Interview with ‘Zombeavers’ and ‘Sushi Girl’ actress Cortney Palm
Interviewed by Kevin Scott
MH: You have done nude scenes before. What is your opinion on doing nudity in film? Especially in the horror genre, it has become a trope to show female nudity just for the sake of doing it. Some would say that it that it can be misogynistic, especially when violence is directed at female actors in horror films. How do you decide whether or not to do it?
CP: The nudity in Zombeavers was there as a joke because there has been so much nudity in horror. However, now I am very particular about what the nude scene is because I need a reason to be naked. Such as in Sushi Girl, she had nothing to hide. Her nudity was empowering. I am also naked in Your Own Road, and the reason I agreed to that was because it is integrated into a scene where my character is peeling off her layers and showing vulnerability and it’s quite a beautiful thing. I think society makes it an issue because we guard nudity so much. I honestly think by freeing the nipple that maybe there wouldn’t be such a need to make a fuss over breasts. The issue is that there are too many people who want to make a fuss over it.
Cortney Palm is gaining notoriety for her role in the surprise hit zom com Zombeavers. It’s about beavers mutated into bloodthirsty zombies by a drum of toxic waste that falls into the river.
They indulge their undead, bucktoothed, bloodlust on an unsuspecting group of young people in a nearby vacation cabin. Yes, you read that right. It sounds too good to be true, but it is. I feel pretty privileged to talk to Cortney who plays Zoe. I not only get some backstory on what I predict will be an underground cult classic, but also some interesting facts about a young actress with a lot of promise.
MoreHorror: First of all thank you so much for your time. I’m not going to ask you the standard question of how you became an actress. What I am curious about is that you have a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology. First of all, what is Forensic Psychology and secondly what was your intended career path?
Cortney Palm: Well my intended career path was performing arts whether it be film or theater and then it became film. I went to school for my undergrad in Theater Arts and then slowly began integrating myself into the difficult business of film-acting in Hollywood. Because this business is very hard to penetrate and gain momentum, I decided that I was going to give it up and move on. So I got my masters in forensic psychology with the hope of becoming a police officer, and later, a detective.
However, as I was processing for the Santa Monica Police Department I was denied during the background investigation because I couldn’t come up with a good enough answer as to why I was naked in the movie Sushi Girl and how I could explain myself to the chief during my next interview. So, needless-to-say I think the universe was telling me not to quit acting yet.
Literally after I got denied at SMPD I signed with a great talent agency and gained more of a fan-base both by actual fans and by casting directors and producers. So now I have a large student load debt on an indie-actresses salary. It’s still tough! I continue to contemplate an actual career job, such as law-enforcement, in order to actually be able to survive.
Forensic psychology is the practice of psychology in forensic settings such at the courtroom and prisons, in order to assess individuals to determine if they are competent to stand trial, if they were insane at the time of a crime, if a suicide was genuine, and to assess the personality and well-being of individuals in the prison system. I am very much interested in aspects of the criminal mind.
MH: You’re a very accomplished person. I’ve known several intelligent people who have the academic chops to do anything they want, yet they choose the artistic route. Acting seems to be a profession that can be a cruel mistress at times. What was the appeal to do it for a living?
CP: Thank you! My last two films are excellent examples of this. First, I wrapped an indie picture in September called Your Own Road and we got to film from Kansas to California doing a road trip. The script was enticing and my character was such a beautiful, tragic soul that needed to find a reason to live and in the journey across America, the characters each find more about themselves. It’s such a beautiful thing to be able to experience something like that. So many wonderful emotions to explore and not to mention we got to film in Zion National Park! I had never been there and always wanted to go.
Next, I just wrapped another film this week (October 14th) and I learned fight choreography! Who can say they get to learn how to fight while doing something they love? Plus, the director I worked with was very talented and was able to get a lot out of us actors by the way he set up the scenes. We were able to play out the scene and enjoy each moment.
The draw for me, is not only do I get to experience some new things, but I also get to play out scenes of an individual who may not necessarily be me. Watching the final product on the big screen is exciting. You’re immersed in a completely other world. I also love the feeling when directors and producers compliment my work. I know then that I am doing something good. I crave that.
MH: I loved Sushi Girl. It was so not what I expected, and it definitely surprised me. You are the title character, but have the least to say. I bet it’s the most unique role that you have played, and it was also a pretty high profile gig. Was it a pivotal role for you as far as challenging you as an actor and giving you more notoriety?
CP: I loved Sushi Girl, there was a lot of power in that woman. Her grief was strong and she decided to do something about it. I had a year with her before we filmed so I hold her close. She is one of my favorite roles and I truly wish we could develop her and see more of her. The role itself wasn’t that challenging, and thankfully I had a decent body then! I am just thankful for all the fans who have made that film what it is and because of them I have had the chance to keep working.
MH: I’ve also read that you are a Vegan. Did they really place raw fish on you, and what was it like between takes during the down time?
CP: I am a cruelty-free vegan. There are vegans out there because the draw for them is their health. Eating a plant-based diet can literally reverse diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. However, I am vegan because there is a holocaust going on and the farmed animals are the species.
As far as the Sushi, it was plastic unless the actor’s were eating it. I literally had to stay still for long hours at a time. Between takes I just sort of laid there with my thin scarf covering my body. I got a few breaks, but the props team ended up being very quick about resetting the “fish”. I was not vegan then. Being who I am now, I probably would have turned down the role.
MH: Zombeavers is a unique little film that I’m a huge fan of. Definitely not a cash grab for the zombie film boom that has produced all kinds of mediocre entries. This one was original and had a lot of heart put it into from people in front of and behind the camera. How did you find out about it, and what sold you on being in it?
CP: My manager at the time sent me the audition and I read the script. I was used to the genre and used to weird movies, that it seemed normal to me. So I went in and auditioned. I liked the role of Zoe because she is free-spirited and spunky. She had the best scenes and I wanted to do it. I was told not to do the movie and that it would be a bad idea for me. Who knows if that is a true sentiment or not. The individual who told me that and I have now parted ways. I am glad I pushed to do the film. I think that I made some lasting friendships with some of the cast and it has led to some great things.
MH: I’ve talked to other actors about working with animatronic monsters. Most would tell me that portraying fear was the hardest thing to do when there are four guys out of camera range working a puppet. Was it hard to portray panic and fear when the subject matter of the film is so outrageous?
CP: The puppeteers didn’t bother me. In fact I think of them as other actors whom I get to work off of. It’s really no different than having an entire camera crew staring at you. We had two cameras on this film and that means there are two cameras, two operators, two AC’s, and then the boom operator, etc. You just have to put all of them aside and make the scene real out of imaginary circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I have a background in theater, so perhaps that makes it easier. I think horror films, and the “fearful” acting is my forte. I find it very fun!
MH: Did John Mayer hang out on set before or after his awesome cameo?
CP: He did. In fact while we were shooting our car scene, he was giving us direction on the walkies.
MH: You have done nude scenes before. What is your opinion on doing nudity in film? Especially in the horror genre, it has become a trope to show female nudity just for the sake of doing it. Some would say that it that it can be misogynistic, especially when violence is directed at female actors in horror films. How do you decide whether or not to do it?
CP: The nudity in Zombeavers was there as a joke because there has been so much nudity in horror. However, now I am very particular about what the nude scene is because I need a reason to be naked. Such as in Sushi Girl, she had nothing to hide. Her nudity was empowering. I am also naked in Your Own Road, and the reason I agreed to that was because it is integrated into a scene where my character is peeling off her layers and showing vulnerability and it’s quite a beautiful thing. I think society makes it an issue because we guard nudity so much. I honestly think by freeing the nipple that maybe there wouldn’t be such a need to make a fuss over breasts. The issue is that there are too many people who want to make a fuss over it.
MH: Lastly, you have quite the dossier of horror films under your belt. You’ve even been sent through the wood chipper in Silent Night. How does it feel to share such a disturbing theatrical demise with the likes of Steve Buscemi?
CP: My wood chipper scene in Silent Night is the best. Period. Kidding. I think all the lil horror films I have done have been fun to work on. Silent Night’s wood chipper scene was crazy. I remember getting all bloodied up and getting in the shaft and then sticking to the walls and I was like “I’m stuck!” I had to get water constantly poured on me so my skin wouldn’t rip off. My mother was at a screening with me for that film and she cried watching me die! I am glad to have been a part of an iconic death scene.
Thank you for the interview!