Emmy-nominated actress Brittany Allen chatted about starring in the new horror movie “The Yeti.”
Aside from Allen, it stars Emmy winner Eric Nelsen, Jim Cummings, Christina Bennett Lind, Linc Hand, with William Sadler and Corbin Bernsen.
It will be released in AMC Theaters on April 4th and 8th, and On Digital on April 10th. It was co-written and co-directed by Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta.
The synopsis is: When an oil tycoon and a famous adventurer vanish into the harsh winter of remote northern Alaska, a hand-picked rescue team endeavors to bring them home.
What they don’t know is that they are trespassing on The Yeti’s territory, and the elements are the least of their worries.
A blood-spattered survival horror featuring a towering beast and gruesome practical effects, The Yeti hearkens back to a time when monster movies were king.
Filming in Buffalo, New York
On her filming experience, she said, “We were shooting it in Buffalo. The timing was pretty perfect. I live pretty darn close to where the fire erupted in Los Angeles, so it was less than a week after that when my whole family flew out to Buffalo and it was welcome reprieve.”
“I think by the end of it we have had enough snow,” she admitted. “I grew up in Toronto, but I lived in L.A. for many years, so I was craving some sort of winter, especially for my son, who was a little over two at the time, but there’s a lot of snow in Buffalo. That was intense.”
Working with Eric Nelsen in ‘The Yeti’
On working with Emmy winner Eric Nelsen, she said, “Eric was just so lovely. He is a great actor. He is just so good. He shines throughout this movie, but he is a really lovely human too.”
Allen and Nelsen are both “All My Children” alums along with Christina Lind.
“Christina is kind of the reason why I connected with this project because her husband Gene co-wrote it and co-directed it, and we’ve stayed in touch for years,” Allen said.
Playing Ellie in ‘The Yeti’
On playing Ellie in “The Yeti,” she said, “I liked that she was a woman ahead of her time, and she was strong and vulnerable at the same time. Ellie was doing her best to assert herself among men who thought they knew better.”
“Ellie was also kind of challenged by her own overzealous naivety and need to reconnect with her father that may have led her to make some decisions in haste and get herself in a really challenging position.
Lessons learned from ‘The Yeti’ screenplay
On the lessons learned from “The Yeti” screenplay, she said, “I think the role gave me an opportunity to just step into some really good drama and continue to hone my craft.”
“I look at every project as an onion that you are forever peeling back, where you realize that you can always go deeper. The moment you get comfortable is when you start dropping the ball,” she elaborated.
“So, I think it was just a continuation in a long line of work after coming off of ‘Dexter’,” she noted.
“Then, I just worked with Justin Long in ‘Coyotes,’ and watching him navigate a set as the lead was really great because he took ownership of the process, and that was inspiring,” she explained.
Working with William Sadler in ‘The Yeti’
On working with William Sadler, she said, “William was great! He is a really beautiful human with a big open heart and he’s just a great actor work opposite.”
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, she remarked, “It’s pretty unsettling and infuriating. I think that these sociopathic tech bros are running rampant in a society that is led by more sociopaths who don’t care about the average person who is going to be impacted by this technology. So, that’s my feelings.”
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, Allen said, “Just work on your craft and know that you’re getting into a business that is really tough, and do not let that deter you.”
“I would advise them that they have other forms of creative output so that they are not entirely dependent on the system to get them into the work,” she said. “Whether it’s writing, directing or making music, there is so much power now in technology… there really is.”
“So, the plus side of it in this moment is that you could create a backdrop where you are in San Francisco for real, and you’re running down the bridge and you have a huge monster chasing you and you can do all that now,” she elaborated.
“It’s crazy, so don’t just wait, and don’t expect things to come easy,” she said. “It’s a lifelong journey and you have to really love it and you have to continue to better yourself because it’s only by doing that where the work will continue to come.”
“I always strive to know myself better and to know the craft better,” she added.
Success
Regarding her definition of success, she said, “I think I’m trying for success to be more of an internal thing now. Success is learning how to grow my own vegetables and raising my son to be a thoughtful, creative, and independent human.”
To learn more about Brittany Allen, follow her on Instagram.
