Lisa Carroll
Actress Jenny Pellicer faced one of her biggest challenges ever in the comedy-horror film “Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” in trying not to laugh at co-star Thomas Lennon’s antics.
The “Reno 911” star not only had Pellicer cracking up, but “in the best shape of her life” going to core power yoga every day. Pellicer, who had two aunts in the film business (one acted with Marlon Brando and the other acted with Tyrone Power) seemed to handle it all just fine. She plays a quirky girl named Ashley Summers who joins her boyfriend Edgar (Lennon) on a road trip that goes wrong – really wrong.
While Pellicer is dedicated to her craft now, originally she had studied law in the UK and graduated with a bachelors’ degree – she had every intent of heading towards a corporate job. However Pellicer’s heart had been with acting since she was young; she put on plays with her brothers in her native Norway (she’s half Norwegian-American and half Hispanic) and snagged the role of Rizzo in her high school production of “Grease.”
Pellicer kept telling herself it wasn’t practical, even after she graduated with a bachelor’s degree and even after studying acting in London – she took yet another year to think about it. She finally decided that acting was a huge part of her. After that decision, acting gigs came along in “The Bridge,” “State of Affairs” and “Cocaine Godmother” alongside Catherine Zeta Jones.
We caught up with Pellicer at Moviehole to find out how her trip through the film business has been so far.
Moviehole: How did you get started in acting?
Jenny Pellicer: My grandma in Mexico was getting older and I thought maybe I’d find my way and ended living in L.A. I had met my husband in Mexico and moved to L.A. and thought “I’m here, now what?” It was an entertainment city and my first time in an industry town — and it was the first time I’d said I wanted to act out loud and my family and husband were incredibly supportive, they had one moment of “Really? We told you this all along.”
I’ve been really lucky. I’m in the process. It’s always been a part of me; sometimes we hide our true passions. It’s been a wonderful time in my life.
Moviehole: How did you get involved with this film?
JP: Well, it was comedy horror, completely 80s style with heads exploding and to be honest I haven’t watched these kinds of films (laughing). My manager had called me about this role and it was exciting because it was a lead and he fought for me to get the role. I had to do this taped audition, my acting coach said make it as real as it can be made and a couple weeks later I got a call. The next week I flew out to Dallas for a month.
Moviehole: What was the toughest challenge on this film?
JP: To not laugh in takes in scenes together with Thomas Lennon. And at one point I was being strangled by the special effects guy and that was challenging, as he had this suit on and it was getting the right level of acting, but we were just having so much fun all the time. It was like going to the best camp as a kid.
Moviehole: With Thomas Lennon being such a comedic actor, what else happened working with him?
JP: He has so much energy, he’s brilliant and stimulating, it was a lovely experience. He’s hysterical to think of a quip and a joke, he’s kind and generous as a fellow actor and lead, he couldn’t have been kinder. Michael Pare is also a lovely fellow but I didn’t work with him that much on set, while Thomas and I were together all the time. And Barbara Crampton obviously, she’s very loved and admired.
Moviehole: What is your method of acting, did you take acting classes?
JP: With Elizabeth Kemp. She was the dean at the Actors Studio Drama School, she had an incredibly interesting mix of methods; she did dream workshops and research on the character and yourself, and it changes for each character I’m playing. It depends on what I have to draw from and where I have to go. I write diaries as the character and I completely nerd out. You build this person and become this person. I’d call it the Elizabeth Kemp method – she taught Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Elizabeth was instrumental in my dedicating my life to the craft, I got to spend a week with her — my manager Rich Short had sent me to Elizabeth.
Moviehole: Who are your acting idols?
JP: Meryl Streep, Judy Dench, Audrey Hepburn, Cate Blanchett, Frances McDormand, Katherine Hepburn, Greta Garbo “I want to be alone” – she’s Swedish. Also Viola Davis, Annette Bening, Sally Fields and Maggie Smith.
Moviehole: Any advice for newbies in the acting business?
JP: To move slowly and not jump into things just because they seem shiny and bright. It’s a long process that requires patience; you should ask a lot of questions and try always writing or make short films, getting like-minded people to create. So many people just wait for that opportunity to come to them, you need to keep creating and it all needs patience and focus.
Moviehole: Please talk about your production company Red Jacket Inc (www.redjacketinc.com) and its projects.
JP: I formed it with my manager a couple of years ago. My intention was to do what I advised to new actors because sometimes between jobs, time can pass. I love to write and create, I want to look for like-minded people and find stories that appeal to me. It’s an exciting time for female story tellers, directors and producers and I wanted to get involved.
Moviehole: Upcoming projects?
JP: I have another movie called “Disrupted,” that comes out by the end of the year. Also, the directors from “Puppet Master,” Tommy and Sonny, are making another movie – “Old Shadows” – and it’s exciting as I love working with them. That’s in pre-production and right now I have a couple of projects but uncertain yet. With my production company, we are finishing a couple of deals for rights and we are looking to do things of our own. I also have a Norwegian arm of my own with directors and writers of my own. I am looking for excellent scripts.
Pellicer’s film was released this weekend on August 17th. The film will be the 13th installment of the cult-classic “Puppet Master” franchise that has been around for almost thirty years.
