Interview: Upstate Theatre Veteran Lauren Paige Wilson Stars in CRACKS

An unstable psychiatrist, whose only sanctuary is indoors, finds herself trapped betweens the walls and her own mind.

CRACKS is a new horror film starring, written, directed, and produced by many faces familiar to upstate SC theatregoers.

The film's red carpet premiere will be held at 7:30 pm, November 2, 2018 at the Camelot Cinemas in Greenville, SC.

We asked the film's star, Lauren Paige Wilson, to give us a preview.

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First, tell us a little bit about your stage/screen background.

I have always been an actor. When I was little, I would memorize Disney books on tape and perform them as one woman shows for my family and friends. I love to pretend and I just never grew out of it. I began classes at South Carolina Children's Theatre in high school, appeared on the MainStage quite a few times, and continued my theatre studies at College of Charleston. After graduating college and having several professional gigs (also having one existential crisis after another, haha), I sent my stuff to a boutique talent agency in Atlanta. I didn't expect anything to come from it, so I was shocked when they wanted to add me to their roster. I had ZERO experience in film, so the quest for demo reel footage began. I was able to connect with a lot of filmmakers in the region and I've had the privilege to work on short films, commercials, and a couple of features.

Tell us a little about the movie and your character.

My character Sabrina Verde is a psychiatrist who practices out of her home because she suffers from agoraphobia (fear of outdoors and open spaces). She's in a bit of financial strife and the bills keep piling up. Out of nowhere, she receives a mysterious letter saying that her grandmother has passed away, and Sabrina has inherited a house. Sabrina gathers her courage and moves to this house and that's when the strange things start happening. The lines become blurred for Sabrina and she can't tell what is really happening, or if it's all in her mind.

How did you become involved with Cracks?

I've worked with the directors on a few short films, and I starred in their film Mister Academy last year. When the guys told me they wanted to work on a horror film, I jumped at the chance! (See what I did there?)

What was the shooting process like for you?

It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. Ten days straight of 12+ hour days, I appear in almost every scene and most of the time at a heightened emotional state. That being said, this cast and crew are second to none. We became a family and even on the most difficult shoot days, there was an awesome bond there that made it fun.

I think I remember you posting that you felt like you were really stepping out into new acting challenges during this shoot. Please tell us a little about that.

I've built my acting career with my comedy. I'm fortunate that I've been able to play so many great comedic roles, but with this role, I couldn't rely on my comedy trick bag. In fact, I had to dig deep for this role. To make it more real for myself, I had to dive into painful circumstances of my past to react realistically. That in itself was a huge challenge.

How do you hope audiences will respond?

I hope everyone will like it and tell their friends about the awesome work that is coming out of Greenville SC.

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