Tag Archives: LA

Brightlight Pictures Makes “Short” Work of Writer/Director Sarah Deakins’ Labour of Love ‘GREECE’

Screens at the Sunscreen West, LA Femme International & Hollywood Film Festivals

Sarah Deakins’ short film, “GREECE,” already an Accolade Global Competition 2 time Award Of Excellence Winner, and a Best Shorts Film Competition Award Of Excellence winner is set to premiere in LA with 3 festival selections in October at the Sunscreen West Film Festival (supported by the Academy of Motion Pictures), the LA Femme International Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival!

Brightlight Pictures president Shawn Williamson saw something in local writer Deakins’ script, and took the project on as a creative labour of love. A fresh, local crew, all volunteers, worked closely together to produce a short with incredible production value, inspired by a strong creative vision from the film’s writer/director, Sarah Deakins, and captured beautifully by cinematographer Jon Joffin.

A successful actor for decades in Vancouver, Deakins had been living in LA and was on a trip home to visit family when Williamson requested the script, and a creative partnership was born. Having written the film, Deakins also stars in the character driven drama. As a director she was finally able to fully realize her vision, in her hometown of Vancouver.

In response to the three awards before the film has even hit the festival circuit, Ms. Deakins states, “Everyone who worked on this film is thrilled to have been recognized by the Best Shorts Competition and The Accolade Global competition judges, and we are most grateful that the film is connecting with people. The whole team worked really hard to bring this vision to life and to know that people are now responding to the artistry that we took such care with is most gratifying.”

“GREECE” centers around a daughter’s final attempt to connect with her seemingly catatonic mother.

Producer Arielle Boisvert says, “We have been very pleased with the response to our film. The subject matter is close to our hearts and we are looking forward to kicking off our festival run.”

Tickets to the October 11^th 12:15pm screening at the Sunscreen Film Festival can be purchased online at www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com (Narrative Shorts Block #5, Drama – Families These Days)

Tickets to the October 16^th11:30am screening at the Hollywood Film festival can be purchased at www.hollywoodfilmfestival.com/ (SHORTS program #1: On the Battlefield)

Tickets to the October 16^th 6pm screening at LA Femme F.F. can be purchased online at www.lafemme.org (Shorts, Venue #2)

Brightlight Boilerplate

Brightlight Pictures develops, packages and produces independent feature films and television projects. Brightlight’s President, Shawn Williamson, has produced more than 90 productions in the last 15 years and over 35 productions since launching Brightlight in 2001 including WHITE NOISE (Michael Keaton) which has grossed over $100 million since its world-wide theatrical release in 2005. Recently, Williamson has worked as an executive producer on the feature film THE INTERVIEW (Seth Rogen, James Franco) for Columbia Pictures and the television series WITCHES OF EAST END (Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and RUSH (Tom Ellis) for Fox 21. His recent producer credits include the feature film HORNS (Daniel Radcliffe) for Mandalay and Red Granite Pictures; 50/50 (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt); and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP for Sony Pictures Classics directed by Robert Redford and starring Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf. Other feature producing credits include THE POSSESSION (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick) for Mandate Pictures and Lions Gate Films; WHITE NOISE 2: THE LIGHT (Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff) with Gold Circle Films; IN THE NAME OF THE KING (Jason Statham); 88 MINUTES (Al Pacino); WICKER MAN (Nicolas Cage) for Nu Image/Millennium Films and Emmett Furla Films; SLITHER with Gold Circle Films and Universal and APOLLO 18 for the Weinstein Company. Williamson is currently producing the feature film THE 9^th LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX (Jamie Dornan, Aaron Paul) with Miramax.

Social Media Handles

Website: sarahdeakins.com, brightlightpictures.com
Twitter: @sarahcdeakins, @GREECEthefilm, @BrightlightPict
Facebook: facebook.com/GreeceAShortFilm
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0212639/

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Acting Workshop with Award Winning Los Angeles Director, Producer, Writer, and Acting Coach Tom Logan October 24 to 26th, 2014

Tom Logan is one of the most sought after international acting coaches

Two and a Half Days to absorb a Lifetime of experience with internationally renowned acting coach, award winning director, producer and writer Tom Logan brings three decades working in the entertainment industry to White Rock.

Tom will guide your through the steps it takes to be a successful actor with on camera experience during the workshop. Topics of the workshop include: how we cast, why we cast, who we will cast, how to book your audition, single on camera, two person on camera and audition techniques, Tom has worked with everyone including legendary Lucille Ball and Charlton Heston with hundreds of credits to his name on imdb. His national best selling books including ‘How to Act and Eat at the Same Time’, ‘Acting in a Million Dollar Minute’ have helped actors worldwide.

Acting Workshop:
Friday, October 24th – 7:00 – 10:00 pm
Saturday, October 25th 10:00 – 50:00 pm
Sunday, October 26th – 8:00 – 12:00 noon

“What Tom Logan offers the young actor is invaluable. He covers it all! In conducting his TV/Film/Commercial workshop with our graduating class each year he gives them a wonderful headstart on getting into the business.” – Georgia Phillips, Associate Director for Instruction, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, West

Pizzazz International Model and Talent Agency
Pacific Inn Hotel (Pink Palace)
White Rock/ South Surrey

Limited Registration!
For more details and to register contact Pizzazz to reserve your spot
Telephone: 604-541-3888
Email: Pizzazzinternational@gmail.com

Pizzazz School of Personal Development Model and Talent Agency was first opened in Saskatchewan in 1979. Pizzazz is recognized internationally and has received Top Honors, High Standards and Personal Excellence, awarded Best School and Best Overall Agency by International Agents around the world. Pizzazz Models have graced magazine covers and appeared in feature films worldwide. Dedicated to the importance of education, Pizzazz has always made a strong statement that excellent training does make a difference for models wanting to pursue a modeling career. Parents rave about the personal development classes as they see their children give participants more confidence, poise and grace.

Social Media Handles

Website: tomlogan.com, pizzazzmodelingagency.com, modelingvancouver.ca
Facebook: Pizzazz International Modeling & Talent Agency
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm0517665/filmoyear

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Roham Rahmanian And His Company, The Astronauts Guild, Developing One Of The First Stereoscopic 180 And 360 Degree Camera Systems To Capture First-Person, Live-Action Virtual Reality Experiences

The Astronauts Guild’s Roham Rahmanian, producer, director and a feature and commercial Digital Imaging Technician in the International Cinematographers Guild, announced today that he and his partners at The Astronauts Guild have begun test trials on 180 and 360-degree camera systems to capture first-person virtual reality experiences. The Astronauts Guild partners are Roham Rahmanian, Founder | Supervising Producer, Scott Connolly – Founder | Head of Production, and Ian Spohr – Founder | Creative Director. Tests and previews will be available online at www.theastronautsguild.com in October of 2014.

The rush is on for content providers for the new technologies, and CGI content has already made a splash in gaming and for early-adopters and developers. However, the live-action content is much more technically challenging to create.

The Astronauts Guild succeeded as stereoscopic producers by staying lean & mean, and adapting current equipment and technology. Those experiences gave them the insight to develop 180 and 360-degree camera systems for shooting first person, live-action virtual reality experiences.

“The virtual-reality revolution is upon us, and The Astronauts Guild wants to be on the forefront of creating quality, live-action content for entertainment, and possibly more importantly, for medical applications. When 3D became the rave a few years ago, it took off with a Wild West, every man for himself explosion. No standardization and no quality control. This created a lot of content that was just plain bad, Because of this trend, many consumers had bad experiences” said Rah The Promotion People - Roham Rahmanian manian.

“I hope, the early content creators for Oculus Rift and Sony Morpheus, including The Astronauts Guild, can come to a consensus early on, about quality control and mathematically calculated standards for content, it is of the utmost importance that the consumer feels comfortable trying out virtual reality, and is excited to make it a part of their daily entertainment experience,” added Rahmanian.

The Astronauts Guild is a collective of dreamers, doers, artists and technicians. A group of talent which is equal parts Production Company, creative collective and technical development firm. They take on projects in the entertainment industry which require an advanced knowledge of production and cutting edge technology to achieve a creative end.

In addition to developing 3D camera rigs, new live-action virtual reality shooting systems, producing and directing, Rahmanian is an always-in-demand Digital Imaging Technician. Rahmanian has worked with many world class brands such as: BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, VW, Fiat, Dodge, Ford, Chevy, Coke Zero, Mountain Dew, Nintendo, Microsoft, Target, Walmart, Verizon, AT&T and many more.

The Promotion People - Roham Rahmanian Rahmanian was one of the stereoscopic producers on the “The Girl from Nagasaki” which was presented in the New Frontier Category at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. World-renowned photographer Michel Comte directed the stereoscopic feature film, a new interpretation of the classic Puccini Opera “Madame Butterfly”.

Additionally Roham and his partners have produced many advanced technology projects such as an art installations for the Soho House and the short film “Unbeleafable: A Girl Skateboards 3D Film,” created with the renowned skateboard director Ty Evans in partnership with the Levi’s Film workshop for the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) in Los Angeles and presented during their Art in the Streets Exhibition in 2013.

About Roham Rahmanian
Roham’s work has ranged from his first job as Assistant Props at the age of 16 to Fashion Photographer, Director of Photography, Digital Imaging Technician, Producer and finally Director. He has been involved in over 500 national/international spots since 2010.

Social Media Handles

Website: rohamrahmanian.ca, theastronautsguild.com
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/The-Astronauts-Guild
Instagram: @astronautroham
IMDb: imdb.com/name/nm2440237
Vimeo: vimeo.com/58491591

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Canadian star Kaj-Erik Eriksen adds another franchise to his impressive list in the Soska Sisters Slasher Sequel “See No Evil 2”

Canadian actor Kaj-Erik Eriksen has appeared in some of the most beloved franchises of all time – including “MacGyver,” “NCIS” and “Star Trek.” The Vancouver native is at it again with a starring role in the Lionsgate and WWE Studios film “See No Evil 2,” the sequel to the surprise slasher hit featuring wrestler Kane.

The movie premieres Friday, October 17, 2014 on Digital HD and Video on Demand, followed by a DVD and Blue-Ray release later in the month. In line with the horror theme, filming took place in an abandoned mental institution.

Directed by filmmaking twins Jen and Sylvia Soska (a.k.a. the Soska Sisters), the second installment sees madman Jacob Goodnight (played by Kane) rise from the dead and wreak havoc among a group of friends at the morgue. Eriksen plays Seth, an earnest guy who works at the morgue alongside Amy (Danielle Harris) and happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“For me it was exciting,” Eriksen told Rotten Tomatoes at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. “It’s a lot of running and yelling and getting chased and blood and splattering – it was fun. I hadn’t done a horror movie in a long time, so it was cool to jump back in.”

“See No Evil 2” marks Since then the Canadian actor has made numerous appearances on the small screen, including as a series regular in the USA Network, Emmy-nominated show “The 4400.”

About Kaj-Erik Eriksen
Kaj-Erik Eriksen has been acting for more than 29 years, which is impressive considering he’s only 35. Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., Eriksen began his acting career at the tender age of six. After just a handful of extra and small speaking roles, the young actor landed a part in the independent feature “Quarantine.”

Around that same time, Eriksen booked a guest-starring role in “MacGyver,” one of the most popular shows at the time. It also happened to be Eriksen’s favorite series as a child and one that he would return to a few years later for another guest stint.

In 1991, after scoring a number of movies and guest roles on TV, the Canadian talent landed the part of David Scali, the son of Michael Chiklis’ character on the hit ABC drama “The Commish.” The show introduced Eriksen to millions of American fans and earned him the attention of critics, who gave him nods for a Youth in Film Award, a Hollywood Reporter Youth Star Award, and two YTV Achievement awards.

Eriksen worked on a number of other projects during “The Commish’s” five-year run, including a remake of the classic film “Captains Courageous” and popular kids TV shows such as “Goosebumps” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”

He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17, where he continued to grow as an actor with guest roles in “Home Improvement” and “Walker Texas Ranger.” In 1999, the Vancouver native returned home to shoot two seasons of Showtime’s “Beggars and Choosers,” a short-lived series that garnered critical praise and a devoted cult following.

Upon coming back to L.A. in 2001, Eriksen landed one of his most important roles to date: the part of Jeremy Peters on David E. Kelley’s “Boston Public.” What was originally supposed to be a mere four-episode arc evolved into a recurring role over the span of two seasons. Eriksen also appeared in the action thriller “88 Minutes” starring Oscar-winner Al Pacino.

Since then, the Canadian star has been featured in ” Stephen King’s “Dead Zone,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Closer,” among many others. Eriksen has also been seen starring alongside Richard Thomas in the Hallmark movie “Time After Time.” He will next be seen on Hallmark Channel’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Christmas Special.”

In his spare time, Eriksen studies karate and enjoys photography. He also collects Victorinox Swiss army knives, an obsession that started because of his love of “MacGyver.”

Social Media Handles

Website: kaj-erikeriksen.net
Twitter: @KajEriksen
Facebook: facebook.com/KajEriksen
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0259264/?ref_=sr_4

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Award Winning Actress Camille Mitchell to star in Hallmark Channel’s Movie of the Week “The Write Man” with Amy Ackers (“Person of Interest”) and Dylan Bruce (“Orphan Black”)

Actress Camille Mitchell best known for her long running role on the CW hit television series “Smallville” and one of Canada’s most celebrated stage actresses is headed back to the small screen with a leading role in the Hallmark Channel’s Movie of the week, “The Write Man” with two of television’s hottest young actors, Amy Acker and Dylan Bruce.

“The Write Man” directed by Mark Griffiths is a charming made for TV romantic drama. Camille plays Jackie Billicks, the New York literary agent of novelist Liam Bradley, played by Dylan Bruce; she is his mentor, confidant and Cupid when his career and personal life collide as he romantically pursues Sophie, played by Amy Acker. “The Write Man” is produced by Ian Hay and Larkin-Goldstein Productions and written by Beverly Nuako and Hans Wasserburger.

Camille has been delighted to be a part of “The Write Man” and states that “working with Amy and Dylan and Mark, our director, has been such a joy, a lot of laughter and a lot of hard work. There was a lot of competition for this role and I was thrilled to get it. It has truly been one of my favorite film experiences. Just a wonderful group of people to work with and an absolute pleasure to be on set every day” Audiences will be in for a treat when “The Write Man” debuts on the Hallmark Channel later this year.

Camille has garnered extraordinary acclaim for her versatility onstage and onscreen, earning awards and accolades across Canada. A leading lady at the Stratford and Shaw festivals, The London Times hailed her as “a gift to the theater.” Born in Santa Monica to Hollywood star Cameron Mitchell and Viennese actress Joanna Mitchell, Camille was raised in Vancouver, Canada, and studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.

Social Media Handles

Website: amothersloveshortfilm.com
Twitter: @AmyAcker, @DylanBruce, @hallmarkmovie, @hallmarkchannel
IMDb: Camille Mitchell

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

‘THE BIRDER’ starring Tom Cavanagh, Fred Willard and Graham Greene to screen at the LA Comedy Festival in Los Angeles with an official selection for its U.S. release on May 2nd at 7:00pm

IndustryWorks Pictures is excited to announce that Theodore Bezaire’s Sophomore Indie Comedy THE BIRDER will be screening in Los Angeles at the LA Comedy Festival on May 2^nd at the Let Live Theatre at 7:00pm. This funny feature film is starring Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Scrubs), Mark Rendall (30 Days of Night), Jamie Spilchuk (Hard Rock Medical), Tommie-Amber Pirie (What If), Academy Award Nominee Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile) and Hollywood funny man Fred Willard (Anchorman, Best in Show). The film makes its U.S. Premiere at the LA Comedy Festival.

Co-written by Theodore Bezaire & Mike Stasko and directed by Bezaire, THE BIRDER is a revenge-comedy set inside the world of bird watching. It’s the story of Ron Spencer (Cavanagh), a mild mannered birder who seeks revenge on a younger rival (Spilchuk) after losing the highly coveted position of Head of Ornithology at the National Park.

“THE BIRDER is a wonderful film and an excellent comedy. The film is a perfect combination of laugh out loud moments and a heartwarming story that the whole family can enjoy.” says Caterina Scrivano, VP Marketing, IndustryWorks Pictures. “We’re very excited to partner with IndustryWorks and see our film take flight!” adds producer Gerry Lattmann of The Dot Film Company.

IndustryWorks plans a market release at The Marché Du Film in Cannes, France this May and will start its release schedule later this year.

SELECTED MEDIA QUOTES

“Easily one of the best comedies you’ll see all year.” – RAINDANCE

“The Birder is a sweet, hilarious film, which is so successful due to the performances of Cavanagh and Rendall.” – TORONTO FILM SCENE

“This is a funny movie!” – SLATE

About The Dot Film Company – The Dot Film Company develops and produces content for Film and Television. They have worked in association with some of Canada’s most reputable organizations, such as Telefilm Canada, CMPA, TVOntario, Corus Entertainment, VideoFACT, BravoFACT! and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

About IndustryWorks Pictures – IndustryWorks is a fully integrated company that distributes and produces feature films, television and new media content worldwide. IndustryWorks Pictures sets itself apart by having the keen sense of recognizing potential in projects for production and its primary function is to release unique and marketable content to the market place. IndustryWorks’ mandate is to release films that appeal to the mainstream and niche audiences. The company has several in-house projects in development on an ongoing basis. IndustryWorks distributes its content to all ancillary media outlets, including box office, VOD, SVOD, airlines, Internet and digital platforms, retail and rental outlets.

Social Media Handles

Website: industry-works.com, thebirdermovie.com, lacomedyfest.com
Twitter: @IWPictures, @TheBirderMovie, @LAComedyFest, @tbezaire, @CavanaghTom, @Fred_Willard
Facebook: facebook.com/IndustryWorksPictures

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

‘3 Days In Havana’ starring Gil Bellows and Greg Wise opening in Cineplex Theatres across Canada on March 28th, 2014

SOME PEOPLE WOULD KILL FOR THREE DAYS IN HAVANA

3 Days in Havana is the testament of a life-long collaboration between two friends and the directorial debut for both Gil Bellows and Tony Pantages

Gil Bellows and Tony Pantages are pleased to announce that the feature film ‘3 Days in Havana’ will open in Cineplex Theatres across Canada on March 28^th, 2014 via leading Canadian distributor Entertainment One (eOne). 3 Days in Havana is the directorial debut of filmmakers, Gil Bellows & Tony Pantages and is the testament of a life-long collaboration between two friends with a shared vision and the talented family of artists and technicians that joined them on the ride. The film stars Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal, Shawshank Redemption), Greg Wise (Sense and Sensibility), Robin Dunne (Sanctuary), Michael Eklund (The Call, True Justice), Christopher Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels, True Blood) and John Cassini (Continuum, Blackstone)

About The Film
Jack Petty (Gil Bellows) gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Havana on business and gets caught up in an assassination conspiracy with his new friend Harry Smith (Greg Wise).

Jack Petty sits in an airport bar, nursing a drink. He’s on a stopover halfway to Havana, and so is the sexy lady who chats him up, giving him travel tips and whispering something scary in his ear. He’ll meet her again, in the midst of a conspiracy that includes assassination, kidnapping and more.

This a film with a lot of tradition behind it: some major Hitchcock (particularly Strangers on a Train and The 39 Steps); the wised-up dialogue of old film noir; and the gritty detail and sharp plot twists of contemporary thrillers. It’s all put across with high spirits, and the cast is stellar—highlights include Christopher Heyerdahl as a slick member of the Canadian Consulate, John Cassini as a ruthless mob boss, and Phyllida Law as… well, you’ll see. And there are many other colourful characters, none of them trustworthy, most of them with their sights set on poor Jack. He’ll have to outwit, outrun or outfight them all—a tall order for a mere businessman on a conference trip. But he’s surprisingly cool under pressure. The fun here comes not just from the close shaves and slick repartee but from the knowledge, quickly acquired, that nothing is what it seems. (Courtesy Vancouver International Film Festival)

About The Directors
Gil Bellows is an Emmy & Peabody winning and Golden Globe nominated producer for the HBO film, “Temple Grandin”. Gil also steered Ali Selim’s “Sweet Land” to win the Best First Feature trophy at the Independent Spirit Awards. Best known for creating the role of ‘Billy Thomas’ in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning FOX series “Ally McBeal,” Gil first gained international attention among filmgoers and critics for his portrayal of an inmate with a penchant for knowledge in the critically lauded “Shawshank Redemption,” opposite Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. In recent years, Bellows has found himself starring in several Canadian Independents including Paul Gross and Niv Fichman’s Canadian War-time Drama “Passchendaele” and “Toronto Stories”.

Tony Pantages is an award-winning director of music videos, commercials, documentaries and short films with trophies and nominations for MTV, MuchMusic, Clio & Juno awards. Pantages studied acting at the Loft Studio in LA under Peggy Feury where his classmates included Sean Penn, Matthew Broderick, Krispin Glover and Meg Ryan. After ten years of working with some of the top directors in the business, Tony switched to the other side of the lens, assisting the Oscar winning director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man) for two years before launching his own successful career directing number one music videos for INXS, Sarah McLachlan and Our Lady Peace and commercials for Lee Jeans & Canadian Airlines. His Behind The Scenes documentary “Beyond the Yellow Brick Road” about the Syfy Channel’s miniseries “Tin Man” broke their viewership record and aired 14 times. Mr. Pantages’ short film Passages was an official selection at the Vancouver International film Festival.

Social Media Handles

Twitter: @3DaysInHavana, @realgilbellows, @tonypantages, @eOnefilms
Facebook: facebook.com/3daysinhavana, facebook.com/eOnefilms
Movie Trailer: vimeo.com/86457182
IMDb: imdb.com/title/tt1842371/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier Featured in Steppin’ Out Mag

View Emmanuelle’s article in Steppin’ Out Mag here: http://www.so-mag.com/3dissue/012214/index.html

Social Media Handles

Website: emmanuellevaugier.com
Twitter: @evaugier
Facebook: The Real Emmanuelle Vaugier

Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
Facebook: The Promotion People

It’s Good To Be Bad – Interview with Lost Girl’s Emmanuelle Vaugier

Emmanuelle Vaugier as The Morrigan in the season four Lost Girl episode “Let The Dark Times Roll.” Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

In the real world there is a constant battle between good and evil, and the same holds true in the fictional TV world. On the popular Canadian-made supernatural drama series Lost Girl, the two forces locked in this centuries-old conflict are known as the Light and Dark Fae. Leading the local Dark Fae community is Evony Fleurette Marquise a.k.a. The Morrigan. This sexy brunette beauty has the ability to melt and dissolve flesh with a single touch and delights in ruling with a proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. When theLost Girl producers were looking for an actress to slip into The Morrigan’s stilettoes, they turned to the charming Emmanuelle Vaugier.

“It was a fortunate situation and one where I felt quite flattered,” says Vaugier. “They came to me with the role. So I took a look at the script to see what it was that I had to do as well as if it was something I wanted to do and if I enjoyed the character, and it was all three. It sounded like a really fun role, so I said, ‘Yes,’ and that was the beginning of it all. Originally I was only supposed to be in a few episodes, but it’s turned into many more over four seasons – maybe a fifth, who knows – and it’s really been quite an amazing journey.”

The Morrigan makes her Lost Girl debut in the show’s opening episode It’s a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World. When the Fae become aware of a succubus named Bo (Anna Silk), the two factions want the extraordinarily powerful Fae to pledge her allegiance to one side or the other. The Morrigan reluctantly agrees to work with The Ash (Cle Bennett), leader of the Light Fae, and force Bo to align herself. They put her to the test in a fight to the death at an abandoned glass factory, but the outcome is far from what they are expecting. Vaugier chuckles when looking back at shooting her first episode.

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) – up to no good! Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

“I’ll never forget the glass factory in Hamilton [Ontario, Canada],” she says. “We were filming there at night in February. There’s no heating and it was colder inside that structure than it was outside, which is saying a lot. I was in a dress and there’s only so much layering you can do under a dress without it looking like you’re the Michelin man,” jokes the actress. “So that was an interesting first episode that had me rethinking the whole choice of whether or not I really wanted to do this, especially if it was going to be freezing like this all the time, but it was all worth it in the end.

“As far as the character itself, there wasn’t a whole lot of backstory on The Morrigan in the beginning. The show’s producers and writers had no idea where the character was going and no one had any idea that it was going to turn into what it is now. At the start, I think the toughest challenge for me was not playing her as a caricature and some evil mustache-twirling type of villain. She has to be likeable and there has to be something somewhat human about her that makes you love her even though you hate her.

“Initially, The Morrigan was much more of a figurehead for the Dark Fae, but over time, she’s formed alliances and love/hate-type relationships. You’ve witnessed her in weaker moments as well as her stronger moments and you’ve definitely had the opportunity to see more of her vulnerability. The Morrigan has become a very dynamic character and this [fourth] season we’re going to find out more about her past. The storylines on Lost Girl have sort of broadened and deepened and in the process you’re learning a great deal more about how far The Morrigan’s reach is into everyone’s world.”

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) conducts a little business (before pleasure). Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

Both the Light and Dark Fae were deeply disappointed to say the least when Bo chose to remain neutral and not join either side. Throughout the first three seasons of Lost Girl, she risked her life to help others and fight the darker supernatural forces of the world she comes from. She continues to do so in the show’s fourth year with the help of humans Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) and Dr. Lauren Lewis (Zoie Palmer) as well as Fae allies including Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried), Hale (K.C. Collins) and, much to her surprise, Vex (Paul Amos), a sadomasochist Dark Fae who has the power to control the actions of others. He and Bo, in particular, have become thorns in The Morrigan’s side while providing Vaugier with some wonderful onscreen sparring partners.

“Vex and The Morrigan have a very interesting relationship and it’s that love/hate thing where she needs him to a certain degree,” explains the actress. “She can’t get rid of him and I don’t think anyone who watches the show would want us to because he’s so fabulous. When it comes to my character’s relationship with Bo, they start to get closer and form a kind of alliance, which you see in season three. Then, however, Bo double-crosses her and they’re back to where they started. She trusted Bo and let her guard down, and now The Morrigan has to build herself back up. No one messes with her and she has to go back to The Morrigan as we saw her prior to her moment of weakness with Bo.

While there may be some ill will between Vex and The Morrigan as well as Bo and The Morrigan, there is no such animosity behind the cameras.

“Paul Amos and I just laugh out butts off most of the time when we’re together,” admits Vaugier. “He happened to be in London last October at the same time as the MCM Expo [Comic Con], so he came by to see me, Ksenia, Rachel Skarsten [Tamsin] and [Lost Girlexecutive producer] Jay Firestone and we were like a group of five-year-olds. Paul is such a hoot to hang out with on-set as well as off-set, and then Anna Silk is such a sweetheart and a lot of fun to work with, too. All the Lost Girl castmembers have a terrific rapport with each other and we really get along as people, so whenever we do get to work together we have a great time,” she enthuses.

(L-R): Bo (Anna Silk), Vex (Paul Amos) and The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier). Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

In addition to being a Dark Fae, The Morrigan is also a leaman sidhe, which means she has the ability to absorb the talents of others. She operates in the human world under the guise of a talent agent and uses the monetary gains from any acquired talents to finance her own dark agenda. The Morrigan continues to exploit humans along with Fae in season four of Lost Girl, beginning in the episode Lovers, Apart. Not wanting to spoil things for those fans that have yet to watch the episode, she hints at what viewers can expect.

“There were just as many shockers for me when I read the script, so I think that the audience will hopefully be very pleased,” says the actress. “I was really excited about the path that they had taken The Morrigan and, again, her new interactions and relationships with different characters. There are so many possibilities with her and they really opened up my character’s world this season. You get to see more of who she is as a person as opposed to just the leader of the Dark Fae. My only complaint is that I wanted to see even more, just because I like working on the show so much. I was absolutely pleased with The Morrigan’s storyline and if we go for a fifth season I’m extremely curious to see how it further develops.”

Vaugier can be seen as Mary Magdalene opposite Lost Girl’s Kris Holden-Ried (as Jordan) and Copper’s Kyle Schmid (as Saul) in the upcoming film Saul: The Journey to Damascus. From comedy to drama, the actress has had the opportunity to stretch her acting muscles in a variety of projects throughout her career, and Lost Girl gives her with yet another outlet in which to showcase her talents.

The Morrigan (Emmanuelle Vaugier) surrounded by her entourage in the season four episode “Let The Dark Times Roll.” Photo copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media.

“One of the things I like the most about the fantasy genre is that you get away with a lot more,” she says. “You can be bigger and bolder; you can really do no wrong as long as you stay within the parameters of the world that you’re in, but it’s a made-up world, which means there are no rules, or very few, and therefore so much more room in which to play.”

Steve Eramo

Season four of Lost Girl airs in Canada on the Showcase Network on Sundays @ 10:00 p.m. EST/PST and in the States on Syfy, Mondays (beginning January 13th) @ 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. As noted above, all photos copyright of Showcase/Shaw Media, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

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Emmanuelle Vaugier books the coveted leading role as Mary Magdalene in the feature ‘Saul’ now filming in Malta

Stunning and in demand actor Emmanuelle Vaugier has booked the coveted leading role as Mary Magdalene in the feature film ‘Saul’ now filming in Malta until mid December. ‘Saul’ is based on the Acts of the Apostles. Emmanuelle is starring along side John Rhys Davis (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lord of the Rings), Kyle Schmidt (Being Human, Copper) Callum Blue (The Tudors), and Kris Holden Reid (The Tudors, Lost Girl).

This movie is a fictionalized retelling of the origins of the Christian Church, based on the Acts of the Apostles with Paul of Tarsus (St Paul) and Mary Magdalene as the main protagonists. As Saul the Butcher, the stoning of Stephen shattered Saul’s faith in the Temple and its denial of Christ as the Messiah. His conversion to Christianity and baptism as Paul changed the history of the world. The script and direction is in the hands of Maltese writer/director Mario Philip Azzopardi, “Saul” is an official Malta-Canada co-production produced by Cittadella Films with Canadian film-maker Ken Gord and eONE acting as worldwide distributors.

Photo by: Brie Childers

2013 is turning out to be one of Emmanuelle’s busiest years that includes her role for a fourth season on the innovative series ‘Lost Girl’, a Canadian supernatural drama. Since 2010 Emmanuelle has had a recurring role on this highly rated original show. Playing the role of The Morrigan, Emmanuelle breathes life into her vain and dangerously sociopathic character. The fourth season of ‘Lost Girl’ promises to be the most electrifying season yet. ‘Lost Girl’ is currently airing on Showcase and will air in January 2014 on SYFY. Emmanuelle was also a guest star in the premiere episode of Season 5’s on CBC’s popular series ‘Republic of Doyle’.

Emmanuelle recently completed filming a co-starring role in ‘Teen Lust’, a feature film about an awkward high school student who must lose his virginity before being sacrificed by a local religious cult. The film stars Cary Elwes (Saw, The Princess Bride), Kristin Bauer van Straten (“True Blood”), Jesse Carere (“Skins”), Daryl Sabara (The Philosopher, Machete) and Annie Clark (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”). Blaine Thurier (A Gun to the Head) is the director of the film that he co-wrote with Jason Stone (This Is The End).

Emmanuelle also co-stars as Rebecca Scott, in ‘Absolute Deception’ alongside Academy Award winner actor Cuba Gooding Jr., released to DVD in June 2013. Extremely busy with MOW’s, Emmanuelle’s projects include starring in ‘Hidden Away’ as Stephanie, a young mother who fakes her own death (and her daughter’s) in order to escape her abusive husband, which aired on Lifetime in July 2013.

One of the roles that Emmanuelle connected most with was playing a woman who rescues animals in ‘Susie’s Hope’, a role for which she won best actress at the Greensville International Film Festival in 2013. ‘It’s Christmas, Carol!’, another starring role for Emmanuelle which won her a Leo Award for portrayal of a woman journeying through her past, present and future, with the help of her “ghost boss”. Emmanuelle also stars in two upcoming independent films; ‘The Wedding Chapel’ and ‘Clara’s Deadly Secret’.

Vaugier is best known for her popular role as Charlie Sheen’s ex-fiancée Mia on the award-winning CBS comedy “Two and a Half Men.” For three seasons she also played Detective Jessica Angell on “CSI: NY,” leaving fans devastated when her role came to an end. In 2010, Vaugier was cast alongside Piper Perabo in the USA Network crime series “Covert Affairs,” where she played the recurring role of Liza Hearn, a journalist and blogger not afraid to push boundaries.

Her other television appearances include a recurring role on FOX’s action/drama series ‘Human Target’ as well as guest roles on ‘The Mentalist’, ‘Big Shots’ and ‘Supernatural’. She was also the new female superhero for the television pilot of the comic ‘Painkiller Jane’ for the Sci Fi Channel, and had a starring role in the ‘Master of Horror’ series directed by John Carpenter. Her other television credits include: ‘One Tree Hill‘, ‘Monk’, the Fox Television series ‘North Shore’, UPN‘s hit series ‘Veronica Mars’, as well as ‘Call Me, The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss’, and the WB comedy ‘My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star‘. She also portrayed Dr. Helen Bryce; Lex Luthor‘s wife on the WB‘s hit drama ‘Smallville’.

Her feature film endeavours are just as impressive: Emmanuelle starred in the thriller ‘Mirrors 2’, a sequel to the hit 2008 horror ‘Mirrors’, starring Keifer Sutherland. Her appearance in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed short story ‘Dolan’s Cadillac’, starring Christian Slater, can be seen on DVD. She also appeared in the feature ‘Hollywood Untitled’, directed by acclaimed director and producer Mun Chee Yong. Her other credits include ‘Saw II’, ‘Saw IV’, ‘Hysteria’, produced by former L.A. Laker Rick Fox, ‘Far Cry’ (Til Schewiger, Inglorious Basterds), ‘Bachelor Party 2’, ‘Unearthed’ (Charlie Murphy), ‘Secondhand Lions’ (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall), ‘40 Days and 40 Nights’ (Josh Hartnett), ‘House of the Dead 2: Dead Aim’ and a lead role in the comedy ‘Blonde and Blonder’, which premiered in Cannes.

Off-screen, Emmanuelle is an avid animal lover. She actively supports animal rescue organizations through her charitable foundation The Fluffball. The Fluffball raises money for various organizations through a high end, invite only cocktail event in Los Angeles. Emmanuelle founded the Fluffball in 2010.”

This Vancouver native‘s inner and outer beauty shines through as Emmanuelle is among the select group of women to be on ‘Maxim‘s Top 100’ list twice. The stunning actress first made the list in 2006 and then again in 2011. She was also named fifth on Femme Fatal magazine’s 50 Sexiest Women on the Planet’, and was named ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ for the sixth time by Smartasses Magazine. Emmanuelle has graced the covers of Maxim, Femme Fatal, Dolce Vita, Flare, UMM, Status, Modern Dog, LA Health, Vancouver View, Vancouver Lifestyles, Western Living Condo, Donato and Infamous.

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Twitter: @evaugier
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Contact The Promotion People

Lesley Diana – Founder, President and Publicist
lesley@thepromotionpeople.ca
604.726.5575

Website: thepromotionpeople.ca
Twitter: @PromotionPeople
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