Amber Valetta – Interview
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This interview with actress Amber Valetta took place in Toronto Canada in August of 2005, during the filming of Dead Silence (then simply called Silence), director James Wan's follow-up to his horror hit, Saw.
Valetta was not filming that day, but she was kind enough to make a special trip to the set to chat with reporters.
Staci Layne Wilson/ Horror.com: Would you describe your character in Dead Silence as a trophy wife?
Amber Valetta: She’s a trophy wife, married to Jamie’s (Ryan Kwanten) father and she’s his third wife.
Q: About the same age as Jamie’s [Ryan Kwanten, who plays her stepson] character?
AV: About the same age, maybe a little bit older. She’s just happy to be a part of the family.
Q: What did you like about the script when you read it?
AV: It’s not a typical movie within the genre. It has kind of an old school element to it with a nice modern twist. James Wan was the big draw too cause James and his partner wrote it and James is filming it and his vision is just awesome.
Q: What intrigued you about the character?
AV: The character is something I hadn’t played before and I really wanted to work with James Wan.
Q: Were you familiar with SAW?
AV: Yes.
Q: You saw it before accepting this role?
AV: Yes.
Q: Do you like horror movies?
AV: Not particularly, I appreciate them, yes but I get scared easily, I don’t watch them because they make me very tense. But I’m an actress, so you kind of got to try all things and be part all of things.
Q: What made you decide to view SAW before this movie?
AV: I had heard a lot about SAW, I just thought it was a good idea to watch the movie, considering I was going to go and possibly work with James. I was really impressed by his filmmaking.
Q: Were you creeped out?
AV: Totally; it was really gross.
Q: Did you do any preparation before doing this role?
AV: I always prepare with roles, usually with a coach. And then I take my preparation on the road with me and sometimes I’m lucky, I got a coach to come meet me for the weekend. This time I just had to bring my stuff with me and do it via phone. So there’s only so much you can prepare for beforehand. You do a lot of the work when you’re actually on set and stuff.
Q: What kind of input did James have in terms of your character?
AV: He had all the input since he’s the director. He has a very clear vision and has a clear idea as to how things should look and be seen.
Q: Did he actually have input in character?
AV: Oh yeah, that’s inevitable when you hire an actress. He obviously will have the character one way in his mind and I’m gonna perceive it another way. So I got to meld it while staying true to me. He’s very cool with it!
Q: What kind of relationship do you have with the character of Jamie?
AV: We have a typical relationship of meeting your stepmother, basically. You’ll have to see the movie to see the relationship unfold. But I can tell you that working with Ryan was a pleasure, he’s extremely talented and he’s going to get a lot of work I think after this film. He’s handsome, smart; funny…this is a great role for him.
Q: Were you involved in any scary scenes?
AV: We did shoot in a graveyard, a fake one but that was still kind of creepy. And once at night and that was pretty…yeah.
Q: Anything really physical in your role?
AV: Yeah, a little bit, and I like that. It’s very fun to get to do things that you normally don’t do in your everyday life. I think that’s what so interesting of being an actor. You get to experiment and go to emotional and physical places that you don’t normally go to.
Q: Which is tougher for you?
AV: It depends; I haven’t done a super action film yet so I can’t say which would be more taxing. I can imagine though that when you’re doing a very serious action film and you’re the lead, its probably even more taxing…I don’t know… its hard to say…its like apple and oranges. On one end your body is exhausted, on the other your brain is exhausted.
Q: For an emotional scene do you go there and stay there or do you shut it off?
AV: I thought that I shut it off but I’m wondering now. I’ve had after the fact breakdowns, not even at work and I’m like what was this about? Then I’m like well you shot such and such…so I say oh yeah…no wonder I’m a head case right now. So I think inevitably, acting does seep onto your life and its hard to separate fact from fiction, the brain doesn’t know the difference.
Q: So you did a horror film but you can’t talk much about it?
AV: It would be silly if I talked about it too much then why do you see the horror film. It’s the whole element of what’s going to happen next in horror films that make it so interesting and fun and take you on that ride. This film has been fun, lots of work, long hours, the sets are beautiful and the filming is cool and different from what you’ve seen in horror films in a long time and the plot is really interesting. I think its going to be a great success?
Q: What do you think it was about you that made them pick you for the role?
AV: I’m sure it was based on physicality and my work as an actress. What they see in their brain as the character plays into it. I mean one girl could have a great audition and the other one too and they see a small thing in one and say, there’s the character. You don’t know what it is; it just makes sense. I’m guessing its something like that; it’s a question you’d have to ask James. I’m not comfortable answering a question about something objective about myself.
[end]
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Staci Layne Wilson reporting