An accomplished indie actress working on a slew of impressive titles, Chynna Rae Shurts has provided a solid background to her career as she makes her mark in the genre as a whole. Now, in honor of the release of her latest film Beware the Boogeyman, I talk with her about her early interest in acting, the new film, and some of her past projects with the company.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Chynna Rae Shurts: It all boils down to the first horror movie I remember watching when I was a kid. Jaws. Silly as it is, or perhaps cliché as it is, I never looked at a pool the same ever again… Even sillier, I have to admit I still have that thought anytime I go swimming. From there I watched Jurassic Park (though not horror per se), then The Thing (1982) and The Fly (1986), and, if you don’t already notice the trend, learning about how they made the practical effects was the absolute coolest thing to me and got me absolutely hooked.
Me: When did you initially discover a passion for acting? What aspect of this industry appeals to you?
CRS: Funnily enough, it was all by accident. When I was around 16 or so, my friend dragged me into a theatre audition with her. Next thing I know I ship off to college to study forensic chemistry and leave with a BFA in Acting. I just couldn’t get this gut feeling out of my head. I struggle to explain it; the big mysterious ‘why?’; Why I’m drawn to acting and film and the arts, all of it.
I could ramble on about how fulfilling it is to tell stories and to affect people, touch them, whether in distracting them with a good laugh for the evening filling them with tears, or making them feel less alone. But that’s only half of it. The other piece is this inexplicable… probably horribly illogical… feeling. I’m definitely not doing it for my health, Acting is inherently vulnerable and sometimes embarrassing and silly. But still, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else and I’m beyond grateful I’ve been able to.
Me: Is there any specific type of character you prefer playing? What do you look for in a character to be excited and interested in playing it?
CRS: I always look for something I haven’t done before; I don’t like doing the same type of character over and over again. Though it forces me to get creative in finding a fresh take, I get in my head about it being a repeat performance, not something new. Or a character I think is a good challenge, something with some meat to it. Like a difficult emotional arc, going crazy, or, as far as horror goes, playing characters that aren’t quite human and figuring out the balance between their ‘otherworldliness’ and their grounded human characteristics. I also like playing liars, people with secrets. I always like to think an actor’s best friend is their character’s secrets.
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?
CRS: I mostly rely on the prep to be able to snap in and out of it. Honestly, the first day of filming is always the hardest for that, most nerve-wracking. Committing your performance to film always feels so final in those moments. It usually takes a scene to fully find the rhythm and feel free in a character, so I’ll keep to myself and my script until that scene is over. But once that first scene is done it feels easier, I hang out with my co-stars and joke with the crew. If I have an emotional scene I like to keep to myself, not be bothered much. Otherwise, I like listening to music. I’ll make playlists of what the character listens to, or what the mood of the film is. This next film I’m on, and maybe my favorite playlist to date, is a lot of ‘riot grrrl’ punk rock, Bikini Kill, Hole, Babes in Toyland, and then also Generation X, Sex Pistols, The Cure, and The Cult.
Me: That brings us to your latest project, "Beware the Boogeyman." What can you tell us about the film and your character Cathy McGowin?
CRS: The greatest thing about this anthology is I think there’s something for everyone. Segments range from eerie to full-on farce comedy. Each has its own style and imagery since each segment has its own writer and director. Playing Cathy McGowin was fun. In the fear of giving too much away, I’ll say this: It’s fun to play a character with a drastic switch, someone who is just a little off.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
CRS: We all know each other so well at this point, it’s hard not to have a great time. It’s like a big, long exhausting but fun sleepover; Stay up late together, eat together, bunk together, work hard, play hard. The coolest part was maybe seeing everyone take on different roles through each segment. Having worked together on so many different sub-genres within the horror genre, it’s great to see what direction each director takes with the prompt ‘Boogeyman.’ What their individual style or tastes are like, what their focus is.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
CRS: Filming horror films always leads to late nights, long-long-so very long late nights. So, you can imagine towards the end of the shoot being exhausted leads to A LOT of tired goofiness (that’s why I love this team, no matter how tired we’re always laughing and having a good time). But it also means so much of it gets muddled in my head. I remember vaguely I could not light the match in the Cathy segment to save my life. I kept breaking them. It got to the point where I was so frustrated it became funny… and then frustrating again. If I remember correctly you’ll note an extra shot of me lighting that candle because of it.
Me: As well, you're a writer and director of an additional segment in the film. Did it challenge you to be involved in various capacities at once on a project like this? How do you balance those priorities during filming?
CRS: Working with 7th Street Productions I find myself pulling double duty pretty often, being on crew and acting in the same film, so I’m no stranger to it. And outside of 7th Street, I feel like I’m always hopping from project to project without a break whether as an actor, crew member, or choreographer. It definitely takes a lot of prep… mental compartmentalizing… Throw one thing out of your brain as you do the other, switch on a dime… It’s a lot, it’s stressful, but I’ve just been doing it so long now that it’s pretty much second nature now, and I’m only getting better each time. And I’m lucky I have the team around me that I do because otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to. I trust them entirely and they trust me. Besides, I like being busy, I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I wasn’t.
Me: Having performed in many features for indie filmmaker Calvin Morie McCarthy previously, what about his style and approaches keeps bringing you around to work with him?
CRS: Calvin being an actor himself brings something different to directing. I mean, all my favorite directors I’ve worked with are or have been actors themselves. They’ve been in your shoes. He always gives his actors a lot of freedom in their craft, which I greatly appreciate. He guides you down the right path when you need it but also lets you go when something is working. And because Calvin and I have been working together for so long, we’ve built up an immense mutual trust. It’s really freeing as an actor to not be inhibited by doubt and to fully trust your director and to have them trust you.
Me: As your first film together, "A Haunting in Ravenwood," saw you play Mary Olsen. What do you recall from your experiences working on these films?
CRS: It was my biggest role at the time, and though we had worked together outside of 7th Street Productions films, I remember being absolutely terrified of messing up. Most emotional role at that point too. I mean, one of my favorite reviews for the film mocked how much Mary cries in the film if that gives you any indication. And there was one scene where I had to cry, surprise-surprise, and things were getting light and goofy as the crew was setting up and he took me downstairs, and told me to go sit alone, turned off the lights, and left. At first, I was worried he thought I wasn’t doing good enough, but after the scene, I realized very quickly that he knew exactly what I needed as an actor. And I’ve trusted him entirely ever since.
Me: Returning to work with him on films like "Conjuring the Beyond" and "Exorcism in Utero," did that help to make you more comfortable not just with him but the rest of his stock group of actors and actresses?
CRS: The 7th Street Films crew and I had already worked on other films all together so very quickly we became a core team. Ravenwood definitely felt like the official start of our film family, Calvin McCarthy, Erik Skybak, Kai Pacifico Eng, Tim Coyle… Conjuring The Beyond only solidified it with myself working crew for 7th Street for the first time officially and the return of Josh Dietrich. All seven of us. We all hang out together outside of filming, go see movies, to each other’s houses… They’re my best friends. And everyone who joins us slides right into that, Andrea Juneau is incredible to have on the crew. And on set everyone is so close that we walk into a film and can practically read each other’s minds. Calvin likes to say, “ We’re a well-oiled machine.” Our consistent roster of actors follows suit. Like Neil Green. When I work with him as an actor, we just know each other well enough and our own acting styles that it’s easy, you get to play more with the characters.
Me: What has been the most memorable experience that you've had based on your collaboration together?
CRS: With so many films, premieres, and exciting milestones, like Insidious Inferno being recommended by the New York Times, it’s hard to choose one single experience with this team. And to that point, a lot of what’s been amazing in working together is in the little things. The inside jokes… The movie titles list Erik keeps for Slate… Whispering to Kai through my lav mic… Being up first thing before anyone with Neil as he makes coffee… Sharing a beer late at night at the end of a shoot despite being exhausted… Calvin’s boots falling apart in a surprise snowstorm on set… Everything we’ve done together or gone through together- blood, sweat and tears, jokes and laughter… That’s what makes it for me.
Me: Outside of his films, you've also landed roles in several other indie and non-genre films like "Cross Hollow" and "The Last Slay Ride." What have these experiences added to your repertoire as an actress?
CRS: Everything you do teaches you something, and helps you grow as an actor and a person. What’s the point of anything if I’m not growing? And I’ve learned from some incredible people, like director Jennifer Wolfe and her team who I absolutely loved working with and learning from on Happy Ending. I’ve only been out of school and in film for about three years now, and though I’ve done so much already, I only look forward to what I can do next. Ask how I can reach higher. So, I’m constantly trying to absorb as much as I can from every experience. And people like Jennifer have so much to give and so much love for what they do and everyone around them. I am so grateful to Jennifer, and grateful to have gotten the chance to be a part of that film and learn from that team.
Me: How do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
CRS: The truth is, there is hardly any time for it to stop. I don’t even dare think about what happens if the train stops, let alone slows down. Thankfully I hardly have time to think about it. There’s always another project, another film, another script, another character on the horizon. Or a new skill to figure out. I learned how to animate frame by frame for Beware the Boogeyman. I storyboard for 7th Street Productions and other film companies. Recently I’ve gotten back into choreographing professionally again. Keeping the kind of creative energy fluctuating, keeping it challenging and interesting, that’s what saves me from feeling stuck. Like I said, I like being busy and I don’t know what else I would do.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
CRS: I am excited to announce that we at 7th Street Productions are this month jumping into filming our next feature film for Breaking Glass Pictures: “Conjuring the Cult” (previously titled ‘Demonia Death Cult”).
Similarly, we are already in the works for another film this summer and have a previous film, “Outer Darkness,” set to be released this April! You can always find updates on what we’ve got coming next via our website 7thstreetfilms.com or on social media: Instagram: @not.made.in.chynna | @7thstreetproductions
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