INTERVIEW: Lauren LaVera is newest ‘final girl’ in ‘Terrifier 2’
Photo: Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 stars Lauren LaVera and David Howard Thornton. Photo courtesy of Cinedigm / Provided by KWPR with permission.
Lauren LaVera plays the pivotal character of Sienna in the new horror sequel Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2, written and directed by Leone. The movie, which features the terrifying Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) as the villain, is now playing exclusively in movie theaters and will soon come to the streaming service Screambox.
In the film, LaVera’s character is the main character with the most screen time — some would say she’s the “final girl,” a reference to the many horror films that have a single female character survive until the end (think The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, Friday the 13th). In Terrifier 2, Sienna is enjoying the Halloween season with her brother and mother, but she’s never a few minutes away from remembering her late father and the influence he had on her life. As she contemplates school, family, friends and memories, she must also face off against Art the Clown, who is back from the dead somehow, in a bloody battle that is gory and no-holds-barred.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox spoke with LaVera about her new role and what fans can expect from the movie. Here’s what she had to say …
On the difficulties of acting “scared” …
I think it depends on the actor’s approach. Personally, with most of the emotions I experience, I usually have to dig deep. Maybe it’s something I’ve experienced in the past, or it’s genuinely terrifying what I’m looking at. And I think both of those are true in my experience with Sienna. I would either draw from something that has happened to me in the past, or look at Damien’s work … and Dave’s work as the character and be terrified because he’s terrifying. I admittedly do have a fear of clowns, so it wasn’t too hard for me to be scared. But it’s definitely energy at 10. You always have to be at a 10 when you’re scared. It’s a life-or-death situation with most horror things, so it’s exhausting. In that sense it’s hard; it’s tiring.
On being welcomed into the horror fan community …
I’ve already had the immense pleasure to meet some of the fans. Some were even on the set of Terrifier 2, and I can’t express enough how wonderful horror fans are. They might get a bad reputation because horror is a very hefty genre, but they’re just some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. So I can’t wait for cons. I can’t wait. … If this gives me more opportunities, what actor doesn’t want that?
On whether she has to look away when watching Terrifier 2 …
I don’t have to look away because I understand the mechanics behind creating the scene. It’s definitely gag-worthy. Even though I know everything that went into it, I look at it now in a perspective that I’m just in awe with the creativity and the work that I know that they put into it. A lot of the decision-making was very innovative, so I look at it, and I’m just in awe with what I see now. I think if I didn’t know what happened on the backend, I wouldn’t be able to watch the film in its entirety without closing my eyes at least four or five times.
On being a strong female character in a horror movie …
I love seeing strong women in horror, and I think Terrifier 1 gets kind of a bad reputation because it kind of revels in female pain. But I would say to that … if you think of most serial killers in life — aside from Jeffrey Dahmer, which I’m sure everybody is watching that show right now — most of them target women, and to see an empowered woman being able to overcome that and fight back is so important and I think emboldens other women. … Kill Bill is one of my favorite movies for that reason.
On whether she’s throwing a party for the movie’s release …
I definitely don’t want to see myself on the big screen. I’ve had some people and friends reach out saying, ‘Let’s go watch this’ — like multiple friends — and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I want to watch it.’ However, I would be open when it’s out on Blu-ray or DVD or streaming on Screambox. I would throw a party 100 percent and have it playing in the background so I don’t have to watch it. I can just mingle with my friends, but Halloween is my favorite time of year — any excuse to throw a party. But it is very cringey to watch yourself on TV, and even the scenes that I have seen, I look at myself and I’m like, ‘I would have done that differently. I definitely would have done that differently.’ So it’s hard to watch, but in the end, I am very impressed with everybody else’s hard work. So I would watch it and celebrate it for that reason.
On whether Sienna will be part of more Terrifier movies …
It’s something that Damien hinted toward when I was cast in Terrifier 2. I would work with Damien on as many films as he throws my way, and of course if it’s Sienna, I would do it again. I just would hope that I would wear a much more comfortable costume next time.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Terrifier 2, starring Lauren LaVera, is now playing in movie theaters. Click here for more information and tickets.
