Interview: Ciara Hanna talks ‘Pernicious’

Pernicious, the new film from director James Cullen Bressack, stars Emmy-nominated Emily O’Brien (Young and the Restless), Ciara Hanna (Power Rangers) and Jackie Moore (100 Ghost Street) and tells of three young girls, holidaying in Thailand, who unleash the spirit of a murdered child with only one thing on her mind – revenge. If you haven’t read it yet, check out my review of Pernicious here but not before reading this interview with actress Ciarra Hanna all about the film…

So, first things first, how did you get the gig?

The director emailed me for a meeting, and I read the script and loved it

Did you do Pernicious because it was something totally different from Power Rangers?

I didn’t do the film to do the opposite of Power Rangers. I don’t try and get away from rangers. It’s a part of my life I am very proud of. With films and acting opportunities I just do what feels right for me at the time. And Pernicious was one of those projects.

Were you required to screen-test with your co-stars to see if there was chemistry?

We all didn’t meet until Thailand. I met Jackie on the plane ride over, but Emily we both didn’t meet until already in Thailand. Our chemistry clicked right from the beginning though.

Who was cast first?

I’m actually not sure who was cast first. I believe it was Jackie or I. Who knows haha

How was it in Thailand?

We all had a lot of fun together. We were on a tight filming schedule so we pretty much hung out whole filming and then we had one day off a week to explore Thailand. So those days were a blast. Lots of laughs!

What were the most noticeable differences working there in Thailand to the US?

3/4ths of our crew spoke Thai; the hardest part was communication and environmental. Growing up in California I know sunshine and occasional rain. Thailand we had to be prepared for rain or shine every single day. And a lot of those days were humidity and a lot of rain. We had to get creative.

Are you a fan of the horror genre?

I’ve always been a fan of scary films. It’s my favorite genre.

Why should we see Pernicious?

This film reminds me of The Grudge, which is one of my favorites. And James is just brilliant at filming and knows what to do.

We’re in! Have you seen the film?

Yes we’ve all seen the final film. I jumped, I was freaked out. And I already knew was going to happen too haha!
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Pernicious is released in US theatres and On Demand June 19th, courtesy of Benetone Films.