Caity Lotz

With scary movie The Pact hitting UK cinemas today courtesy on eOne, we sat down with the film’s star Caity Lotz to discuss her role, the changes from the original short movie and just how her parkour skills have helped in her acting career…

The Pact is your first foray in the horror genre, do you actually like scary movies?

You know, it depends on what type of scary movie, I’m not a big fan of like slasher films but I’ve always enjoyed thrillers and stuff, The Shining is my favourite movie. So I like some of scary movies and The Pact is one of the kind I like.

Had you seen director Nicholas McCarthy’s original short film before agreeing to doing the feature-length version?

Yeah I had, he sent it to me to check out and I thought it was really well shot and it looks great and scary.

How does your character differ from that in the original short?

It differs a lot I think. My character is actually completely different, the girl in the short has like a wonder life and was very responsible and my character she more tough, she’s experience more and loads of other stuff.

Even with a longer time to tell the story, there’s a lot left unanswered in The Pact. How much of the story did the director tell you and how much did he leave to you to figure out for yourself?

We got told a few things but not knowing has its own advantages, you can make it up for yourself because you know what works and what doesn’t. What happens to us in the closet is one that has been questioned and that was one I had to make up myself and… and I’ll never tell [laughs]. So yeah its a cool part of the movie and every time you watch it you get a little bit more and you see different things and you figure out more and there’s a lot there in the film and if your paying attention, or you watch it again you see a little bit more each time.

So do you personally think its better to leave some things left unanswered or have a nice wrap up at the end?

Well, I think I prefer questions at the end because it more realistic, life’s never wrapped up in a nice little package with a bow on it, we are kinda left still wondering what the driving force in our life is.

That’s true… Obviously you do a lot of scenes on your own in The Pact, or with a figure that we the audience don’t see, how difficult is it to shoot those kind of scenes?

It’s all about the preparation, just knowing what it is your doing. Sso if I’m in a scene by myself at a church looking at pictures, it’s all about just having that need; even if no one’s there you know what you need and what it is you’re trying to do. I think as long as you have that your good.

Is it easier or more difficult working with a actor in the scene. Which do you prefer – scenes where your alone or prefer bouncing of another actor?

Another actor of course, I mean its way more exciting and so much more unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen while working with another person, so definitely working with another person.

Speaking of other actors how was it working with Casper Van Dien?

It was fun and Casper is really a cool guy, there were a few times he had me cracking up when I was trying to be serious, but it was fun and he’s really a nice guy and we had a good time whilst working together.

Most of the effects in The Pact were done the old fashion practical way rather than CGI, do you prefer that or are you not too fussed when it comes to CG?

I know a lot of people, especially in the horror world, don’t like CGI stuff and for me I kinda get it, I get the realism of having what you see is right in front of you and you know what its going to look like and not leaving it up to someone else to do it. It makes it easier for actors to, for example, see when there is blood rather then pretending but it also makes it harder if you are covered in blood, when you gotta go and start all over.

According to your bio, you’re trained up in tricking and parkour, how did you get in to that and how does it help when doing your own stunts?

Any kind of like difficult training helps out when you have to do wire work, just to be able to know your body… How I got into parkour? I started as a dancer, as a break dancer, so I used to go to this gym where I’d go to practise my breaking and I met a bunch of martial artists there and started studying martial arts but some of the guys there were into parkour and I started learning from them and we’d kinda go outside and like jump around [laughs].

What will we be seeing you in next?

Good question… I just found out that I, well wait, I should wait till I’ve actually seen the contract, but hopefully it will a film called The Machine, a sci-fi, action movie, its gonna be awesome and its definitely something I look forward to shooting next.

I also have a film that is coming out in January and its called Battle of the Year, its a big 3D breakdancing movie and it’s a lot of fun. Sony Screen Gems is doing it and it’s got a great cast Josh Holloway, Chris Brown and Laz Alonso; they have got the best people in the world and we shot it over here in L.A. and we shot it over in France. It’s a lot of fun you’ve gotta check it out.

(Caity was offered the role for the sci-fi movie the day before this interview took place)