Samantha Russell is a naturally funny and talented actress. She takes on a great role in the new film Sleep. Walk. Kill. as Ady. The ex-wife of Edgar (played by Bill Reick). With a great cast around her they take on a zombie style film with a twist. The perfect blend of comedy and horror. I was fortunate enough to grab her attention for a bit to ask a few questions.
Q. Where did you hear about the audition for Sleep. Walk. Kill.?
A. I worked together with Justin Miller for quite a few years in the sketch comedy troupe Goat Rodeo. I was the director and he was one of the writers. Justin told me he had written a film and asked if I could help him cast it. I read the script and fell in love with it! I quickly got to work figuring out performers I knew that would work for each role and helped with a few open auditions too.
Q. What made you decide to go after the role of Ady?
A. I really liked Ady because I felt like I related to her. She's a bit buttoned up in the
beginning, loves to have things a certain way. And I enjoyed her journey throughout the
film learning to live and react in the moment. Though, I guess being the casting director
increased my chances of landing the role.
Q. What challenges if any did you find playing the role of Ady? A. The whole Princess Pickles thing was a bit of a struggle. I'd like the record to reflect that, even though I may be a cat lady, I am certainly not anti-dog.
Q. What approach do you use to get into character? A. I like to think about who they are, what they've experienced, and how they react to others and their environment. Creating that back story, all the little parts that make a person who they are, help me bring a character to life in a natural, believable way.
Q. If a part two of this film came up would you want to play Ady again? A. I definitely would! I loved the character and wouldn't pass up a chance to do something with Justin again. Though I hope it takes place a bit in the future- I grew my hair out for the first time during the pandemic and I'm not ready to cut it off just yet. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch Fargo.
Q. Do you think horror/comedy is a tough sub-genre to be successful in overall?
A. Horror comedy seems natural to me because gore can so easily become silly. But it can be
a delicate balance of keeping something scary but being funny at the same time.
Q. I think the sleepwalking spin on a classic zombie style movie was interesting. What were your initial thoughts on the plot?
A. I loved this take on the zombie genre. There's the fear that this thing is inside you but mild
comfort that you can also control when it happens. Unfortunately, at a certain point, you
know you're going to need to rest and, in turn, become that monster. As someone who
doesn't do well without sleep, I can relate to the tensions flaring in a room full of sleep
deprived people
Q. Do you think your background in sketch comedy was a great help in making this particular style of horror?
A. Having a background in comedy definitely helps in this style of film or any style, really.
Experience in comedy helps with timing and delivery and I think if you can make the most
ridiculous/outlandish situations believable, you can make anything believable.
Q. How difficult is it to keep a straight face when something funny happens and you have to stay in character?
A. This is never easy, but certainly doing sketch comedy for so many years has helped me
keep a straight face. I've been in front of live audiences and have had to keep it together
during extremely funny situations. You just have to remind yourself, Bill Murray never broke.
Q. What is your greatest strength as an actress?
A. I think my greatest strength is keeping
true to my characters. I try to create
characters with vivid and realistic
backgrounds, even if that information
isn't necessarily mentioned in the
scene or film. Creating a full three-dimensional person allows me to understand their actions
and how they might react in situations and I think that creates authenticity.
Q. What is your biggest weakness as an actress, and what have you done to overcome it?
A. I think sometimes I can get too rigid or hung up on specific ways I want to say a line or
how I view a character, so it can take me a bit when given direction to change it. The best
way to overcome it is to trust those working around you and know we're all in this together.
Q. What is your favorite horror film?
A. To be completely honest, I'm not the biggest horror fan. I'm one of those people who just
kind of watch horror movies during October. I usually enjoy the classics and this year I
loved Barbarian.
Q. What is your favorite non horror film? A. Fargo. I'm a big fan of dark comedy and Fargo does it flawlessly. Classic good vs evil- a group of bumbling want-to-be criminals trying to fake it til they make it with disastrous results being hunted down by the hopelessly optimistic Marge Gunderson. The script, performances, and cinematography are absolute perfection. A true delight!
Q. Have you taken any formal acting
classes? /Have you had any
professional voice training?
A. I haven't actually taken any formal
classes in acting or voice training aside
from a couple performing arts classes in
high school. I just learned by doing,
failing and then doing it again.
Q. If you could have done any role in a movie you have seen, which would it be and why? A. Not to make all about Fargo, but probably Marge Gunderson. Being the ray of light in the literal and figurative gray tundra of snowy Minnesota seems like a fun challenge. And who wouldn't want to do that accent!
I have to thank Samantha for taking the time to answer a few questions. You can tell by her answers that she absolutely has a great sense of humor. You can tell from the movie that she has a great handle on adapting to roles and making them great. Please share to support Samantha and her career.
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