PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Back in the day when Blockbuster was still the hot spot on Friday nights, and VHS tapes were the way to watch a movie, I rented a little gem called May. This was my first introduction to insanely talented Angela Bettis. She carried that movie and really made you feel for the strange girl. Currently, Angela is starring in the festival favorite, 12 Hour Shift, and is once again blowing people away with her talent. I was lucky enough to speak with Angela, and we discussed the film, how she prepared for her role, and of course, horror movies.
PopHorror: What intrigued you about the character of Mandy and made you want to be a part of 12 Hour Shift?
Angela Bettis: Brea [Grant] wrote a complex antihero when she wrote Mandy! It is so fun and challenging for me to play complex characters and antiheroes. Is it possible to get an audience to care about and even like a character so flawed? I wanted to give it a try. What a challenge!
PopHorror: How did you prepare for the role?
Angela Bettis: I did some research on opiate dependency and how the drug physically manifests in an addict. It was very helpful in mapping out Mandy’s physical and mental states throughout her journey in 12 Hour Shift. I learned lots. A really fun perk to my job.
PopHorror: You’re no stranger to horror and are a fan favorite in the genre. What draws you to horror?
Angela Bettis: I am drawn to roles more than genres. I found some great roles to play in the horror realm.
PopHorror: You’ve enjoyed a long career as an actress. What made you get into acting?
Angela Bettis: I just thought it was so fun. A great escape. Great therapy. A fascinating and wondrous study of the human being. Our capacities and our limitations. We are incredible and complex creatures. It was just all I wanted to do growing up and then into adulthood.
PopHorror: If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Angela Bettis: A long list, and only mentioning directors here, but David Lynch, Lynne Ramsay, and John Cassavetes.
PopHorror: I know that Covid has stalled a lot of projects and things have been cancelled, but is there anything you’re currently working on or anything else you have coming out?
Angela Bettis: I played a role in the upcoming film, Ghosts of the Ozarks, for directors Matt Glass and Jordan Wayne Long. The production pioneered film in the age of Covid-19. I am proud to have been a part of it. Their Covid measures and procedures set a precedent for all independent film and other collaborative arts to follow in the future. It can be done!
PopHorror: What is your favorite scary movie?
Angela Bettis: My favorite constantly changes. Right now, I’ve really been enjoying old school camp like the Child’s Play franchise. And I still think about Get Out all the time, though it has been many months since I saw it last. In my opinion, that’s a truly good and haunting movie on multiple levels. Also recently revisited Let the Right One In. That’s a great Swedish flick!
Thank you so much, Angela, for taking the time to speak to us. Be sure to check out 12 Hour Shift, which releases October 2, 2020.
