceiling of that dining room.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
KD: Oh I think one of the fun things was that someone was always sleeping upstairs. We had a lot of pics of people passed out in the bed. There were 2 or 3 sometimes 4 people at any given time in the beds upstairs and often someone was sleeping. That became kind of a thing.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
KD: Oh, I am really excited about a couple of new projects coming up for me for which I’ll be playing lead roles. I don’t think I can say much about them but one is a Sci Fi and the other is a psychological thriller, both really great scripts. Dates are TBD due to Covid but I’ve already started character work on the Sci Fi and I’m ready to roll as soon as it is safe and we are slated to start.
Thanks so much for including me!
To follow her work, check out her social media sites:
Website
Twitter
Instagram
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