Post by Bethany Joy on Jul 3, 2006 18:20:45 GMT -5
Stay Alive: Star Sophia Bush
By: Elaine Lamkin
Sophia Bush is an actor best known to audiences for her roles on “Nip/Tuck”, as Ridley, and on “One Tree Hill” as Brooke Davis. But Sophia was well known before she stepped in front of a camera. In 2000, she was crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade and for the year of her reign was very active in philanthropic activities for the city of Pasadena. During her three years at The University of Southern California, where she was in the Theater Program while majoring in Journalism, she was also the Philanthropy Chairman for her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. And she drove her agent crazy because she turned down many acting roles and auditions in order to concentrate on her college studies. Finally, though, she gave her agent a break and appeared in her first film in 2002, “Van Wilder”, playing Sally, and between her junior and senior years at USC, she worked on “Nip/Tuck”. Now she is appearing as part of an ensemble cast which includes Jon Foster, Frankie Muniz, Jimmi Simpson and Samaire Armstrong in the horror film “Stay Alive” as October Bantum.
BD: Hi Sophia and thank you for taking time to talk with Bloody-Disgusting.
SB: Hello Elaine and it’s a pleasure.
BD: As I mentioned in my intro to your interview, you were part of the BFA Theater Program at USC. Did you always want to be an actor?
SB: Yes I did! In high school, I did a lot of school plays as well as being active in lots of philanthropies. When I was crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade, it was a great meshing of my love of “performing” as well as being able to give back to the community. People think of being Queen of the Parade as some sort of beauty contest but it’s not at all. It’s about promoting the city of Pasadena and working with the philanthropies of the city – something I’ve always been passionate about.
BD: Tell me about October Bantum, your character in “Stay Alive”?
SB: October was such a great character to play because she was so different from me. She’s a stern, badass chick, sort of the mother hen of the group. She’s based on the Goth girls in the French Quarter and she’s into voodoo and Poppy Z. Brite.
BD: How does October fit into the story of “Stay Alive”?
SB: The boys in the group are her everything. Her older brother, Phineus, played by Jimmi Simpson, is all she has. The two of them open their own Internet café/coffee shop where the gang hangs out as none of the characters really have a family of their own, either being orphaned or just choosing to go out on their own. October also doesn’t trust Abigail, Samaire Armstrong’s character, when she sort of joins the group. October is very protective.
BD: Did you “go Goth” to play October?
SB: Actually, I did go to my hairdresser and have my hair dyed black and got these choppy bangs cut. I also had some biker boots and when I got to New Orleans, I did some shopping and discovered this amazing store called “Trashy Diva” which was the epitome of the Goth look. I bought quite a lot of wonderfully eccentric clothes and accessories there.
BD: Had you ever been to New Orleans before? Jon Foster said he had never been there and was blown away by the atmosphere of the city.
SB: I had been to New Orleans once before with my family but this time was, of course, under completely different circumstances. And you really can’t escape the mysticism of the city. It’s everywhere – the Cities of the Dead, the French Quarter, the plantations. That atmosphere was great in helping develop our characters.
BD: The game that Jon Foster’s character, Hutch, comes into possession of is based on the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Did you know anything about her history or legend prior to doing “Stay Alive”?
SB: I did know her story but after reading the script, which I loved, I did a lot more research. I thought the script was such a unique way to do a horror film – incorporating a real, historical character into a modern video game.
BD: How would you describe “Stay Alive” for people who may still not have heard much about it?
SB: It’s a combination of horror, psychological suspense and gore.
BD: How did you and the rest of the cast get along while you were in New Orleans?
SB: Oh my God! We became SUCH a family! I remember when I was leaving, Jon and Frankie helped me pack and then went with me to the airport. I just cried and cried when I had to say good-bye. But I have kept in touch with Jon, Frankie and Jimmi since the film. We all became so close on this film!
BD: What did you think of filming at Kenilworth Plantation and Palo Alto Plantation?
SB: Unfortunately I didn’t get to go to the plantations. There is a point in the film where the characters separate and my character wasn’t one of the ones that went. That’s all I can tell you about what happens. Go see the movie (laughs).
BD: What projects are you working on now?
SB: Well, I’m still in Wilmington, North Carolina, working on “One Tree Hill”, which is great. Other than that, I recently completed a film directed by Betty Thomas called “John Tucker Must Die” about a serial cheater and how three of his ex-girlfriends set him up to get his heart broken.
BD: Now that you’ve done “Stay Alive”, would you do another horror movie?
SB: You know, I never had any desire to do a horror movie before but if it were the right kind of horror, like “Stay Alive”, I would definitely do another horror film.
BD: What are some of your favorite horror movies?
SB: “Poltergeist”, “The Ring” and the remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.
BD: What is one thing no one knows about Sophia Bush that you think they should know?
SB: Oh wow…well, I am completely addicted to ice cream. I must have at least 10 cartons in my refrigerator right now – any flavor, doesn’t matter! And I’m a photographer so I probably took thousands of pictures when I was in New Orleans both behind-the-scenes pictures as well as images of the city itself. Such amazing architecture and the cemeteries…!
March 2006
By: Elaine Lamkin
Sophia Bush is an actor best known to audiences for her roles on “Nip/Tuck”, as Ridley, and on “One Tree Hill” as Brooke Davis. But Sophia was well known before she stepped in front of a camera. In 2000, she was crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade and for the year of her reign was very active in philanthropic activities for the city of Pasadena. During her three years at The University of Southern California, where she was in the Theater Program while majoring in Journalism, she was also the Philanthropy Chairman for her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. And she drove her agent crazy because she turned down many acting roles and auditions in order to concentrate on her college studies. Finally, though, she gave her agent a break and appeared in her first film in 2002, “Van Wilder”, playing Sally, and between her junior and senior years at USC, she worked on “Nip/Tuck”. Now she is appearing as part of an ensemble cast which includes Jon Foster, Frankie Muniz, Jimmi Simpson and Samaire Armstrong in the horror film “Stay Alive” as October Bantum.
BD: Hi Sophia and thank you for taking time to talk with Bloody-Disgusting.
SB: Hello Elaine and it’s a pleasure.
BD: As I mentioned in my intro to your interview, you were part of the BFA Theater Program at USC. Did you always want to be an actor?
SB: Yes I did! In high school, I did a lot of school plays as well as being active in lots of philanthropies. When I was crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade, it was a great meshing of my love of “performing” as well as being able to give back to the community. People think of being Queen of the Parade as some sort of beauty contest but it’s not at all. It’s about promoting the city of Pasadena and working with the philanthropies of the city – something I’ve always been passionate about.
BD: Tell me about October Bantum, your character in “Stay Alive”?
SB: October was such a great character to play because she was so different from me. She’s a stern, badass chick, sort of the mother hen of the group. She’s based on the Goth girls in the French Quarter and she’s into voodoo and Poppy Z. Brite.
BD: How does October fit into the story of “Stay Alive”?
SB: The boys in the group are her everything. Her older brother, Phineus, played by Jimmi Simpson, is all she has. The two of them open their own Internet café/coffee shop where the gang hangs out as none of the characters really have a family of their own, either being orphaned or just choosing to go out on their own. October also doesn’t trust Abigail, Samaire Armstrong’s character, when she sort of joins the group. October is very protective.
BD: Did you “go Goth” to play October?
SB: Actually, I did go to my hairdresser and have my hair dyed black and got these choppy bangs cut. I also had some biker boots and when I got to New Orleans, I did some shopping and discovered this amazing store called “Trashy Diva” which was the epitome of the Goth look. I bought quite a lot of wonderfully eccentric clothes and accessories there.
BD: Had you ever been to New Orleans before? Jon Foster said he had never been there and was blown away by the atmosphere of the city.
SB: I had been to New Orleans once before with my family but this time was, of course, under completely different circumstances. And you really can’t escape the mysticism of the city. It’s everywhere – the Cities of the Dead, the French Quarter, the plantations. That atmosphere was great in helping develop our characters.
BD: The game that Jon Foster’s character, Hutch, comes into possession of is based on the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Did you know anything about her history or legend prior to doing “Stay Alive”?
SB: I did know her story but after reading the script, which I loved, I did a lot more research. I thought the script was such a unique way to do a horror film – incorporating a real, historical character into a modern video game.
BD: How would you describe “Stay Alive” for people who may still not have heard much about it?
SB: It’s a combination of horror, psychological suspense and gore.
BD: How did you and the rest of the cast get along while you were in New Orleans?
SB: Oh my God! We became SUCH a family! I remember when I was leaving, Jon and Frankie helped me pack and then went with me to the airport. I just cried and cried when I had to say good-bye. But I have kept in touch with Jon, Frankie and Jimmi since the film. We all became so close on this film!
BD: What did you think of filming at Kenilworth Plantation and Palo Alto Plantation?
SB: Unfortunately I didn’t get to go to the plantations. There is a point in the film where the characters separate and my character wasn’t one of the ones that went. That’s all I can tell you about what happens. Go see the movie (laughs).
BD: What projects are you working on now?
SB: Well, I’m still in Wilmington, North Carolina, working on “One Tree Hill”, which is great. Other than that, I recently completed a film directed by Betty Thomas called “John Tucker Must Die” about a serial cheater and how three of his ex-girlfriends set him up to get his heart broken.
BD: Now that you’ve done “Stay Alive”, would you do another horror movie?
SB: You know, I never had any desire to do a horror movie before but if it were the right kind of horror, like “Stay Alive”, I would definitely do another horror film.
BD: What are some of your favorite horror movies?
SB: “Poltergeist”, “The Ring” and the remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.
BD: What is one thing no one knows about Sophia Bush that you think they should know?
SB: Oh wow…well, I am completely addicted to ice cream. I must have at least 10 cartons in my refrigerator right now – any flavor, doesn’t matter! And I’m a photographer so I probably took thousands of pictures when I was in New Orleans both behind-the-scenes pictures as well as images of the city itself. Such amazing architecture and the cemeteries…!
March 2006
