Kim Roberts is known for her role in “Saw III & IV” playing Nurse Deborah. She also was in Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead” and just finishing appearing in the TV series “Being Erica”, which was just renewed for season four. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Kim about her roles and what she has planned upcoming.
Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with playing Deborah in “Saw III & IV”?
Kim Roberts: I auditioned just like anyone else. At the time it wasn’t a huge role. When we started filming Darren Bousman, who was directing, told me he really loved my character. He told me he was going to have all this development for my character, so he brought me back in “Saw IV”. He said “Just wait “Saw V & VI” I am going to write all this stuff for you”. As you know [laughing], in Saw V & VI”, Darren was known longer around. Deborah just kind of disappeared. So I myself cannot tell you where she went but it would have been nice.
MG: Are you a fan of the films and horror genre?
KR: Oh yeah, absolutely.
MG: Tell us about your experience working on the film “Dawn of the Dead”?
KR: It was wonderful, it really was. I think part of the reason why “Dawn of the Dead” was so beautiful was that there was a lot of love on the project. Zack Snyder, who directed it, and I actually shot a commercial with him about a year or two before this. It was a really huge project for him. He had all these wonderful ideas and passions for it. Since I worked with him before, I was happy to get the opportunity again and was rooting for him. Sarah Polley just rocks and she is amazing. Working with her is just a dream. She is one of Canada’s greatest gifts. I was really touched to do that scene with her. We keep saying [laughing] “We want more scenes together”. Even watching the film, there is a wealth of Toronto talent and also great LA talent. He just got so many great actors that are actually so are passionate about there craft and their work. Everyone wanted to do a great homage to such a classic film. I think that when you have real good artists caring about what they are doing, it just works.
MG: You have played a nurse in various TV and film projects, how do you always find yourself in this role?
KR: [laughs] It came to a point when I said to my agent, I am not doing any more nurses. I said unless it is the nurses life story I am not doing any more nurses. I think every actor has a typecast. I remember reading a quote from Jennifer Aniston that before “Friends” she was typecast as playing a waitress. The nurse just became mine. The irony about it was that when I was a kid, I said I wanted to be a doctor. My very first on camera role, I actually played a doctor. So a lot of people actually thought I was a doctor [laughs] for a really long time. But I keep saying “No, I am an actor [laughs]”, so I keep finding myself in this doctor/nurse roles. I think karma is a funny thing.
MG: With “Being Erica” renewed for Season four, can you tell us about your character and are you going to be returning in next season?
KR: Camilla was introduced in season three, as part of this whole journey that Erica was on. I don’t want to spoil it for your readers if they haven’t finished up but we find out it was quite the journey. So I am a part of a group therapy unit that is in a sense are people that all lived like Erica. At the end of the season, I am the only person from the group who graduates with her. So there is a hope that the character will come back and maybe go one to beautiful things and it will great to play her colleague. We have to see what the writers have in store for the new season. It was a blast and an honor to work on the show. My character Camilla was really fortuitous. When I auditioned it was only for one episode, then when I came on initially it was for the first six episodes but they liked the character and kept her. Again I haven’t been killed off yet so who knows?
MG: What else do you have planned for the future?
KR: The project I have coming up next is “The Vow” with Rachel McAdams, should be out next year. It was a great experience, she was so sweet to work with. I also just shot a Christmas movie, it is untitled right now but I loved it. The producers Steve Solomos and Joel Rice are so great. I love them. I think this is the fifth project that I have worked with them on for Lifetime and every time they are in town they put me in them. They do really go work and are really good guys. Right now it is called “The Untitled Santa Project” and will be on ABC Family next Christmas.