Christine Quinn is playing the role of Jess in “Shark Night 3D”. Her role in the film is reminiscent of Susan Backlinie’s character in “Jaws”. Christine is also in the upcoming film “Humans vs. Zombies” and is currently filming “The Ghost of Goodnight Lane” with Billy Zane, Danielle Harris and Lacey Chabert. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Christine about “Shark Night 3D” and her upcoming movies.
Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your character Jess in “Shark Night 3D”?
Christine Quinn: It is cool because I am in the opening scene of the movie. They did it like “Jaws” style and everyone remembers the girl from the opening scene. Basically my boyfriend and I go the lake for the weekend. We decide it is a good idea to drink and swim around the lake. He goes to make a sandwich and I get attacked by the shark. So he comes out and finds me dead…[laughs] So yeah that’s the quick version.
MG: How does it feel to be the poster girl for the film and also a prominent sell for the trailer?
CQ: My family came to me also and said “Oh my God, you are on the poster”. It is really cool thing. I guess they kind of dubbed it all together. I never thought from such a little part it would have so much publicity. Everyone loves sharks and they have Shark Week last month so everyone is excited.
MG: How was it working in the water?
CQ: We filmed it in September last year and it was so cold, the water was freezing. The stunt guys were wearing full-on wet suits. I am in a bikini and I was freezing [laughs]. The technicalities of the stunts were so amazing. You see movies and you see what goes in them but you wonder how they actually do that. It was cool to get to see the behind the scenes of how they pull it all together. For example, I was attached to a harness on my body. I have like six stunt guys underwater at different times pulling me in different directions. I had to be in super good shape because otherwise it would have been hard to pull off. When we did the breakaway ladder shots, if the stunt guy pulled me down and I moved the wrong way I could hit my head. All these little technicalities go into this movie. The scene is only like three minutes long but it took three days to shoot.
MG: Tell us about working with David Ellis?
CQ: David is coolest director I have ever worked with. He just let’s you do your thing. He tells us to just feel the lines and do what we think is right. He puts all of his trust in the actors. He knows who he hired and he hired them for a reason. So basically my co-star Damon Lipari and I, we have the only kiss in the entire movie. It was totally improved because David said to do whatever we want. He thought it was so perfect. I have never had a director that praises the actors so often. It makes you feel so good and makes you just want to work with him and I hope I can work with him again.
MG: From sharks to zombies, tell us about the film “Humans vs. Zombies”?
CQ: That was a super fun shoot to do. I am in the trailer but you would not recognize me because I look so scary. I was so zombied out [laughs]. I love horror films and having an opportunity to work on them. I could have not been any more thrilled. The cool thing about that movie is that my boyfriend and I AGAIN [laughs] are at the lake and we are playing around. This guy comes up to us and he is all zombied out and ends up bitting me. I am on the one that brings the virus back to the city. It was fun movie. All the special effects in the film are so cool.
MG: I love you in the GameStop commercial for the “Mortal Kombat”, was that fun to shoot?
CQ: [laughs] Yeah that was so much fun. I went to the audition and I didn’t know my lines at all. The director asked me if I knew the lines and I said “No”, so he told me just to improv. I don’t know much about games but I just did a bunch of improv and he loved it. So he then booked me the role. During the shoot, rvery take that we did he was like “No, no, no you are too smart for me…I need you to be dumber” [laughs]. We finally got it and it turned out really funny.
MG: What else do you have planned next?
CQ: I am in Dallas right now and I am working on a movie with Billy Zane, Danielle Harris and Lacey Chabert called “The Ghost of Goodnight Lane”. I am really about this film since I am the lead in next to Billy Zane. It is going to be really amazing. I want to continue in the horror film genre, since it has been really good to me. Also the same month that “Shark Night” comes out, I am going to be in Playboy, not naked or anything. Playboy found out about “Shark Night” and they asked me to be in their article called “Up and Coming”. It features athlete and movie stars etc. So that is really exciting also. So I will be purchasing my first Playboy next month [laughs].
