An accomplished actress, producer and make-up artist, Lowrie Fawley has moved throughout the industry as she creates plenty of opportunities for herself through the work of her studio, Rogue Chimera Films. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her initial start as an actress, the founding of the studio and other projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Lowrie Fawley: You are very welcome! I am, as always, excited about WIHM, and I appreciate the opportunity to share my experiences and thoughts with you! I think I first got interested in horror when I was a pre-teen. I remember watching a Nightmare on Elm Street movie with a friend of mine, and the line went something like “You’re not gonna need a body bag. You’re gonna need a mop!” I thought this moment was hilarious and it has stuck with me ever since. I think I watched every horror movie at the video rental store – even the bad ones!
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
LF: Once I started watching horror, it just became my genre of choice. The storylines always kept me interested. I discovered Science Fiction (Doctor Who, the original Tomorrow People, Star Trek) and between that and horror those were my favorite movies and television shows. The films that really got me into the horror genre were the Nightmare on Elm Street films but also, films like The Howling and American Werewolf in London. I was a part of the original MTV generation and late 80’s horror was just SO good! It wasn’t until later that I discovered Rob Zombie and House of 1000 Corpses – by far my FAVORITE horror film, and perhaps the one that most “inspires” me. The creation of a “family” of individuals who all share the same sort of dysfunction is what makes that film resonate with me. And, of course, the incomparable Sid Haig.
Me: When did you initially discover a passion for acting? What attracted you to this aspect of the industry?
LF: I did a little bit of acting as a kid, but when I really started to become totally immersed was in college. I started out as an English major -I have always loved writing and reading literature. But I knew that I also wanted to be involved in the arts. Eventually, I got a degree in theatre (my associates) doing both performance and tech and went on to get a BA in Literature and a Masters in Dramatic Literature. While in school, I started working at the Acrosstown Rep theatre in Florida. Eventually, after time spent both there and at the Hippodrome State Theatre, I co-founded a theatre company, FantasyLand Theatrical Productions, with my friend Christian St. John.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing? What are generally attractive characteristics that intrigue you to playing a character?
LF: I really love playing villains, devious characters – they have the most depth. I like to look at what drives a character, a person, and what causes them to behave a certain way. I think we all have a “dark” side, it’s just about how we channel it. Villains are fun because as an actor you get to play with that darkness, you get to do things that you (hopefully!) would never consider doing in your real life. Also, the best villains are the anti-heroes, the ones that the audience roots for even though we know that they are “evil” – like “the surgeon” in the show Prodigal Son. Michael Sheen is AMAZING in that role but THAT is a character type that I would give anything to play!
Me: With the success of your theatre performances early on in your career, was it a consideration to continue in that field instead of moving into the film industry?
LF: I mentioned before that I had co-founded a theatre. We started in Florida, moved to New York for three years, then came back to Florida for three years. I LOVED the theatre, but when grant money started to dry up and we realized we were spending all of our own money to keep it afloat, we closed our doors. I had always wanted to give film a try, and right out the gate, I was cast in a horror film. I just never looked back! In theatre, there is the immediacy of the feedback that the audience gives, but you can also find yourself just “phoning it in” when you play the same role over and over again. That happened to me on a show in New York. I was in the cast for ten months, and one night I was sitting in my dressing room and I realized that I could not recall ANYTHING about having done the show that night. I knew it was time to move on. With film, you may have to do lots of takes of the same scene, but once it is “in the can” it lives forever.
Me: What do you do to stay in character while on-set? When you're not filming, how do you pass the time between takes?
LF: I tend to stay quiet when I am on set. I don’t socialize a lot because I want to stay focused. I look over my sides for the scene, look for anything new, any nuances I might have missed. I try to visualize the world that I am supposed to be in and just keep that world close to me. That is NOT to say that I can’t have fun – one time, in particular, we were cutting up on the set of The Family Way: Coming Home, losing focus at the end of a LONG day and the director decided that we needed to be “punished.” We had to do the entire scene as a musical. I don’t think she thought that “punishment” through all that well – we had a blast. You can see that one on YouTube, I think!
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
LF: Let’s see. When you have your own low-budget indie production company, you kind of have to wear a bunch of different hats: actor, producer, and SFX artist are my primary roles in film. I also have a sound credit or two (they let me hold the boom – sound is NOT my thing!) and a wardrobe credit. I’ve shot some as a second AD. I enjoy acting the most, but I also like working with SFX (blood effects in particular).
Me: Outside of acting, you are the founder of the studio Rogue Chimera Films and are responsible for producing a slew of films and shorts under the company. Where did the inspiration to start the studio come from? What is your general involvement with new projects in the company?
LF: I met my business partner, Shiva Rodriguez, when I was just making the transition to film. She cast me in a horror film, we became friends during that shoot, and it just sort of went from there. She taught me a lot about SFX, and we sort of bonded over being women who like to play with blood! Shiva does all of our writing, directing, and editing. We have added another woman to the mix, Sandy, who is becoming quite the camera op. I work on the producer end of the spectrum, and I have input into scripts and script ideas that she sends me. When it comes time to shoot, I am involved as an actor, I step in any time I can to do SFX work, and I often act as UPM keeping things organized and managing the workings of the set while Shiva directs. We get our ideas from a lot of different directions, often just hashed out over the web since I live in Virginia now and she is in Florida. We float the ideas back and forth, she writes an outline, and we go from there.
Me: Working as a producer and actress on many of these productions, does it still challenge you to be involved in various capacities on a project like this? How do you balance those priorities during a shoot?
LF: This is something that I find myself still working on! I often get so busy with the other details that I forget to give myself the space that I need to be my best self as an actor. I think it’s about compartmentalizing, but also about knowing when to let go and let someone else deal with it, speaking up and saying “okay, I am in actor mode now, so unless it is on fire or bleeding for real tell me about it later” and that is where I know I need to work.
Me: As well, you're also involved with Eerie Nights Ghost Tour as a special guide for the company? How did you become involved with that?
LF: When I moved back to Virginia four years ago, I did not know anyone other than my family. I grew up here, but I had been away for a long time. I wanted something to do, and I saw the position on CraigsList. I had worked on a haunt in New York the entire time I was there, Blood Manor, and I really missed haunts. This was something similar – I got to dress up super creepy and play a ghost from the 1800s and tell spooky stories about Richmond while taking a group of ghost lovers on a mile and a half walk through the city in the dark. And I get paid for it! What’s NOT to love!
Me: What else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers?
LF: We have a few irons in the fire at Rogue Chimera for once the pandemic lets us start shooting again. One possibility that we are toying with is a feature-length version of one of our shorts (you’ll have to keep watching our page for any more than that because….spoilers!). We are also focusing on the film festival that we run – the Magic of Horror. We have been running this festival for several years, but we went to a live screening in 2019 that was SUPER well attended and was so much fin. Then 2020 happened. BUT we are planning to be back live again in 2021 with a two-day festival so that we can screen both the 2020 and the 2021 winners. Really, I just can’t wait to be able to get back to being in the same space with people, especially horror fans and filmmakers!
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!
LF: I think my message to any women who want to be involved in the horror industry is to just DO it. The horror industry is one of the most welcoming families out there. Believe in yourself, take a chance, and HAVE FUN! The scary stuff is all on the screen, and YOU can be the one to put it there!
To follow more of her and her studios' work, check out the official website of Rogue Chimera Films:
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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