Monday, January 03, 2011

Bill Oberst Jr. and Being Hounded in Hollywood: An Exclusive Interview

Bill Oberst Jr. was a stage actor for twelve years before moving to Hollywood. His three years in California have proven successful as he has starred in over thirty titles of various genres. However, Bill freely admits that: "horror is my bread and butter." 2010 saw him star in the thrillers The Devil Within and Nude Nuns with Big Guns. 2011 will see this Southern born gentleman starring in varying genres, including Chris Eska's upcoming feature September Morning and in The Asylum's Princess and the Pony.

Here, Bill talks about how the camera's interpretation of his movements and characteristics have funneled his acting talents into playing the villain. He also gives us insight into some of his other projects like the horror feature Dismal and the upcoming Amish drama "The Shunning." So, listen in to Bill's interview, as he gives aspiring actors and actresses some well informed advice, while offering something very unique to his many horror fans.

Michael Allen: Hi Bill. Thanks for interviewing today. Where are you coming in from?

Bill Oberst Jr.: I am on set. How are you?

MRA: Excellent. Your name Oberst means something in English, does it not?

BO Jr.: Yes, it means lieutenant and my Dad instilled a very German work ethic in me. It is work, work, and more work. He is a great guy and he is still giving me advice!

MRA: Dads are great and I am glad that you still have yours.

Let us jump right into the interview and cover some of your upcoming films. You recently participated in a film with director Brandon Slagle (15 Till Midnight) and actresses Tara Cardinal (Legend of the Red Reaper), Devanny Pinn (The Lonely Ones) and Deneen Melody called Vivid. What is your role like in this production?

BO Jr.: I play a scarred, sinful hard ass. I am a drug dealer and I interact with Devanny Pinn's character, primarily.

MRA: I saw a promotional trailer of this project recently and the setting and circumstances look very surreal. Can you break down the plot for readers a little?

BO Jr.: The film is from a well written script and really, the film is about moving consciousness from one character to the next. This way others can experience another's death, over and over. It is like a cycle. I play a bit of a spider and the film is very psychotropic. So, I am pleased to be a part of this project.

MRA: The trailer really piqued my interest and now your thoughts are getting me more interested in this project. I am still waiting to review another Slagle project called 15 Till Midnight.

Now, you are also in a film called Nude Nuns with Big Guns, from director Joseph Guzman (Run! Bitch Run!).

BO Jr.: Yes, this is the same director that you did that great interview with.

Mike: Yes, I am not sure if I ever got that interview published, because there was so much swearing.

BO Jr.: Yes, you published it. I really love the low brow films and it was a delight to participate in.

*The interview mentioned here, with Guzman is published at this locale: Joseph Guzman Interview on 28DLA

MRA: I know Guzman mostly from Run! Bitch Run!. I think this film was pretty low brow.

In Nude Nuns with Big Guns, you play a priest, correct?

Bill Oberst Jr.: Yes, I play a priest and the film is really like a graphic novel. Guzman really creates his own worlds with his films, like Nude Nuns with Big Guns and Run! Bitch Run!. His films are pure escapism. But you know, I always play these vile characters and this priest is similar.

MRA: You play a lot of villains.

BO Jr.: Yes, I play these misanthropic, misogynist characters, who love to torment others I do not know if it is because of my physique or what, but that is what the camera demands. Michael Caine said: "the camera is like a lover," and I have to give the camera what it wants. So, I end up playing these vile characters, when, in fact, I am really a philosophical person.

MRA: It must be challenging then to put on a mask and to play something different.

Let us move on and talk about one of your favourite performances. What would you say is one of your favourite roles.

BO Jr.: I really enjoyed playing Dale the Cannibal in Dismal from director Gary King. Some of the lines for me were great, like: "you got Dale's word on it," and others. I enjoyed my role in Vivid, because of the physical demands of it. I also liked playing General William Tecumseh Sherman in the documentary Sherman's March.

MRA: I am not too familiar with the horror feature Dismal. I know that it released in 2010. Can you tell readers a little more about this thriller?

BO Jr.: It was filmed in Georgia and I am from the South. It is set in a swamp and the story involves a family of cannibals. A group of hikers decide to visit the Dismal Swamp and...

Mike: Ooh, bad choice.

BO Jr.: Exactly.

MRA: So, it is like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a little?

BO Jr.: Yes, that is right.

MRA: Now, I know that you are starring in Priest, with Paul Bettany (Legion). This is a vampire thriller set for release in 2011, from director Scott Charles Stewart. What is the plotline like in this film?

BO Jr.: This is really a fantasy world. In the future, religion is mandatory and there is a very militaristic government in power, who believe that the vampire race was been wiped from the world. However, Paul Bettany's character believes that there are still vampires roaming the world. So, this is really a film of imagination and exploring religion. My character is called Jerusalem Citizen.

MRA: Religion or spirituality is that big unanswerable question.

Now, are there are any films that you would like to talk about?

BO Jr.: Yes, there is an upcoming dramatic featured called The Shunning for the Hallmark Channel, that I am proud of. I really play against my usual type of being a villain, in this film. Instead, I am part of an Amish family and there is a love story. I play a girl's father, who does not want her to marry. So, I am stern, but caring. I was told to play a character that has his heart breaking and I tried to show that feeling through the eyes.

Dean Jones, the makeup director, really did a great job of making me look the part.

Also, I am in The Asylum's upcoming feature the Princess and the Pony.

MRA: When does this one release?

BO Jr.: The Asylum will release this one January 25th on DVD. I still play a villain. It is an odd film.

MRA: This must be a very different role for you as well.

BO Jr.: Yes, he is evil, though. He is an evil carnival owner. So, my co-stars are a trick pony and a five year-old. It was really unusual for me.

Also, I wanted to mention a film from Chris Eska called September Morning. This is a western and we begin shooting in February, so we are in the early stages. I play a bounty hunter. It is a classic western role and it is set in the Civil War era. I am trying to do some different roles.

MRA: I noticed that. It seems that you are branching out into different genres.

BO Jr.: I love horror and that is my bread and butter. Most of my characters are dark, but I want to diversify.

MRA: Is there a final message that you would like to leave with readers?

BO Jr.: Well, from being on stage for twelve years, I have learned one thing. When you come out to Hollywood is that people will see you very differently from how you see yourself. On stage you can play any type of character, but in auditions people continually saw me as scary. The next person said that I looked very scary. The next person wanted me to do the audition shirtless. People then thought my body looked creepy.

My body's rib cage really sticks out and people would say: "your body is as creepy as your face."

MRA: That is not very nice!

BO Jr.: But, it is my job. Using your physicality is part of your reality.

Even in Nude Nuns with Big Guns. I have a brief nude scene, where my butt shows and at the premiere people were saying: "eww, creepy!"

MRA: Your critics keep hounding you.

BO Jr.: You are right! Because the camera reads all of me as creepy and eerie e.g. my mannerisms, my voice. For anybody who is interested in doing film, come to terms with how the camera sees you. Do not resist it!

To work in film you have to make peace with how the camera sees you.

MRa: That is a great message and some good advice for upcoming actors and actresses.

Thanks Bill for doing this interview and I wish you the best on all your upcoming films.

BO Jr.: You too, Mike. Take good care.

More info' on Princess and the Pony:

Princess and the Pony at The Asylum

Some of the films that Bill Oberst Jr. has acted in are listed here:



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