Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. After interviewing Ashley a couple
of years back, I was curious to see the direction her career has
taken. After viewing Los Angeles Overnight, I had to catch up with
Ashley again, and let her chat about her sexy and dangerous role as
Abelie. Ashley is perhaps the nicest person in the film business, yet
can mix it up as a bad girl, a sign of a real acting talent. Time
for me to shut up and get inside the mind of Ashley. Please check out my review of Los Angeles Overnight: https://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2018/08/los-angeles-overnight-2018-movie-review.html
Chat
about the audition process. Did you know the director prior?
I
didn't know anyone involved in the project before I auditioned.
Actually, I had another audition that day at the same location
beforehand, and wasn't sure what the audition for Los Angeles
Overnight would entail. When I signed in, I was handed a pretty
epic monologue and wondered how I was going to pull that off in such
a short amount of time! I sat down with it for a few minutes and read
over it a couple of times, made some choices, and walked in.
How
long was pre-production? It looks like due to the fact there was
copious dialogue for most of the characters, some time was taken.
We
had a table read with most of the cast, and I recall coming in to
rehearse as well as select wardrobe. The director, Michael
Chrisoulakis, was a dream to work with throughout the entire process.
If I remember correctly, they did do a very successful Kickstarter
campaign, and before I knew it, I was on set with one of the most
amazing groups I have worked with. Every member of the team had
incredible energy, passion and talent.
How
was the initial cast read-through? Also chat about how you learn your
lines, both in general and for this film.
The
initial cast read-through was terrific. It was a big group, but
already a very supportive environment. I'm pretty sure I didn't know
for certain yet that I was going to get the role of Abelie, so there
is always some pressure there! I think I was offered the role
shortly thereafter. I had such a blast bringing Abelie to life
on the screen, so I'm grateful it worked out.
In
general, I like to simply read and re-read the scene in the
beginning without too much bias in order to take in every aspect of
what I am reading on the page. It's so easy to start making your
own assumptions without actually being aware of all the nuanced
elements present in any given scene. I start creating who I am within
this context, and from that point, I'll start memorizing while trying
to always discover new trinkets for the character as I go.
How
about on the fly changes to the dialogue from script to filming, were
you able to add any of your own ideas in there?
I
am a very by the book kind of person when it comes to the script. I
generally try to respect the writer and stay true to the lines
unless there is a real reason to bring something up as a potential
fix or change. I feel that my job is to do my very best with the
lines I'm given, so I'm pretty sure that I stayed true throughout. I
know I was asked to make some last minute changes to the script on
set, which I'm always willing to do. I love getting direction and
running with it.
Ashley,
you are like the sweetest person I know! How did you get into
character for this icy villain role?
I
think we all have a darker side that each one of us is capable of
tapping into. I mean, ride along with someone in LA traffic and
you'll undoubtedly see it! I absolutely love the role of Abelie. And
I actually really like portraying icy or villainous characters. I
think because it's so different than how I am on a day-to-day
basis, it's almost surprisingly too easy to go there and get
lost in it just for fun. Abelie felt very natural to me. I think the
director and writer once told me that they chose me because of how
utterly terrifying the audition was. If that's true, I think that's
simply the highest praise an actor could ask for.
Do
you scene study other actors who do great villain roles like Al
Pacino and Kathy Bates to get into the mood?
I
love Kathy Bates! She is incredible. I wouldn't say there is anyone
specific I watch, but I do try to take in a wide variety of genres,
both as a filmmaker and actress. I really believe in the power
of knowledge. I am such an advocate for continuously and avidly
learning from both books and life in order to grow in skill and
wisdom.
Chat
about the filming process. How many days were you on set filming?
The
filming process for the entire movie was spread out quite a bit, but
I believe I was on set for a total of 5 days or so, by the end of it.
I loved having more time with the script, especially the epic
monologue. It was a little indulgent compared to what I'm used to, so
that was nice. Sometimes you get a script and you're on set
filming multiple pages the very next day.
Did
you have to go in for ADR? It seems like ADR was used a lot on the
outside scenes to level the volume.
I
did do ADR. I won't say where, but that is always a challenging
yet necessary evil in filmmaking. You always pray that it will
be for one small line somewhere and not an entire scene! It can be
very difficult to match where you were at as the character the day of
filming, especially when ADR is recorded a long time after the film
has wrapped. It's never quite the same.
Chat
about the first time you saw the film. Did you guys have a "cast
and crew only" screening? If so, was anything changed prior to
the premiere?
I
was allowed to go to an early private screening for family and
friends when the film was still in post, and yes, the film has
changed tremendously since that day. The masterminds behind Los
Angeles Overnight are brilliant filmmakers and knew just how to
cut the film into the beautifully finished product it is today. As a
producer myself, I know how challenging film making is, from
conception to the finish line, and I am so proud to have been part of
such a passionate, hard-working group that got the job done.
Chat
about your thoughts on the film now that it is out, and the feedback
you have been getting.
Michael
and Guy, along with Camilla and the rest of the filmmakers behind Los
Angeles Overnight, did a beautiful job that is worthy of the
praise they have been receiving from multiple avenues. This feature
is a unique take on film noir that does just what it is intended to
do, and the feedback I've heard has reflected exactly that.
Finally,
since we did our initial interview, chat about some of your long-term
goals in the business. Have any of your philosophies changed since
our 2015 chat?
I
think the last time we spoke I had just won the title of Miss Asia
USA, which was such a transformative period. I certainly hope some
philosophies have changed, but only for the better. I will always be
exactly who I am with what I know at any given time, and I do my very
best with that. Every challenge inspires me to grow as a person,
a businesswoman and a performer. My intention is to simply keep
raising the bar, no matter the endeavor. I recently won
the Communicator Award of Excellence in Film Production for a
film that was self-produced (also a 2018 Tribeca Film Festival
Official Selection). I recently received my MBA and started my own
production company, Ashley Park Productions, where I am currently in
pre-production for a commercial feature with an incredible multiple
Emmy Award-winning team.
Thanks
Ashley, once again, your intellect and observations allow my readers
an inside look at Los Angeles Overnight. For further information,
please check out Ashley's IMDB page @
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3844430/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Follow
Ashley's Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/xoashleypark/?hl=en
For our first interview please point your browsers to: http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2015/11/ashley-park-interview-c-2015-dans-movie.html
