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Exclusive Interview: Catherine Annette Discusses After Midnight

Catherine Annette is on the hunt for a killer in After Midnight, the new Twin Peaks-esque murder mystery from veteran director Fred Olen Ray. Read on to check out our interview with Catherine Annette.

BGG After Dark: The film is a lot of fun. Was it as much fun to shoot as it was to watch?

CATHERINE ANNETTE: It was a blast! Fred and his crew always have fun projects to work on and you never know what twist or monster is around the corner.

BGG After Dark: So much of the film relies on your performance –you essentially carry the movie. Was it daunting knowing that?

CATHERINE ANNETTE: Being the lead in a movie is extremely daunting. It’s awesome that so many people trust you with the responsibility of threading the movie together and good directors (which Fred is) will have a strong vision and make sure they get what they need from an actor, so they’re always a safety net. But, like most actors, I’m slightly neurotic and an over--‐achiever and the pressure does keep me up at night--‐ even to the point that I set multiple alarms every morning to make sure I don’t mess anything up. I drive my fiancé crazy with the 4:30, 4:45, 4:55 and 5:00 am alarms for those 6:30 calls. I’m lucky he keeps me around!

BGG After Dark: Did you do any research into the world of stripping? Pole dancing is so popular these days – especially with exercise fanatics. Have you done that before? There’s such a skill to it!

CATHERINE ANNETTE: Yes--‐ I took some pole dancing workout classes. They were fun and such a great exercise! It took me a while to find some that I really liked and was just exploring the physical act of pole dancing. Some classes were almost like sex therapy--‐ where the girls would sit around like AA and the teacher would ask them to express their fantasies and ideas of sexy. But when I found a school that worked--‐ man, that dancing is HARD! I had a LOT of bruises from the pole attacking me. I didn’t worry about it too much though because my character isn’t supposed to be a good stripper. Rocking the pole was a more important task for some of the other characters.

BGG After Dark: Were you a fan of Kitaen and Grieco? Was it fun to be working alongside two recognizable icons?

CATHERINE ANNETTE: They were great! Grieco was great to work off of and a super professional, and Kitaen was so beautiful and fun. She’s such a sweetheart--‐ we sat in her trailer and ate lunch, went over lines, and joked around. I learned so much from them and it was a great experience.

BGG After Dark: What did you learn from working with director Fred Ray? He’s done so many films that he must make it look so easy, now!

CATHERINE ANNETTE: Be prepared, give it your all on the first take (you never know how many you will have), and keep on moving on! Oh, and beautiful women and outrageous monsters will always make for a good movie.

BGG After Dark: Is he an actor’s director? Very encouraging?

CATHERINE ANNETTE: He’s great to work with because he’s extremely talented and been doing this so long and knows exactly what he wants in terms of shots and performance. He doesn’t take a day exploring 3 pages of dialogue--‐ he shoots what he needs and moves on. He allows an actor the space to do what they want to do and encourages creativity, but in the end of the day, he makes sure he has footage that works and doesn’t waste anyone’s time.

BGG After Dark: Have your family and friends seen the film? What was their reaction? It definitely gets racy at times!

CATHERINE ANNETTE: I haven’t even seen the final project yet! Fred keeps a good wrap on his projects so I get to see them with the rest of the world. I’m sure my friends will like it. It was a great script with great actors and crew and I’m excited to see what post production magic took place.

BGG After Dark: What can we see you in next?

CATHERINE ANNETTE: I’m in the recently released Coed and the Zombie Stoner which is on Netflix now. It’s a really funny college humor comedy. I just finished producing and starring in Not So Fast my Tooth is Loose with Tony Roberts and we’re hoping to get a quick turnaround for a release. We’re going into production for Monster School animation, which will be a great series for horror fans with lots of recognizable horror icons. I’m very lucky to be able to work consistently, and I can’t wait for the next adventure!


After Midnight releases on VOD October 28

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