PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Sonya Delormier is a rising star in the indie horror world, with supporting turns in The Wicked One and Scream For Summer, as well as a lead role in Tory Jones upcoming horror film, Angel. I’ve been a fan of Sonya since I saw her performance in The Wicked One, and I’m anxiously awaiting Angel. Recently, I asked Sonya if she would be interested in doing an interview with me. Thankfully, she said yes. Check it out!
PopHorror: What made you want to become an actress?
Sonya Delormier: Since childhood, acting has always been my dream. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I got the courage to pursue it actively. It was in the back of my mind on a daily basis, but it never seemed practical or possible, especially in the area I live. So I never really gave it any serious thought. But no matter what I did in my life, nothing ever managed to keep my attention or interest. And more and more, I would find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to actually get the chance to act in film. I basically got to a point where I knew I would never truly feel alive or fulfilled until I at least tried. The desire just became so intense, that I had no choice but to find ways to get involved. And once I started searching, I realized that Kentucky has a really strong indie film community that I never even knew existed. After that, I dove in head first and have loved every minute!
PopHorror: Who are some of your biggest acting inspirations?
Sonya Delormier: I’m all over the place when it comes to actors who inspire me. Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Robert Downey, Jr. are definitely at the top of my list. But I also adore Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Sally Field, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Lawrence, Denzel Washington… I could go on for a while. Unlike a lot of people I know, I’m even into actors from the silent film era, like Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Like I said, I’m all over the place. (laughs) If an actor can make me feel something that inspires me… because that’s all I wanna do. I want to be able to invoke different emotions from people throughout my performances.
PopHorror: You had a major role in Tory Jones’ indie slasher hit, The Wicked One. How did you come to be part of the film?
Sonya Delormier: By luck. I saw a casting call for extras in a film called The Wicked One, so I applied. As we got further into the scene, Tory needed an extra to come upon a body, realize they were dead and scream. He randomly picked me from the crowd. I did what was asked, finished out the rest of the day and went home. Didn’t think much else about it. But I guess I must have done an okay job because a few months later, I got a message from Tory telling me that because of unforeseen circumstances, The Wicked One would have to be completely re-shot. But he had decided that for the reshoot, he was going to go with a completely different storyline with different characters and asked if I would be interested in auditioning for a specific character named Olivia Adams.
I showed up to the audition, did my reading and left thinking that I was awful and had wasted everyone’s time. (laughs) But then I got the call saying I booked the role! So if I hadn’t been the lucky extra picked for a few seconds of screen time, Tory wouldn’t have asked me to audition and I wouldn’t be a part of the Jonestown family today. I’m still SO thankful that I saw that casting call. (laughs)
PopHorror: The Wicked One has gained a pretty solid following. Did this surprise you or did you expect it to be such a success?
Sonya Delormier: It was a complete surprise! I mean, obviously, as an actor, you always hope that your projects are successful, but I honestly had no idea how well it would be received. I knew the script was great, and the antagonist was scary as Hell, so I thought it would do well around the indie film scene here in Kentucky. I figured that was the best I could hope for. But then, not only did the film get national distribution with all the major streaming sites and retail stores, it sold out online at each of those stores. Not to mention the fact that there are people as far as Europe who are cosplaying as The Wicked One. It’s a little overwhelming to know that our little Kentucky film made it all the way to Europe and beyond. But it’s overwhelming in a really great way!
PopHorror: Your next big horror project was The Wicked One co-writer Cheyenne Gordon’s directorial debut, Scream For Summer, which I absolutely loved. How was it different playing a supporting role instead of one of the leads?
Sonya Delormier: Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed the film! In The Wicked One, I was a part of the core group that the story was centered around, but my character was very low key and awkward. So yeah, I was in a lot of the film, which was amazing, but I wasn’t able to stretch my acting muscles as much as I would have liked. Although my character in Scream in Summer was supporting, the storyline and material I was given made it just as enjoyable as being a lead. With Danielle, my character in Scream for Summer, a larger range of emotion was needed, and I’m so thankful to have been the one chosen to portray her. Her role in the story was limited, but in terms of acting, I really feel like I was able to show a completely different side of myself and my abilities.
PopHorror: The scene in the film where you are attacked is pretty fucking intense. How was it shooting this scene?
Sonya Delormier: From start to finish, that scene took an entire day. Between the choreography of the attack and setting the tone with the right camera angles and lighting, it was over a 12-hour day for all of us. And in the last couple of hours, having to muster up the energy needed to emulate absolute fear and helplessness was a little rough. (laughs) But hearing that it came across as ‘intense’ makes it worth every minute! I feel like we accomplished what we set out to do with that scene.
PopHorror: You have a role in Angel, Tory Jones’ sophomore effort. What can you tell me about the film and the role you play?
Sonya Delormier: A little girl goes missing and, after a year of no answers, her father hires an investigative reporter to find her in an abandoned town called Raven Rock, where he believes she’s being held. The reporter knows she’s in over her head, so she tracks down a former resident of the town in the hopes of hiring her to be a guide to her team. That’s where my character, Mya Bates, comes into the story. Mya is a loner who has a traumatic past with the town, so of course, she doesn’t want anything to do with the whole ordeal. But she’s in too tough of a situation to say no to the money being offered to her. So she reluctantly agrees, and not long after she and team enter the town, they realize they’re not alone. But that’s all I really wanna say. (laughs) If you wanna know more, you’ll just have to see the film for yourself. Tickets for the July 21st Lexington Kentucky premiere are actually on sale right now here. The entire cast and crew will be there, so anyone who attends will have the chance to not only see a great film, but to also meet everyone involved!
PopHorror: You have worked frequently with the Studio 605 and Jonestown Films guys. What is it about this group that keeps you coming back for more?
Sonya Delormier: They’re all genuinely good people. Both make being on set nothing but an enjoyable experience, so they leave you wanting to work with them more. The mood on their sets is always calm and welcoming, so I feel like I’m just hanging out with friends. An added plus is that they both always turn out really high quality projects, which I feel is really hard to come across in indie film. Working with them means that I know I’m going to have a good time on set doing what I love and, in the end, it’s going to be something I’m proud to have my name on. You really can’t ask for more than that.
PopHorror: If you could work with anyone in horror, who would it be?
Sonya Delormier: Oh my gosh, defiantly John Carpenter or Jeffrey Reddick! Those men are amazing and coincidentally, both are former residents of Kentucky. So I think we would mesh really well together! (laughs) Of course, working with Wes Craven would have been an extreme honor as well, but that’s a dream that will unfortunately always remain just a dream.
PopHorror: Are you a fan of horror films? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Sonya Delormier: I am! Other than last year’s Get Out, which I loved, I tend to lean toward films I saw when I was younger. I don’t know if it’s because they’re the film’s that introduced me to the world of horror or what, but John Carpenter’s Halloween, Jeffrey Reddick’s Final Destination and Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream are the ones I love most. To me, those are all films I could watch time and time again without getting bored. Between clever writing and creative villains, they’re always entertaining.
PopHorror: Any other upcoming projects you want to plug?
Sonya Delormier: I actually just wrapped a short film last weekend from Saraphen Films called Before the Rain that I’m extremely proud of, and I absolutely can’t wait for people to see! I’ve been approached by a few directors about other projects for this year, but nothing is set in stone because I’m kind of using this year to relax and travel a bit. But I definitely have a few lined up already for 2019. (laughs) Tory Jones has a dark vigilante/action film that’s still in development right now that I’m a part of. I’ve also been asked to be a part of Erik Kyr’s vampire film, The Elan Conflict. And you never know, there may even be a Scream For Summer sequel in the works as well. (laughs) I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.
