Interview with actor Reis Daniel for ‘I Scream on the Beach!’

I Scream on the Beach! (2019)

Directors: Alexander Churchyard, Michael Holiday

Writers: Alexander Churchyard, Michael Holiday,

Stars: Lloyd Kaufman, Reis Daniel, Dani Thompson, Martin W. Payne, Leigh Trifari, Ross Howard, Hannah Patterson

In the small seaside town of Mellow Coast, Emily (Hannah Paterson) is trying to discover what has happened to her father, but as she searches for answers her friends start getting picked off one-by-one by an unknown killer.

I Scream on the Beach is a new 80’s style slasher horror from co-writer/directors Alexander Churchyard and Michael Holiday. During filming I got a chance to speak with some of the cast on set and in my latest interview I got an opportunity to actor Reis Daniel a few questions about the film.

Q. How did you get into acting originally?

A. I had a funny journey into acting. I always new that I like to perform, but I was always too cool to perform. I was a rugby player; captain of my rugby team and we won the national finals school cup. I was captain of Rochford Rugby team and played for the year above, but rugby players and a bunch of lads don’t really go and jump about on stage in tights. I went to the college did media and my teacher was, “You want to be in front of the camera more than you want to be behind the camera why are you doing this and not that”. Tried a bit of acting and I was like this is a bit of me I need to be doing this.

I finished and got a triple distinction; from there I got a part scholarship to London School of Film, then I got a full honorary bursary from a monologue slam and got a full scholarship for a year or so. Then I won a full scholarship for an acting studio in New York, so transferred over there and it changed my life. In London they wanted to change me, they said my Essex accent was annoying and they tried to make me confirm to their way and by RP and tried to lose myself in a manor. Where in New York they embraced myself and I came out with a stronger Essex accent than when I went in and came out speaking proper cockney, my dad was like “Your more cockney than me”.

I left drama school and I am now the only person in my drama school from London that is still acting. From New York, I was with people like Dominique Fishback who is in the top 10 most ones to watch actors. She in The Duece, the James Franco Series, The Americans. She was one of my best friends, we were in classes together and stayed around her house. There were several other actors over there who are doing great things and that keeps me on the drive to do more. They are doing it in America, so why can’t I do it here? My dream is to go over, meet them and join up with them again. I went on a journey that made me realise that I had to embrace myself and work on it.

I had a funny journey in my career where I was doing a lot of theatre, I was doing a national tour of The Jungle Book, The Rat Pack show national and cruise ship tour; I play Sammy Davis Jnr in that. When The Jungle Book tour came back again I dislocated my knee on stage, fully spilt my knee in two, matinee show 500 kids in the audience. I was out for nearly two year, all my muscles gone and that was it my career was over. When I got out after my surgery and had knew reconstruction, I started doing stand-up and changed the game. I started working for Dream Team, Lad Bible, Uni Lad and built up from there. Next thing I know I was doing pop sludge on channel 4, sketch shows. I think if I made it when I was younger, I would have been part of the 27 club. I definitely would have died by the time I was 27… well I am 27 now so touch wood. I think the drive home is gonna be risky. I think I went on the journey I was meant to go on to find me, knock out the faults and to realise and appreciate this industry. It’s not something which you just walk into it’s a serious game for life.

Q. You are in I Scream on the Beach! what can we expect from the film?

A. You can expect good fun, good Jokes and good banter. The thing that comes apparent is the fact the characters are quite obscure. They give to each other and it’s a bit of a pick and mix, where you get a few sours amongst the chewie’s. It should be good fun, but it also brings suspense and thrills at the same time. Its going to bring questions and you are going to make assumptions about different people and wondering who it may be, with the main suspect changing a few times.

 Q. Can you tell me a little bit about your character?

A. My character is Dave. He is a bit aloof but goes on a journey.  Not just in himself, but the audience go on the journey as well. He is a bit new to the town, he has been there 6 months and only really knows these guys as he has been working with them as a fisherman. He has an infatuation with the lead character Emily to the point where he doesn’t just admire her – he is a bit of creepy stalker. When soon as she starts speaking to him, he has trouble talking to her, but once he does get to talk to her, he becomes controlling and possessive really quickly. He is like “Don’t go down there, don’t talk to this person”.  I think he is a bit schizophrenic.

It took me a while to get my head around him and I spoke to Alex the director about it and he was like “Yup that’s exactly what he is like”.  He is fun and it gives me something to work with which is really good. There is nothing worse than playing a boring character. But playing him in a way that they can connect and sympathise with him, so when he does have these turns that don’t say I never liked that guy.

Q. Talking of the character are there any similarities between yourself?

A. I reckon so (Laughs) crazy, weird schizophrenic! Apart from the stalker bit I am too lazy to stalk anyone, I think I may be on the line. I think they met me and thought we may need to rewrite this. I did get a second script the time after they met me, so they may have thought ok he’s a bit weird (Laughs). I think I have got a bit more energy than him, he is a bit of a recluse and an introvert.  So, if there is a group having a conversation he will sit back and not say much, where I will be the one sitting there talking and looking a bit of a fool.

Q. Did you make any changes to the character from how it was in the original script?

A. My concept of the character, I talked with Alex and worked with the team because I couldn’t get the gist of it. When I first read it, I thought he is really weird, silent and obscure. Two girls are talking and all I say is “So you two are home alone tonight them” and stare at them. I just thought this guy is a weirdo. Its my ignorance when I first read, I think I could have played it in a form where it could have been too far one way or another, and I think we honed it in, so we have a nice balance. So, the changes came through experimenting.

Q. During the filming so far what have been your favourite moments?

A. My favourite moments have been working with the guys. The team is great we had a great laugh, it’s a nice group and a great atmosphere, just come on set and have a laugh.

Q. What do you think makes I scream on the Beach! stand out in the horror genre?

A. The 80’s films are stylised bring something very different to our audiences and this has a very American nuance.  It takes away being just blood and gore or horror to be horror, it’s that old School jumpiness with twists and turns. It has little bits from other films and brings it all together like a nice sundae. Ice cream on its own is boring, so you add a bit of syrup. The syrup is a bit sickly, so you put something else in there with a flake on the top. Its going to be really cool.

Q. What sort of preparation did you do for the role?

A. I like to find my feet.  I find a stance or style of the way I walk; I am quite a broad person, so people say I have a bit of a bowl, I need a bit of fruit in my bowl. I put my chest out a bit like a gorilla alpha. I don’t even mean too I’m not an alpha I am a bit soppy, but he doesn’t. So, I have to curve the shoulders over, the walks slightly different. And the voice; I have a strong cockney accent that has a punch behind it, but he is a bit softer and a bit gentler in the back of the throat because he is swallowing his words. He is questioning everything he says. Its only when he gets angry that he has enthesis on his words that his words come forward and he is throwing it out there with no filter. I think that built my understanding of the character as well and how I would be if I was him. Knowing the words is one thing but understanding the context of the dialogue is another thing. His journey where he is and how he got there.

Q. The film itself is an 80’s style throwback. Did you help design develop the character with how you wanted to look?

A. It was the opposite because my concept and vision of the 80’s and how I would be contradicted to how he was, so when Alex sent me the stuff he had; dull colours, simple clothes nothing that made him stand out. It just drew him back and defined him in a way. Where others could have textured clothing and big prints, I don’t. Even Emily has the blue hair and Paula has everytang. My character is the slightest of them all. That’s what makes my character who is, so sometimes he has to raise his voice to be heard or noticed.

Q. Do you have any other projects which you are working on at the moment?

A. I am still doing ocean rescue on Sky, which is a kid’s show about saving the planet. I have a sketch series which is a bit like The Office meets Some People Just do Nothing. Its about two builders that work on a site and they are a bit dim. That is really funny and looking to be commissioned soon.

I run an agency called Three’s a Crowd Management, we have 70 clients on our books and people who have just been cast in The Kingsman, EastEnders, Netflix Series, guys in the West End. So, I always have my fingers in several different pies, I do stand-up still, improv, a bit of everything.  Jack of all trades and master of none is what they say. I do have other things, but I can’t talk about them just yet.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into acting?

A. It a tough one because some of the best actors I have worked with have never trained in their lives. I say follow your path and what feels right for you. Don’t feel like you have to conform, or that you have to go to these classes. I know guys who have been going to these night classes for six years, same class and still not getting jobs. I am going to these classes, why am I not getting work? What work have you done? Build yourself up, take on the little jobs, if you want to be a film actor don’t be sitting around waiting for a tv appearance to happen.

I get clients now who have left drama school 8 months ago. There is no film or TV, but they go to me “The Kingsman are hiring, can you get me an audition?”. I am like, “They are not going to see you, you are not credible”. Build yourself up to get there, you as a person build yourself as a package. Understand what is right for you and what your position is. They might go I don’t want to be type cast or this or the other. You can say that once you have fucking made it, but right now you have to fit the brief. If ‘you’re black don’t be going up for Caucasian roles and going, I can play a cop. You can but they are looking for a white man. Right now, the only black person in this is a thief, just play the thief because at least you’re playing something!

Idris Elba when he didn’t make it over here he went over to America, and he was in The Wire, do you think he said, I don’t want to play a gangster because I am, intelligent?  When was the last time he played a gangster?  He had to go through those avenues to get there, just play your role, fit the build and create. If you want to do it, you’ve got a phone, camera just film something, write something, do it. Make the effort.

The Wall of Comedy with Joivan, Percelle and Dee. Joivan is now cyborg in the new Netflix series Doom Patrol, Percelle just did another Netflix series and doing a feature film. Five or six years again they were three guys sitting on a wall doing videos, now they are doing major things in America, they have studios here. The Wall of Comedy is one of the biggest channels on the internet. They have their own studios and tv programs. Five or six years ago they were doing videos on a wall, but they had faith in their journey, took the bulls by the horn and created their own empire. They are 24, 25-year old driving Ferrari’s, they have a studio in LA a studio in London and getting all these people following them. No training, no nothing just sat there with a phone. Make it happen, don’t just sit there and wait for it to happen.

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