Naked or Covered in Blood?

An interesting trend has emerged in my latest acting roles.  I seem to end up with at least one scene where I’m either naked or covered in blood.  Now that might sound appealing to some of you, but—trust me—it’s not all fun and games.  I admit that I only have myself to blame: I choose the roles I want to play and I choose them for all sorts of reasons—but getting naked or bloody isn’t any of them.  

It just seems to happen, lately...

In Blake Fitzpatrick’s sci-fi epic ABADDON, I am naked and chained to fellow actor Charles Chudabala.  Though that may sound hot and kinky, it’s far from it: we’re actually prisoners being tortured.  In truth, since nothing is shot below the belt, we’re actually both wearing pants as the scene is shot.  So, the illusion is that we're naked, but the reality is less prurient.  And it’s wicked hot in the valley where we're shooting on a green screen, so we’re trying not to look too sweaty; though that’s appropriate for the alien planet’s climate, it could melt our makeup and we’d prefer our fake scars stay in place.

With Charles Chudabala in ABADDON

In Kim Queen’s LOOK BACK, the scene is the reverse in the sense that we do need to look sweaty and we are having sex: rough, banging against the wall, sex.  So my scene partner (the excellent Tamir Elbassir) and I are sprayed with water to simulate sweat--the first batch being ice cold, so both of us end up with goosebumps and everyone has to wait a short bit till we can warm up.  Here, too, there are no below the belt shots, so we get to keep our pants on and the crew gets spared a junk show.

With Tamir Elbassir in LOOK BACK

And then the blood.  

My own GARDEN PARTY MASSACRE finds several characters dripping with the red stuff.  In the heat of late summer, it’s especially sticky and I owe my castmates my deepest respect for “sticking” it out with me.   Imagine yourself covered in the bright red coating of a candy apple—only it tastes terrible and no one is going to lick it off.  And..."Action"!

Bloody good in GARDEN PARTY MASSACRE

Indeed, nothing deters me from a great role, so when I learn about the creepy caretaker Harold in Adam Steigert’s FANG, I say “yes” knowing full well that buckets of blood are headed my way.  I did, however think "buckets" was a metaphor; imagine my surprise when there are six gigantic vats of blood lying in wait on set.  And, in the dark of early morning, I am pummeled with the stuff.  Repeatedly.  And I am not alone.  The film is wall-to-wall bodily fluids and virtually no character is immune.

Seeing red in FANG

I’d say the trend is over, but I’d be lying:  the next two projects I have penciled in are going to fit right in. 

I’m good with that. 

Bloody or not, here I come!