An upcoming actress with several notable credits to her name, Linnea Gregg is working her way up the scene with high profile roles in big genre productions which looks to continue with her appearance confirmed in big-name projects to come. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in the industry, memories and experiences working on several of her films and some upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Linnea Gregg: Kind of late! It wasn't really until I started working on horror films that I started to love them. I had a very overactive imagination as a kid and teenager - when I watched The Descent in high school, it haunted me for three months afterward! So I didn't really get on the bandwagon until I was in my twenties and could enjoy the excitement more.
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
LG: Not really! I was a huge scaredy-cat, growing up. The first thrillers that I remember watching voluntarily and really enjoying were Goodnight Mommy and The Babadook. I think those eased me into everything else.
Me: What was the initial inspiration to becoming an actress? What aspect about this area of the industry appealed to you?
LG: There wasn't so much an inspiration as there was just inevitability. I would sing and dance around the house when I was a kid, and my mother decided that I should probably be onstage. She took me to my first audition "just to watch," and it happened that one of the songs you could sing was my all-time favorite song at that age. I couldn't resist getting up there and going for it. I ended up getting cast in the show, and ever since then, it's been a part of who I am.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing?
LG: I'm lucky to really enjoy the parts that I typically get cast in. The two "types" I usually get are Tough Bitch or Girl Next Door, But Something's Wrong With Her! There were two back-to-back projects I worked on in college where I played the very specific part of "the girlfriend that dies and then comes back to life as a vengeful spirit." I think that started the trend.
Me: Having worked on several short films early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future film projects?
LG: Prior to working on Anne Dark and Past the Darkness, I was primarily a theatre actor. So working on those short films definitely helped me figure out how working on a set differed from working on a stage, and how to snap in and out of character quickly. Both types of acting requires stamina; theatre requires you to play a character and a narrative for two hours straight through, while film requires you to stay fresh after picking up and putting down the character and the narrative over and over again through the course of at least eight hours.
Me: Initially appearing in the lead role 'The God Inside My Ear,' what about the character of Elizia appealed to you?
LG: Elizia was exciting because she kind of got to do everything. She starts off with a broken heart that she can't figure out how to heal, and then her reality (or her perception of it?) goes completely haywire. Crying in bed, dating, drugs, therapy - she gets pushed to every extreme. On top of that, the language in the script was really fascinating to read and figure out how to speak. Joe has a very distinct style of dialogue that I enjoy navigating.
Me: With the bizarre visual aesthetic and gradual increase in psychological psychosis associated with the role, how did you stay in the character’s mindset throughout the shoot? When you weren’t filming, how do you pass the time between takes?
LG: My approach to characters has less to do with mindest and more to do with their physical presence. I like to have an understanding of what's going on in their mind, but it's the body that I try to stay grounded in and that gives me the most to work with. I lean more into that when the scene is more intense, so if we were setting up for a heavier scene then I was often in the corner doing weird actor-y stuff. I know. I know.
Me: Was the experience of performing in that film what made you feel more comfortable working with him again in 'Sister Tempest?' What about his style and approaches keeps bringing you around to work with him?
LG: Joe, along with Daniel (our DP) and Joseph (our editor, who also assists with the camera) run a very fun set. It really feels like we're making stuff with our friends because we are. There's so much goofing off between takes - and honestly, sometimes during takes as well. I can't tell you how many shots were almost messed up because someone was making a dumb face off-camera.
I think it's less that I came back around to work with Joe, and more so that he included me in his next vision. It wasn't even something I needed to consider. The day before our cast and crew premiere of The God Inside My Ear, Joe said "I'm working on another script, and I have a part for you." He described a very basic outline of the film and I was like, I'm totally there.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
LG: Oh. My goodness.
There was an ongoing joke during The God Inside My Ear about how the characters Beth and Dave (played by Devin Ladner and Lucas Boffin) were in an incestuous relationship. There's a tiny moment in one of the final scenes in the film that hints at this. I wish I could remember how exactly that bit originated.
In Sister Tempest, Anne Hutchinson (played by Kali Russell) has a few weird books on her nightstand (none of which are actually real). One of them is titled Naughty Boobies. That one got brought up a lot, we probably referenced it at least once a day.
I got to live in Anne's house during Sister Tempest since I had come from out of town for the shoot. I took to showering at a nearby gym for the most part because something about the pipes in the house was weird and made the water smell sulfury. Sometimes it couldn't be helped, though, and so I would step into the shower covered in fake blood only to step out smelling like old eggs.
If the cast and crew needed food in a pinch, Joe would always order pizza for us. We now post memes about pizza on his Facebook wall in remembrance.
Me: Your next genre feature, 'The Night They Knocked,' saw you play a lead in Carmen. What do you remember about your time filming?
LG: Most of the cast and crew were living in the cabin where we filmed The Night They Knocked, which was in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. After our second day of shooting, we all stayed up late to prepare for shooting in the nighttime. At about 3am, while we were watching IT in the living room, we suddenly heard a loud banging and screaming coming from outside. We were all pretty freaked out by it. I zoomed upstairs to grab my bag in case we needed to make a quick getaway.
We found out later that it was a prank our DP and producers were playing on the actors... but you know, I'm kind of glad to know what my response would be in that kind of situation. Flight before fight, baby!
Me: As well, you’ve joined up with Charles Lincoln for an appearance in the show '21st Century Demon Hunter' and the upcoming 'Bishop’s Cove.' What has been the most memorable experience that you've had based on your collaboration together?
LG: It's difficult to pinpoint one thing. Charles is a creative powerhouse. Along with 21st Century Demon Hunter and Bishop's Cove, he has sent me no fewer than two scripts for more upcoming projects. He and his main collaborator Chelsea LeSage always seem to have something new going on, and it's hard to keep up! Demon Hunter has been going for a few years now, and its world keeps expanding. There's even a book, if you want to dive further into his vision! And Bishop's Cove is inspired in part by Charles' own life, though it has a female lead. Charles writes some really kickass women, and I really love that.
Me: Outside of these films, you've also landed roles in several other indie and non-genre films. What have these experiences added to your repertoire as an actress?
LG: Working on different things allows you to flex different muscles. Getting to try out a comedy or sci-fi or anything else, as a performer, allows you to go "Oh, I have this ability! Maybe I can add that to the mix somewhere else." Skills that you hone from working on one project will make you stronger, overall.
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
LG: As of right now, my next endeavor will be a short called Cannibal Witches from Hell, written and directed by Peter Melancon. Covid has made working hard, but I'm still putting myself out there!
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!
LG: Just do it! Wherever you are, there's bound to be someone around you who has a vision. Maybe that person is you. You'd be surprised by the content people can make with next to no budget, so there's no reason to not try something. Everyone starts somewhere, so you can start exactly where you are right now. Thanks for having me!
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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