Film: Manfish
Director: Marc Coleman
Writer: Marc Coleman
Starring: Dean Kilbey, Emma Stannard, Matt Noble, Jon Campling, Liam Noble
When a humanoid sea creature washes up in Terry’s bleak life they quickly develop feelings for each other – But can Man love Fish, and will Terry’s older criminal brother get his hands on the creature before Terry can decide how he feels?
In a new exclusive interview leading up to The Romford Horror Film Festival, I got a chance to ask actor Dean Kilbey a few questions about what we can expect from the new horror-comedy Manfish.
Manfish will be playing at The Romford Horror Film Festival on Saturday 26th February at 16:45hrs
Q. What inspired you to get into acting originally?
A. I had always loved making people laugh… a naturally comedic person even as a child. My Dad was a joke machine so I must have it in the genes.
I had always dreamed about being on stage as a kid and making people laugh but believe it or not, I was actually quite shy and had no confidence. At the age of 32, I finally plucked up the courage and started doing stand-up comedy which I did for 2 years. It was kind of my acting training, once you’ve done stand up everything else seems easy. So, with my newfound confidence, I joined a Saturday acting school ran by Amanda Redman MBE
Q. Your play the lead role in the feature film ManFish which has been selected to play at The Romford Horror Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A -plenty of laughs, some blood, a couple of “wow. I really wasn’t expecting that”, plus loads of running.
Q. How did you get involved in the film and what attracted you to the role?
A. I saw a casting call and applied. Just the name ManFish had me hooked. No pun intended. (Now you know why I stopped stand up!) I was sent the script and laughed so much while reading it. I desperately wanted to play Terry . He was very different to what I had played before. He wasn’t funny, he was very sad, but he was in a very funny situation and that seemed like a challenge to me to play him and get people to root for him
Q. What sort of preparation did you do to portray you character of Terry?
A. Very early on in the process I had decided to immerse myself into the character. And would drive to the beachfront every morning and just take in the ocean sounds and smells. I would watch documentaries on depression and loneliness on a loop for hours a day just to get that Sad empty Terry look.
Actually. That’s a lie. I just learnt my lines and put on my yellow jacket!
Myself, Marc the director and Emma Stannard had a couple of rehearsals and did some great improvisations in character which was a real help We instantly clicked and Terry and Tracey came to life very naturally.
Q. Did you put any of your own personality into the character?
A. Actually no. As I’m always trying to get a laugh, cracking jokes, making quips and silly voices, I’m constantly on the go and That’s not Terry
I had to resist my natural urge to improvise and just play it straight. Which then makes everything going on in the film much funnier
Q. Did you change the character at all from the original script?
A. No I think I played Terry exactly as it was written.
Occasionally I would say to Marc What about if I do this or what about if I say this, Marc would say politely, “No!”
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. No lock on the toilet door, small portions, plus a stand that fell on me due to a sudden gust of wind which took a slice out of my nose. (My Lawyers are looking into a claim)
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Everyday was a joy. I loved being with these people. Cliched I know, but true.
A breakfast scene with Tracey and Manfish took a few takes. It was the only time during filming that we corpsed which is amazing really as there are so many funny scenes. Matty Noble who plays Manfish was eating breakfast and making all sorts of noises and I couldn’t keep a straight face. It was made worse when one of his eyes literally popped out and rolled off the table. We managed it in the end and its one of my favourite scenes
Q. What makes ManFish stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I would say it has a lot of heart. For all the comedy it has, and believe me it has loads and a few gory moments. This is a story about friendship, living your dreams and being happy. I mean who doesn’t want that?
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. A Fear of baths. Well, that’s what I took from it.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes I do.Thanks for asking. I can be seen in the new season 4 of Topboy, the Male lead in Psychological Drama CHARLOTTE coming soon plus 2 Feature films From Two great directors well known in the horror circuit: one from Michael Fausti and one from Jonathan Zaurin.
I play the lead role in an online series IN THE TRADE. A builder mockumentary. We are shooting season 3 in the spring.
Q. If someone was looking to get into acting themselves what advice would you give them?
A. My advice to anyone who wants to get into acting is just to give it go… but do it for the right reasons. Not for fame or big money, do it for the love of acting and see what you get from it. it’s never too late.
Student films are a good place to start. Be prepared to work hard for years and most of all Enjoy it.
You can find out more about projects from Dean Kilbey on Spotlight and IMDB.
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
