Sara Lindsey talks about working with Tom Cruise in “Jack Reacher”

Sara Lindsey is an up and coming Hollywood starlet who will be appearing in the new Tom Cruise action film “Jack Reacher” which is scheduled for release on December 21st. Media Mikes had the chance to talk recently with Lindsey about the film and what it was that got her in to acting.

Adam Lawton: How did you first get involved with acting?
Sara Lindsey: I have always been a performer. The first time I tried it was in a 1st grade play my teacher arranged. That was the bug that bit me. I have been performing since I was very young and I have always been very artistic and musical. As I got older I began to get more serious about things and when I started looking at colleges I decided acting was what I was most passionate about. I felt very connected to acting and that’s what I pursued in college.

AL: How did you get attached to the film “Jack Reacher”?
SL: I had gone to an audition for the film and after that I learned about the book franchise and all the other things associated with “Jack Reacher”. I think the film is going to be really cool as it is a fun film. The story is very easy to follow which is not always the case with some films with similar themes. Tom Cruise is just awesome as the Jack Reacher character. I am definitely looking forward to the film coming out.

AL: What was it like working on such a large production?
SL: It was crazy! I am super new to the business and have only done two or three movies up to this point. The audition process for this was pretty long and I had a few call backs. One call back was done over Skype between the directors, me and the person who was going to be playing my boyfriend. Christopher McQuarrie is such a brilliant writer and director. It was a pleasure to get to work with him. I had a great time during the process.

AL: Were you allowed to experiment with your character at all?
SL: We really did get some freedom within the structure of the film. My big scene is at the very end of the movie. Chris gave us the frame work and allowed us to do whatever we wanted within the boundaries of the scene. We talked over a few different ideas and went from there.  We sort of did things in the moment. To be allowed to do that on this caliber of a movie was very unique.

AL: Can you tell us about the film “Promise Land”?
SL: That was a dream project for me. I got to meet and work with an amazing group of people. I learned so much. The film is about identity and what makes us who we are. The story is set against a back ground that has to do with hydro fracking. There is that issue going on while some great characters with compelling stories are interwoven throughout the film. I think it’s going to be really great.

AL: What are the release plans for the film?
SL: I think they are doing a limited release in several cities starting on or around December 28th. The wide release is scheduled for January 4th.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your other projects you have coming out?
SL:  I am working on a screen play project right now that is not yet titled. We have been working on it for about a year now. It has been a lot of fun to work on something from the ground up. The things you can cultivate with peers and colleges are really great. We are hoping to start shooting that in the very near future.

 

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Interview with Sara Paxton

Sara Paxton is the star of the 3D thriller “Shark Night 3D”, directed by David R. Ellis.  Sara is also know for her role in 2009’s “Last House on the Left”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Sara about starring in “Shark Night 3D” and about working up close with the sharks.

Mike Gencarelli: What drew to the “Shark Night 3D” project?
Sara Paxton: Around this time last year David Ellis called me and told me he was a big fan of another film I did called “Last House on the Left”. He sent me the script and after I read it, David asked me if I would like to go to a lake house in Louisiana and spend the summer with some cool young people while also training with Navy seals and riding jet skis. I said it sounded awesome to me! David being a fan of mine so to speak and his feelings towards the project is what really got me interested.

MG: What is it like working with David Ellis?
SP: David is like a big kid! We would be shooting these really serious shark attack scenes and all of a sudden he would stop and ask everyone to gather around. I thought I was getting fired but then he would yell “Donut eating contest!” He had like over 100 Krispy creams driven in and while we were sweating our balls off, David is having a donut eating contest. It was so awesome!

MG: How did you prepare for your role?
SP: Basically I did a lot of swimming, which I had been familiar with due to working on other swimming type movies. We also trained with the Navy seals in order to be fully prepared for our underwater fight sequences. It was really amazing to work with those amazing guys who not only catch Osama Bin Laden but also train actors for a shark movie. It was great!

MG: What was it like working with the sharks?
SP: The sharks were definitely divas. They were super heavy, life size mechanical sharks that could swim like 40 miles an hour. They had real shark’s teeth and due to their size they were kind of unpredictable. People were actually getting attacked by fake sharks. It was pretty crazy and I didn’t expect anything like that to happen.

MG: Did the film being shot in 3D pose any additional challenges for you?
SP: Not really. It was already kind of difficult with the water and sharks, so I didn’t really notice much. The crew was very skilled at handling the cameras. Everyone was totally capable and everything went smoothly.

MG: Would you consider this role one of your more difficult?
SP: Definitely! Even though I have worked with the water before and done a lot of swimming shoots this underwater, holding your breath fight scene stuff was something that even though we trained for it you’re not fully prepared until your actually in the water and doing it. It was crazy! I have never had to do something like this before. It took a lot of energy and I spent a lot of time underwater with just a regulator and no mask.

MG: Can you tell us about your experience at Comic-Con this year?
SP: Comic-Con was great. I wish I could have stayed longer and gotten more pictures with people who dressed up. If I was going to Comic-Con as a fan I would totally go all the way and dress up as one of my favorite characters. We were somewhat confined to our “Shark Night” group but I wish I could have wandered around more and seen stuff.

MG: How would you compare your work on “Last House on the Left” to your work on “Shark Night 3D”?
SP: I would say challenging in different ways. “Shark Night 3D” was very demanding physically as was “Last House on the Left” but Last House was more emotionally draining. Both movies I had a really good time and I still keep in contact with people from both films.

MG: Can you tell about the other projects you have been working on?
SP: I just finished a film called “The Boys of Abu Ghraib”, which is a comedy about the whole Abu Ghraib controversy that happened a short time ago. I have a small part where I play the main characters girlfriend back home. I love the horror genre but I am excited to get to do a project where I can break away and do something more serious. The cast was really great on that shoot.