ED- The Eerie Digest is proud to present actress Karina Colón to all our readers. What was your inspiration in making your career in the entertainment industry and how did you get started?

KC- My inspiration was other people! I was a middle child born right with my brother. My parents always wanted a boy so once he was born, haha, I was pretty much flung to the side. I learned that when I acted a little “out there” I would get laughs and attention, so I did! I also grew up in a highly stressed, highly tense house hold and I quickly learned how to diffuse anger and tension with comedy! So I started getting good at cracking jokes or making people laugh at my expense. It’s a habit I still haven’t shaken off! In fact, just about everyone I know closely calls me “loca.” A name I wear it proudly…My first acting role model was Charlie Chaplin! When I did a play in Kindergarten (I was clown number three), I surprised the teacher and crowd by throwing in a prat fall at the last minute! They were in stitches…and I was bit! Unfortunately, the arts were not something my father approved of at all and our household was a very strict, very traditional, and very patriarchal (did I mention strict?) house hold so there was no questioning or refuting. I studied sciences and math like was expected of me but I wasn’t fulfilled. In college, I was premed and I began to sneak off to auditions. I had no clue what I was doing and I probably spun around and walked out on at least five or so open-calls. I went in with a fake resume and photo when I got hip to the fact that that I needed one! When I told my parents I didn’t want to go to medical school- uhm, a lot of that conversation is blocked out. Thank God. But I do remember the phrases “disappointment to us all,” and “what am I gonna tell my friends.” Needless to say, that didn’t go over so smoothly. Haha! I left to LA alone so that I can be in a more supportive environment (by that I mean, to myself)and I got the opportunity to work with a lot of wonderful and creative people such as Doug Hutchison of The Green Mile! I enrolled at many great studios and many crappy ones. It was all trial and error for me. No one in my family or friends was in the entertainment industry so it was something like how a Martian must feel trying to learn how to live on Earth. 🙂

ED- We learned that you were in several productions of the daytime soap opera ‘Days of Our Lives’. Please tell us about the show and the role that you played.

KC- There’s really nothing much to say since it was a common case of art imitating life. I was a bartender in NYC. For a couple of uneasy but necessary years.

ED- How did it feel to be a cast member in the well known TV series?

KC- Intimidating, of course! But fun, over all!

ED- In 2007 you appeared in ‘Vampire Killers’ and ‘ Ball Don’t Lie’. Please tell us about these films and the roles that you played in them.

KC- ‘Vampire Killers’ was created and directed by Doug Hutchison of “The Green Mile’ as I mentioned before. When I submitted, they originally called me in for “innocent Mid-Western girl.” Hahaha! I was very confused but figured, “Hey, it’s their job to cast and my job to act.” So I went in and read and Doug was there. He was familiar but I did not recognize him. He redirected me and asked me about details on my website. Where I grew up, where I got my quotes, etc. When he left me a message about call-backs, he also left his web site address. Out of consideration, I looked it up since he looked up mine. When I saw pictures of him and Tom Hanks and Val Kilmer, the dots connected!!! I was automatically intimidated out my pants and practically hyperventilated at the thought of going back! The rational side of my brain took the reins and forced my body back to call-backs and into the room. Being in a sea of red heads and blondes that looked like “innocent Mid-Western girls” didn’t help at all but my feet’s urge to run was over powered by my butt’s will to stay. I went in, let the emotional part come back, did the reading and left. Shockingly, I was called back as part of the cast. But as a vampire. Haha! Which I actually was hoping for and preferred! Doug is an excellent, excellent director that teaches you how to trust and how to get deep into yourself emotionally so I learned a lot about building a rich emotional life and how important emotional honesty is for an actor. In “Ball Don’t Lie,” you really don’t see me much. I play a young Latin mother who the lead sees in the store just as she is contemplating whether or not she is ready to be a mother herself. My brother actually went to the theaters to go and see me. Haha! He said I “sold that football in a blanket.” I couldn’t convince him it was a real baby doll in the blanket and not a pig skin. The jury’s still out, in his mind.

ED- How did these roles strengthen your career and what did you learn from them?

KC- With every role, you push yourself more. Just as with anything you do in life. Whether it’s teaching children, healing the sick, athleticism or building a home as a stay-at-home father or mother. You push yourself every day to dig more from inside yourself, to do better, and to reach higher limits. You learn more when you do this and so it is with acting; no matter how large or small or far from your personality the role. And when you push yourself more, you strenghten your talents.

ED- You also had a role in our favorite Web series, ‘The Resolve’. What was the role and how did it interact with the other characters in this production?

KC- I played a girl named Lauren who had a crazy, stalker boyfriend. Beau Nelson played the boyfriend and he already had one out of three of these traits so this was pie for him. Haha! In the end, she ends up being killed. That scene…phew! What a work out! That was shot with a truly excellent actor, Les Brandt! He’s got lots of great credits and he’s very, higly talented and experienced. Not to mention, patient! Heehee. I banged my head on his teeth in one of the takes. I didn’t feel it, due to congenital hard-headedness. Les managed to somehow not strangle me for real. The scene was very, very grizzly and real. The “nicest” shots were used for the final product. 🙂

ED- How did you relate to Russ Cootey and the rest of the cast?

KC- I felt like the new kid on the block, completely. Haha! I really didn’t get any direction, which made me very scared. But I think Russ just liked the choices I already made. Russ was immediately very warm with me. He’s very great to work with! The rest of the cast seemed more like they “tolerated” me. Haha! As time went on, we talked more. But yes, initially, it was high school….all over again. At the second location, where we did my death scene, I met Les. He was also warm upon reception. But his credits really, really intimidated me. Which, I suppose, helps when someone is playing your killer.

ED- In 2009 you were in the film ‘Final Level’. Describe the part you played in this and tell us about this film.

KC- I played a martial artist whose best friend was murdered. I go out on a quest to find out who did it. It turns out, it was my own sifu (teacher/mentor) that I would have trusted my own life with! In the end, there is a battle to the death. You can guess who won. 😉

ED- You also appeared in ‘Zombie Drugs’ the next year and although it’s in Post-Production can you give us a sneak-peek behind the scenes of this project ?

KC- Of course, I can! Well, it’s a collaborative effort of a few actors from The Resolve- Alex Ballar, Wolgang Weber, and Beau. My old friend, Dennis Bover, who was in the HereandNow Theater Company like me, is also in it! And so is Susan Graham, the good friend of my old classmate from Ivana Chubbuck! The world is truly small… It’s a very silly piece that’s written as a comedy. My scene is a dream sequence and I play a dream figure called “Caine.” My counter part is another girl named, “Candy.” Get it? Heehee. It was a super far and divorced role from my actual personality so it was kinda hard for me to do without feeling completely self-conscious and entirely inadequate! But I didn’t act like it…and that’s what matters! But yes, it was a very hard part for me to do because I just didn’t see myself in that type of role before I was approached to do it. I heard the shots came out great and it looks pretty funny. I know Beau did a great job so I can’t wait to see!!

ED- You also completed filming in ‘The Sage Ewing Show’. Please describe the show and your role in it.

KC- I played a variety of roles and it was the very first comedy I was finally cast for! I’m usually only called in for drama so when Ehab Elmezian gave me the script, I was very excited! He was actually having a hard time casting it because he couldn’t find anyone that was strong enough to translate the words. Funny enough, when I read it, I automatically thought of the old show, Married With Children. And it clicked with me automatically. When I met him, he sat down to discuss it and that was exactly his inspiration! Haha! So we were on the same page! Ehab was so great to work with! He loves experimenting and is always looking for growth! I predict a lot of great things for him! He just wrapped another film “The Last Smoke,” where he cast three of my friends! I was more than glad to refer them to this great talent! And equally, I knew he would be happy to work with my friends!

ED- Karina, you are a beautiful and talented actress and I know that you will go far in your career. We all wish you luck and hope that you will continue to inform all our readers of The Eerie Digest on your upcoming roles in the future and we thank you for your time with us for this interview.

KC- From your mouth to God’s ears, Eerie! Thank you very much for your time and kind words! I’m wrapping my project, The Maybelline Girls. We are submitting it to the NBC Shortcuts Film Festival. So I will tell you more about how that’s going soon! Peace out to all the readers and may they find the Heaven of their Dreams! Thank you all very warmly and Good-Bye!

Neerav “Adam” Verma http://ishoot.us

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