An upcoming actress with a solid string of titles to her name, Chloe Lutz has started her career on a strong note with her series of roles to start her career on a high note. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in acting, some of her early roles, 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? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Chloe Lutz: When I was younger, my mom was responsible for a lot of the movies I was introduced to. The most specific one that grabbed my attention in horror was “The Village” by M. Night Shyamalan. I was in absolute awe of Bryce Dallas Howard's performance as Ivy! She inspired me so much with her incredible performance. I loved the eeriness of the storyline and the imagery that came with it. It grabbed my attention immediately and I knew that this was a genre of film for me! As terrified as I was when I was younger, watching it was so intriguing to me. I would continue to explore this genre as I looked for movies to watch! Another honorable mention to my intro to horror was, of course, “Gremlins”! I absolutely adored Gizmo, and again, loved the storyline and imagery! Something about the way that horror movies can stray away from conventional movie making and can take more artistic direction with how they reveal the storyline was instantly attention-grabbing to me. I’ve been watching horror films ever since!
Me: When did you initially discover a passion for acting? What aspect of the industry appeals to you?
CL: I used to always love the art of storytelling growing up. I grew up with so many kids around me whether they were my siblings or friends of the family. I would always be with other kids playing roles in some story or game we made up. I would constantly make little movies with my toys on my mom's phone or my D.s. I was finally introduced to entertainment when I was in middle school and a friend of mine asked me to audition with them. She thought I would love it, and I can't say she was wrong at all! I immediately auditioned and.. just as immediately did not get in. I went on to do makeup for the production. Once I was done with my part, I sat in awe watching all of the young performers bring the story to life! I knew at that moment that I was going to gain the skills that it took to perform and embody such characters! I later went on to land small roles in theater and I began to create my own stories and act them out. This was all a slow build-up to the realization that I wanted to try it out professionally. I wanted to discover life and experiences through the stories being told through film. The artistry and imagination that are allowed in this industry are what appeal to me. I love the beauty of stepping into another person's shoes and portraying them through different lenses and new directions!
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?
CL: I honestly have no preference for the characters I play. I actually prefer it when most of my characters are different from one another. I love the process of exploring new personality types and storylines in which they fit. When I am reading a script, I look for the soul in the character that I’m reading for. What does this character have to say? What do they have to fight for? If there’s an answer to these questions, I'm usually incredibly intrigued already! I like to find something I've never done in characters before but, I also like to find things I have! I get excited about the idea of doing something new and being able to revisit things I’ve done before to see how I can make it unique to the character this time around! Being allowed to portray any character is an honor. The person who seeks you out for that particular character trusts you with the vision you bring for the character. It is such a unique collaboration that I’ve always loved to be a part of!
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?
CL: I am really big on listening to music that correlates with each character I portray. I tend to make playlists inspired by their traits and experiences. I like listening to these playlists in between scenes. It allows me to sit in their mind and continue to discover new things about them while simultaneously keeping me in a good mindset with tunes! I also like to continuously think about how things are changing for my character as scenes continue to happen. When I’m not filming, first and foremost, I will always review the scenes that are coming up for me and possibly run lines with those who aren't filming at the time either! Sometimes it’s running scenes with scene partners or it’s helping someone with a scene of their own! I also often find myself, if I'm allowed, lending a helping hand on set! I love sitting in on the scenes being filmed to both be continuously inspired by those whom I’m working with and helping out in case of small tasks that need to be tended to. I love to be a part of the entire process when I can! Other than that, I love to create connections with those who I'm working with. I will always strike up a conversation with the crew or fellow cast members! We explore ideas and learn about each other's experiences all in the same! It’s always a grand time being on set.
Me: Having worked on several short films or TV series like “Chicago P.D.” and “The Recovery” early in your career, what tools and skills do you acquire working on those that transferred to future projects?
CL: I learned so much from my first few times being on a set! I quickly learned how things run and how to go about asking questions to the film production crew! When I was in Chicago P.D., I learned how to adapt quickly and apply changes! I was given new lines and new ways of saying them by the Director. Within minutes, performances had to be tweaked and it was all so exciting! During the filming of “The Recovery Part 2,” I learned how to manage a deeply emotional performance. I learned how to mentally prepare for one and how to make it come across on camera. The end of this movie was difficult to film but it was also one of my favorite experiences with a scene. It was emotional and raw, but it taught me so much moving forward!
Me: Appearing as Sophia Briggs in “The First Harvest,” what do you recall about the time shooting? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
CL: Filming “The First Harvest” was an absolute blast through and through. The team we had was a dream! Everyone was incredibly kind and open to any idea that came their way! This cast had already been mostly established by Paul’s previous web series “Paul’s Wonderful Circus” so I was coming in as one of the new people. They all welcomed me with fully open arms! Holly Anspaugh actually came up to my dad's car the second we were getting out to introduce herself when I came onto the set for the first time! Derek McMahan, who is my on-screen father, was also very quick to welcome me to the family! I remember everyone being so kind and Paul being so careful with the scenes we shared. I was 16 at the time of filming so Paul was very cautious about each scene we did. My mom even sat right outside of the cabin we filmed in most of the time! I specifically remember the cold that we all collectively had to work through. We set up heaters within the cabin and Derek offered his heated car for extra warmth in between takes. We all thank Derek for that! The entire cast loved the story and always wanted to hear about new paths that the story would take! You’d be surprised at just how many people get excited to hear about their characters' deaths or downfalls! There was so much excitement from the cast all around which created a sort of buzzing energy every time we were all on set together. I’ve had the honor to continue to work with many of the talented actors, actresses, and crew members that I met on this set!
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
CL: There are so many silly things that happen during the filming process! Usually, these funny stories stem from late-night shooting as you can imagine! One of my favorite memories in particular was on the set of “Return of The Corn Zombies.” We had been filming all day, specifically in the corn that night, and we were trying to knock out all of these scenes on time. People were tired and getting loopy so everyone was cracking jokes and trying to stay positive as we were wrapping up! We were so excited to be on the last scene of the night. It was me, Hunter Redfern, and Delilah (Dee) Hefner in the scene with Ashley Hefner as our cinematographer. We filmed the entire scene with some running at the beginning and after a couple takes Ash said we got it! We all took a minute as S.J. Herman, our director, made his way to review the footage. We all thought it was bedtime! But, little did we know. The entire scene was accidentally filmed in slow motion. The camera had randomly changed settings. We all laughed about it for longer than we should have and went on to get the settings fixed. We got the scene done and found it so funny how long it took. I still don’t quite know how the camera got to be slow-motion filming!
Me: Continuing to work on films like “Dracula: The Count’s Kin,” “Tin Roof,” and “Constance and Violence,” what have these experiences added to your repertoire as an actress?
CL: Being on “Tin Roof” was actually my first film set experience ever! It taught me what to expect at first! As for the characters I portrayed in “Dracula: The Count's Kin” and “Constance and Violence,” they were both drastically different from what I had ever done previously! I feel that I gained something very valuable from each of these performances. I am now able to handle intensity within myself thanks to portraying the character Violence. She is such an intense character with so much to say but she says none of it. She holds it within herself until she breaks. This was a really unique thing I had to figure out to portray her to the best of my ability. I’ve carried what I’ve learned from her into every project since! As for Miss Margaret Shelley in Dracula, Portraying her taught me how to handle the intensity around me as a character. Things are constantly happening around her while she’s in her own world and I had to understand how to balance that with the separate world that her story creates in the film. Playing her also taught me how to record videos of myself within the film which is a fun skill you don’t think about having to know! Recording myself while also being recorded was a fun thing to have to figure it out and Eric Pascerelli made it as easy as possible with his planning!
Me: As you’re also involved in upcoming films like “Blood on the Bleachers” and “Sister Sullivan” among others, what are you most looking forward to getting to work on these films getting to work with familiar names and those you haven’t worked with before?
CL: Going into “Blood on The Bleachers,” I was super excited to enter a new market in Indy filmmaking! This group was incredible and impressed me to the highest extent! I had previously followed a couple of the members which amped up the excitement to get on set. I also had a few conversations with those who I did not know before getting on set. I knew it was gonna be a fun one from those small interactions! I was excited about the storyline and all of the new elements that were being introduced to me. It was so great to get to work with a lot of people I hadn’t before. They taught and inspired me so much. I left that set beaming with motivation and new connections that I never could have imagined! As for “Sister Sullivan,” we are still in the midst of the production and I can’t wait to keep reuniting with those I knew from “The First Harvest”! There are many returning faces and I can’t wait to see what they bring from their growth over the past year! There are also some new faces being introduced to the world and I’m excited to welcome them like I was. Some of the new actors and actors that I didn’t have the chance to interact with from the film before are actually talents who I’ve been wanting to work with. Finally, getting the opportunity to have a scene with them or meet them has me very excited!
Me: How do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
CL: I follow a lot of fellow actors, artists, and writers on social media, and seeing their art daily can inspire me! Listening to music is also a big one for me. I like to play a random playlist sometimes just to see what it can bring to me. Every now and then I’ll add this new music I hear to specific playlists while I develop characters before filming. I’ll maybe run a scene with myself while this music is playing in the background to see if I can discover something new. Sometimes I like to just sit at my computer and write or sit with a pen and paper and just draw what I think of. I feel as if my brain is constantly on the move so I almost always have creative energy flowing up there! I also love to look at images and see what story, makeup look, or drawing I can make based off of it! I’m just constantly trying to stay inspired by the world around me, my creativeness is something I’ve always been incredibly grateful for. I never want to let it dim!
Me: What else are you working on that you’d like to share with our readers?
CL: I’m in development for a few films coming up this year! I have a film called “Perfect Soul” by Acrostar Productions that I will be filming throughout the year. This falls in the horror genre and follows a girl named Nikki who lives in the town Perfect.. that’s not so perfect. I will be playing Nikki and she has been my hardest character to develop yet. I’ve learned so much about my process as I've developed her and the challenge has been great! I will also be doing part two of “Constance and Violence” by Vegas Boy Films. This episode will be bigger and better and the story is so fun! These sisters do not know how to have a calm day! Exploring new versions of Violence will never disappoint. I will also be filming with Cut To The Chase Entertainment for their upcoming film “The Desperate” later this year. I’m stepping into a new genre of action with this one and I can’t wait! It is jam-packed with extreme sequences and portrayals of real-world problems. It’ll have something for everyone!
Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, 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?
CL: So much of this industry comes from learning lessons and growth as you move from project to project. This industry is constantly moving and as a performer, in particular, you’re going to be thrown into a million directions with every project and character you take on. Passion should always drive you. Do your research and seek out opportunities fit for you. Don’t lose yourself, don’t forget your morals, and speak up for yourself when you need to. As long as you stay professional and courteous, taking your own designated path won’t bother anyone.
Thank you again for your time!
This interview ran as part of our 2025 Women in Horror Movement series. Click the banner below to check out all the featured interviews in this series:
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