Photo by Alex Chiang Art by Sinful Celluloid
Kyra is a statuesque beauty who you can't help but remember. You've seen her on genre shows like Fringe and Supernatural, as well as Stargate. Though she has graced our TV screens before, this year marks her first venture into horror. Kyra will be double dipping in blood with the highly anticipated "ABC's of Death" and the new zombie film "Toxin". Luckily she had some time in between to talk about The 13 Question Marks of Horror...
Photo by Alex Chiang
1. You've been acting pretty steady for
almost 10 years. How did you fall in love with it?
I was in love with movies when I
was young. Some of them really left a
mark in those formative years. I didn’t
know that acting was something I could realistically pursue coming from small
town Colorado. So I put my attention
into writing. It wasn’t until I was in
college and started training in acting and seeing a lot of good, live theatre
that I really fell in love with it. The
first play I did where I discovered my potential as an actor was Agnes of God. I think I was 19. That might be the one that hooked me. I’m a sucker for a good story.
2. Your first acting experience was a high
school musical. Do you ever want to return to that genre on film?
I don’t know that the musical
thing is for me. Some of the people I
went to school with are on Broadway, so I know what caliber of singer you have
to be. I can sing a bit but I think my
real skill as a performer is better suited for drama. On the other hand, I don’t know that I’ve
ever been as excited to see a movie as Les Miserable coming out next
month! The trailer gives me butterflies
every time I see it!
3. You've done lots of theater as well.
What is the major difference for you between film and stage?
The major difference for me is
the emotional and physical process of finding the character. In theatre there is the freedom of living the
whole story from beginning to end. Then you get up the next day and do it again
hoping you find something deeper. In
film you live each moment or scene at a time and it’s shot out of order. There
is a sense of connecting then disconnecting. Each time you go back to the top
of that moment to shoot it again, that’s your chance in film to find something
deeper. Once that’s done you move on and
leave it behind.
4. You have appeared in some of the
hottest sci-fi and horror shows on television. Are you a fan of that genre?
I am a fan of sci-fi. Aliens is still one of my all time favorites. I used to be into horror when I was in that
high school age. It was so fun to be
freaked out! Now, good horror movies actually scare me. Terrify me, actually.
5. Stargate had a pretty serious sci-fi
fan base and now moving into horror; do you find the fandom is similar?
Yes! I still get mail from my Stargate fans and it
blows me away because it feels like it was so long ago. When I went to the Toronto International Film
Festival for ABC’s of Death, the audience was lined up around 4 city blocks to
get in. Some of them were dressed in
costumes and they were screaming and cheering before the premiere. I’ve never been a part of something like
that.
6. Let's talk about the ABCs of Death.
What can you tell me about the project?
26 different directors representing
15 or so different countries. It’s a
fascinating compilation of films because the style of filmmaking, taste and
idea of horror was so broad. The segment
I starred in was set in the future.
7. Was it hard to create a character with
such a small amount of time to do it in?
Kaare, the director, did something really amazing on my very first
set up. I sat down for this scene. They were going to get my coverage first. So all cameras and lights… everything is on
me. Then I heard, “rolling” and he said
to me okay Kyra he’s got a list of questions he’s going to ask you. You just improv the answers and then he’ll
start the scene and just go on from there.
“Action”. It was great because I
instantly became completely open and present and had to respond to these really
personal things he was asking me as the character. I really feel like he collaborated with me to
figure out who she was going to be in those first moments on set and so I just
trusted that and made a choice. It was a
great way to jump into her shoes with the short amount of time we had to shoot.
8. Were you familiar with any of the
director's work prior to ABCs of death?
I knew that he (Kaare) was a
crazy talented Marvel Comics artist.
9. You also have a zombie film on the
horizon. Can you tell me a little about Toxin 3-D?
Toxin 3D is a little
different than a typical Zombie movie because they’re actually living and not
dead. If that makes any sense… It’s a fun, action packed adventure with a
lot of fun characters. I had a blast
shooting it. The cast had me laughing
every day.
10. Did you draw from any personal
experience to create the character of Carla?
I did. Her father has a position in the military and
my Dad was a Viet NamVet and an ex Marine.
When I read the script, I just understood her way with people and it was
easy for me to connect to the humanity of her character because of that
connection.
11. Was it difficult for you shooting in
3-D for the first time or was it pretty much the same process?
It was only different
because it was a different process for the camera crew. I have a fight in the movie and sometimes
you’ve got to give that punch right into lens for the 3D effect to work out in
post.
12. You’ve produced two titles now and
written one. Do you see yourself leaning towards working more behind the
camera?
Yes! Absolutely.
I have another project that I am writing. I’ve directed plays both in a University
setting and professionally so I would love to give Directing film a shot. I don’t think I could be satisfied artistically
if I was only acting. I have way too
many stories going on in my head that I feel a need to express them in ways
other than in front of the camera.
13. With
the ABCs of Death and Toxin in the near future, can horror fans expect to see
more of you?
Maybe. I’ve got to say, I’ve played the hero and the
villain in this genre and it really is fun.
For the hero, the stakes are really high so there is a freedom in
expression there. As the villain (like
the one I played in Divine the series) there is a freedom in creativity with
how dark you can go or what you can do with the character. You don’t always get chances to explore those
things elsewhere.
ABC's Of Death will be in theaters January 31st, 2013 and look for Toxin
in 2013 as well. Keep an eye out for them and the ravishing Kyra
Zagorsky. You will be glad you did.
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