AN INTERVIEW WITH OWEN ALABADO

Continuing our coverage of all things Trick of the Witch and those closely involved with the movie, I got the chance to do a nice little interview with leading man Owen Alabado. Owen plays 'Carlos' in the movie and his character sounds like great fun. He was kind enough to chat to me about the movie and share his thoughts on previous films and future plans. Its also always great to speak to an actor who is so open and honest about his sexuality. Read on for the full interview.........




Hacked in the Head: Hi Owen! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.I was put in touch with you by Director, Writer AND Producer Chris Morrissey, who is behind the campy and fun looking Trick of the Witch! I understand you have an important role in the movie and would love for you to tell us some more about your character in the film, 'Carlos'

Owen Alabado: Carlos is the male hero. He is the good guy in the film. He wears his heart on his sleeve and always hopes for the best. He came all the way to LA to make it in Photography. He gets this opportunity to work with this awesome photographer and goes with him to a shoot in this mansion in the boonies. Of course things start going wrong and Carlos is stuck in the middle of the chaos. He keeps trying to help everyone who is effected by the madness that is going on around him. Point Blank, he is the good guy you want on your side.


 

HitH: Sounds fantastic! How was the filming process for Trick of the Witch? Was it a lengthy shoot? I bet it was fun however much hard work it was!?

OA: It was definitely a fun shoot. Everyone on set was fun to work with. The energy was incredible. It was a lengthy shoot, Chris knew what he wanted when he wanted it. There was only a couple of days where I was on set and only had a couple of things to do, but there was always great people to converse with on set while I waited. We sometimes had to deal with outside noise or there was time constraint, so we had to get it in a couple of takes.

HitH: Further to this, do you have any fond on set memories or funny stories to share?

OA: My favorite memory was when one of the actresses was drinking on set. And she was so drunk she was all over the place. She kept forgetting her lines and just moaning a lot. She ended up peeing outside in front of everybody. It was so funny. It was one of the shoot days where there was a bottle of wine floating around because there was drinking in the scenes and she just kept drinking. I never laughed so hard.

HitH:Haha, would LOVE to know who did that.... ;)  I also wanted to ask you a bit about your starring role in the movie 'Rock Haven' a very touching movie indeed. Do you have fond memories of working on the film? And are you still in touch with your costar Sean Hoagland and any of the other cast members?

OA: Rock Haven was definitely one of my favorite projects to work on thus far. The cast and crew were fantastic. Most of my fan base is from that film. I love that I have reached people with that film. It came out so long ago, but I still get fan mail from it. I loved the simplicity of the film. Sean was great to work with. I haven't talked to him in awhile, we did keep in contact after the film, but lost touch awhile back. Rock Haven will always have a special place in my heart as my first film. David Lewis is still making movies and I hope to work with him again someday.

HitH: Thats so great to hear! I hope you get to as well!

What do you like to do in your spare time away from making movies? Any strange hobbies we might like to know about hehe......

OA: Well I am sort of a jack of all trades. I am a stand up comic. I March of this year I was one of four of the headliners for the Michigan Gay and Lesbian Comedy Festival. I also sing at piano bar twice a month. My roots lie in Musical Theater. Currently I teach Turbo Kickboxing and Body Combat for 24 Hour Fitness. Martial arts has always been a part of my life. I am Karaoke and Musical Theater Junkie. In my spare time I am an avid wedding attendee, having 8 this year, being in 3, and officiating one. I also like to plan my friends birthdays a lot. You could call me a party planner.





HitH: I am sure your friends appreciate that!

I also wondered if you are a fan of the horror genre? is there anything you particularly like or dislike about the genre?

OA: I was a huge "Nightmare on Elm Street" fan growing up. I have always loved horror movies and appreciate original horror films that come out. Japan seems to have a grasp on making original horror films, that we than make our own version of. Lately I feel horror films have relied too much on gore and not story line. I like twist and turns in movies.

HitH: Did you grow up wanting to be an actor?

OA: I knew since I played Santa Clause in the school play in 3rd grade I wanted to be in actor. Being able to transform myself into another character is a natural high. I bring a little bit of myself and my life experiences in every role I play. I find the humanity and beauty in acting. It is the only thing I can picture myself doing for the rest of life.

When I played Carlos, I got to do a dialect from the East Coast. I love doing dialects. It was one of my specialty in college. I can do most all European and American. I can tell you the difference between a Texan or North Carolina accent or Irish from a Scottish. I was so happy Chris let me make Carlos from Brooklyn.




HitH: Finally Owen is there anything else with readers? And thank you SO much for your time. :)

OA:I hope someday to be on the big screen.  I want to show the world that an openly gay actor can not only play straight but can kick ass too.  Being a Martial Artist, I hope to break the stereotypes of gay actors. 

HitH: Sounds good to me, those stereotypes need to be broken! Thanks so much for your time and all the best for your future career on and off the screen!