From one chick to another – there is NOBODY else I would rather be friends with other than Christine Elise McCarthy. 1) She’s gorgeous. 2) She was that punk rock girl that you KNEW was hanging out with the bad boys, and you wish you could too. 3) SHE WAS ON 90210 AND she dated Jason Priestly. 4) She was on Child’s Play 2, 5) She is HILARIOUS! Just read her blogs, book, and watch her latest short film “Bathing & the Single Girl”.
Christine Elise is the quintessential chick you want to hate, but you just cant because she is so damn cool – so how excited were we that our ultimate horror fan, Sarah Church hooked us up with her and collaborated with us to put together one helluva interview. READ ON!
Being that we are a Rock related website, we are going to ask some questions about your movies, as well as your tie to music. Tell us about the Boston Hardcore scene. What influence did that have on your life? In other words, would you be where you are without that experience?
The Boston hardcore scene provided me with a bunch of like-minded friends that were closer to my age than the people I had met in the larger Boston punk scene. I had already been sneaking into clubs (aided by my parents) for a while (since I was about 15) so – in 1981/2, when the hardcore scene emerged – I was already very much exposed to the music scene but had found very few people as young as I was involved in it. Hardcore music specifically has never been my preferred genre. I had very broad musical taste then and, while still in high school, saw everything from Prince’s Dirty Mind tour (on Lansdowne St) to Bauhaus at a club called The Underground (with less than 100 other people) to KISS in a stadium. The hardcore scene was exciting live for obvious reasons but the fact that the boys in all the bands were my friends (friends to this day) made the experience that much more intimate and inclusive for me. But – I never found hardcore to be something I could listen to on vinyl. Through high school, the singer for SSD (Springa) was my boyfriend and Jaime (bass player in SSD) was my BFF. SSD was an incredible live band but even SSD didn’t translate to record for me. The only music of that genre that worked any other way 
but live (as far as I am concerned) were The Misfits (who played live SO LOUDLY that it was just unintelligible noise) and Minor Threat. Even Bad Brains were a band I only enjoyed live. So – to answer your question – the hardcore scene provided a youthful community of people with whom I remain friends today. It was the broader (global) punk scene that influenced my life. My favorite bands were The Cramps (for whom I got to write an episode of the original 90210) and Siouxsie & the Banshees and they heavily influenced my personal style. But so did Little House on the Prairie and Annie – so – I don’t want to put too much credit (or blame) on anything specific. The punk scene was significant for me because I felt encouraged to totally express my individuality and then felt embraced for it. That is an important and incredibly empowering thing for a teenager to experience. And – no – I do not think I would be where I am without it because if you look at the roles that are the highest profile of my career – the characters were always offbeat and edgy. I often wore my own wardrobe on camera. Had I been a more conformist adult – I might not have had the balls to present “punk rock” versions of characters to producers when I auditioned. Just as an example – Emily Valentine on 90210 was written as a drop-dead gorgeous babe with cascading red curls – ala Julia Roberts. I went in as myself and they changed the role to what people saw on TV. So – yes – punk rock has had a very lasting and extremely positive impact on my life.
Is punk rock your preferred genre? If not what is, and why?
No. My tastes remain very varied but if I had to say what I like most – I’d say singer/songwriters. I am a HUGE Tom Waits fan and a lifelong Elvis Costello fan. I love Nick Cave in every incarnation. I was a major Amy Winehouse fan. But, these days, I am loving Justin Townes Earle, Jason Isbell, Mojo Juju and some other kinda retro country and rockabilly acts. And Die Antwoord! Die Antwoord are the most original current act I can think of and they definitely have a punk rock attitude!
You’ve played in a handful of iconic horror films, one of which was Childs Play 2. Just the thought of a murderous living doll sends shivers down our spines. Instead of asking you about what it was like to work in a horror film, please indulge us with the top 5 key things you feel are needed as an actor to play a protagonist in a horror film.
I don’t think playing a character in a horror film is any different from playing one in a comedy. As an actor, your job is to bring a character believably to life – in whatever situations that character finds themself. The question you ask is probably better suited to a horror WRITER (which I am not). There is very likely a loose framework and traditional structure involved when one writes horror but it is always (in every genre) the films that destroy that structure that are most interesting. Look at the impact Blair Witch Project had.
Being that Chucky was not real, what challenges did playing a role opposite a puppeteered costar present?
Again, as an actor, much of what you are dealing with is not real – including the emotions you portray and the relationships you engage in. Sometimes you are asked to shoot a summer scene in frigid weather or vice versa. A TON of what you are asked to do or deal with is fake. Love scenes are the absolute hardest because there is seldom the intimacy required in real life and there is always a huge crew watching and technical aspects (lighting and framing etc) to consider. I once played a lesbian and, as a result, was constantly asked if I really was one. The question was really frustrating. Whether or not I am a lesbian doesn’t effect that performance. I am not a firefighter or a cop or a hooker or a medical student – but I played those things. I wasn’t even a teenager when I was playing one. It is called ACTING. But, on the other hand, I have often played characters who are going through things I really have experienced. Performances require bringing reality to it all – whether it is real for you or not. That said – Chucky wasn’t even on set half the time I did Child’s Play 2. Alex Vincent was – what? Eight years old? He was protected by child labor laws and worked short hours. Chucky required 8 union puppeteers and was a very expensive “actor” on set – so – the producers would shoot Alex and Chucky’s parts first and send them home. I did nearly every close-up in the film reacting to varied colors of tape stuck strategically around the set so that my eye-lines looked correct. That was challenging but I was SO excited to be there – nothing could dampen my enthusiasm.
You also played in Body Snatchers, an adaptation of the novel, The Body Snatchers. This is more sci-fi than horror. What type of role do you feel is more stimulating between the two genres, or is there a difference at all?
Again – no matter what genre you are in – if you are playing a human being – your job is just to make that person real. Some situations are easier to relate to than others so science fiction and horror might present challenges like reacting honestly to things you have REALLY never experienced – like aliens and monsters or supernatural stuff or, like I experienced on CP2, reacting to nothing at all beyond tape on a C-stand but, again, I never really killed a patient on an operating table so sometimes realistic situations present the same challenges.
You also just released Bathing and the Single Girl, inspired by your short-film of the same name. Congratulations! What moved you write the book after the film? Does the process typically work that way (film first, then book)?
Thanks! I wrote the book because I felt I had a lot more to say on the subject of horrific dating. The movie was very personal (and can be seen at www.BathingBook.com) and very successful. It was accepted to 100 film festivals over two years. People thought it was really funny – which surprised me because the anecdotes I shared were so personal. I thought, with a book, I could tear the last shreds of decency from the sorta cute comedy in the short film and go completely balls-out, hilariously raunchy. And I think I achieved that. I think that both men and women find the book gasp-worthy and laugh-out-loud funny. It has a slow build and then just rolls out increasingly embarrassing, awkward and hysterical scenarios. And as to the process – no – I do not think many novels are written based on short films but I cannot be sure.
Check out Bathing & the Single Girl
You are an accomplished photographer. How did you discover that photography was a passion of yours, and how do you continue to cultivate that passion?
My mother has always been a very talented photographer (check her stuff here) and my stepdad is an amazing watercolorist (check his stuff here) and they are both great inspirations in my life. I have always been a fan of photography as an art and have always collected photography books. I cultivate that lifelong interest simply by continuing to explore it. I take photos almost every day. Sure – with my I-phone – but I feel that is still legit.
Sure it is! We’ve been following your food blog, and My Oh My, it is INDEED Food Porn! Those pictures and descriptions make us into some very lustful chefs. When did culinary arts turn into porn for you and what is your current dish of decadence?
Food turned into porn for me when I realized that it was food I was most often photographing. I live a pretty reclusive life and seldom venture out – but I do love cooking and I do love food. So – home alone – it was food I turned to to express my photography passion. I posted images on Facebook a lot and was continually asked “how do you make that?” – so – spontaneously and on a whim – I started the blog (http://delightfuldeliciousdelovely.com/). It just seemed a great way to get to express my cooking, photography and writing passions.
What advice would you give to a novice food pornographer? We love cooking as well, but some of our meals consist of beanie weenies and Kraft Macaroni and cheese. How can we improve?
There is NO improving Kraft Mac and Cheese and I have lovingly photographed it quite a bit. As to novice photographer advice – I suggest simply “trial and error.” Also – Pinterest is a great source of inspiration. Look at food images there and try to recreate some. Also – shooting from directly above and from VERY close-up – these are great tricks. As to improving cooking skills overall – well, that’s kinda what my blog is for, no? There are nearly two years of recipes on there now. Try some.
