Vanessa Grasse [Interview]

Welcome to Day 24 of Trainwreck’d Society’s Annual Month of Horror Showcase! We have a fully loaded month of all things horror for you fine folks! October is our favorite month for this very reason, and we are so excited to share 31 full days of film showcases and interviews with some of the finest folks from the world of horror, just as we have been doing for the last 5 years. What started as a simple 5 day showcase, has now blossomed into a full blown month long event. You’re going to love this! Enjoy!

Today’s interview subject is an absolutely brilliant actress who has taken the world of horror by storm with some pretty incredible performances. From big budget films like Leatherface, to a more modestly budgeted but equally impressive It Came From the Desert, and right back to some brilliantly hilarious and thrilling SyFy originals. Vanessa Grasse is the type of performer who has truly herself to be a genius in the world of horror, but is obviously geared up to move on to the next level. Grasse is simply too obvious of a talent to be pigeonholed into one genre. But, as a hardcore horror fan, I hope she doesn’t leave us for good! Have fun expanding your career that you surely deserve….but don’t forget about us!

So Folks, please enjoy some words from the sensational actress we adore so much, the wonderful Vanessa Grasse!

What inspired you to get into the world of acting? Was it an early aspiration to do so, or did you just happen to find yourself in this world one day?

I’ve always enjoyed doing impressions of people and different accents to make my friends laugh; I was a bit of a class clown at school. I’ve also always loved the idea of being someone else and taking on another persona. But it wasn’t until I was 14 that I discovered acting. I auditioned for the annual school play with my friends and I got the main part! I was so surprised but I absolutely loved being on stage, and from then on continued doing school plays and eventually also got a drama scholarship. Deep down I wanted to act professionally but a huge part of me thought it would never be possible, given how popular and competitive it is. So I studied English and Theatre at university but after that moved back to London to get an agent and pursue acting. I knew if I didn’t at least try I would regret it for the rest of my life, and luckily, so far it’s been going okay!

We have a real love for SyFy Original films here at TWS, and have featured several folks who have been involved with them. And we are doing so again! You appeared in the brilliant and hilarious film Roboshark! So how was that experience for you? What sets working on a SyFy film apart from other projects you have worked on?

That was my first ever acting job! We shot the entire film in 2 weeks in Bulgaria, so everything was fast paced with no room for mistakes. It was great to be thrown into the deep end and the cast, particularly Alexis and Isaac, were so easy to get on with. The script was very over the top and silly so everyone on set had a relaxed attitude.  It was fun to be part of a spoofy/tongue in cheek movie, similar to another project I worked on called It Came from the Desert.

Vanessa Grasse in “Leatherface”

In 2017, you appeared in the amazing installment to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, known as Leatherface, which was co-produced by our dear friend Christa Campbell. So what was it like to dive into this absolutely legendary franchise?

It was very overwhelming! I watched the original TCM when I was younger and knew the franchise was adored by many. It’s one of the best horror films of all time so there was pressure to do the franchise justice.  The cast and crew were an absolute dream to work with, I couldn’t have asked for a better team to have on a job when I was still learning and starting out. The most challenging aspect was probably being covered head to toe in fake blood every day for about two weeks! It would dry but get very sticky so my legs and arms would get stuck together or I’d get stuck to a chair if I sat down! I learnt so much on this film and met some amazing people who I still speak to every week. It was an incredible experience and I’m so thankful to be part of such an epic franchise.

Vanessa Grasse in “Open 24 Hours”

While the world of horror is not the only one you work in, it is our Month of Horror Showcase after all, so I am inclined to ask you how you enjoy working in this genre? What sets it apart from other genres?

You say that, but most of the films I’ve done so far are horrors! I have two more horror films coming out over the next few months, one is called Astral and the other is Open 24 Hours.  For some reason I keep getting cast in horror films. When I was growing up my mum and I would watch all the classic horrors so maybe somehow it’s rubbed off on me! I really enjoy working in this genre. Even though the material might be dark or disturbing the atmosphere on set is always light and fun.  You also get to do awesome things like learning stunts, using weapons and prosthetics and being chased either on foot or by car. I feel like some films may have given the horror genre a bad reputation but recently I’ve seen some horror movies that have blown my mind!

What is your favorite scary movie?

The most recent horror film I saw was Hereditary. I went to watch it on my own in the cinema, which I thought would be a great idea, until I realized I was the ONLY one in the entire movie theatre! It was one of those screens with hundreds of seats so I was freaking out and considering leaving but then luckily a couple came in just before it started. Even though it was terrifying I absolutely loved this film and couldn’t believe it was Ari Aster’s directorial debut. I love how he shot it and thought the entire cast were phenomenal.  I also love Don’t Breathe, The Conjuring and Get Out.

What are you plans for the upcoming Halloween? Any kind of traditions you try to uphold each year?

Every Halloween is different for me but I’ll always do something to celebrate. One year I dressed up and did the parade down Santa Monica Blvd in LA which was fun! I’m not sure what I’m doing this year yet but I’m sure it’ll involve dressing up. I’m not the kind of person to do a Ouija board or anything, I wouldn’t be able to sleep!

Vanessa Grasse in “Open 24 Hours”

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

I’ve got two films that should be coming out in the next few months, as I mentioned earlier. One is called Astral, a British independent horror film about astral projection, spirits and demons with Frank Dillane (Fear of the Walking Dead) and Damson Idris (Snowfall). Paranormal horrors are my favourite because they’re usually really jumpy.  The other is called Open 24 Hours where I play Mary, a mentally unstable woman whose just been released from a psychiatric hospital, and her serial killer ex boyfriend is tracking her down for revenge. Even though I love horror films I’d love to branch out into comedies or period dramas.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

A dog compilation on YouTube.

Check out this trailer for Vanessa’s upcoming film, Open 24 Hours: