At HorrorFind 8 for Halloween in Hunt Valley, MD
Scan
of Sybil before the interview
Scan of Nurse Wynn that Sybil holds up
Q: How many scenes did you with Malcolm McDowell?
A: Actually, the only scene I have in the film is with Malcolm...and little Mike.
Q: How did it go?
A: I don't want to give it away...you know how Rob Zombie's movies are and you
know hoe it goes in Halloween. But it went pretty rough, very rough.
Q: Physically rough?
A: Yeah! It got rough, but then again that's what people expect when they go to see a Rob Zombie movie.
Q: So then it's safe to assume something bad happens to your character?
A: Yeah. I've never seen a Rob Zombie movie where there wasn't a lot of action going on.
Q: Did you have to go through the kind of makeup Malcolm did in this?
A: (She holds up a photo of her character all bloody) Oh, yes. I had quite some injuries, quite a lot of blood loss, a lot of makeup yes. We had to do a lot of special effects makeup...that's what that movie's all about. (Laughs)
Q: Did you get the makeup done together?
A: No, we were in separate rooms, we were both a handful. I'm a handful when something happens to me and he is too, so we needed separate rooms at separate times.
Q: Did you get to hang out after?
A: Actually we didn't because that's just the way the shoot is. You come, it was quite a tight schedule, you shoot, you go home. Malcolm was on a tight schedule because he was there a lot. So we didn't have a chance to talk a lot, but when we did we became friends. He's a great guy and it's nice to see him here again at the show.
Q: So you only had one day of shooting?
A: Yeah. They shot me off in one day so they say.
Q: It must've been pretty hectic.
A: It was, but I'm happy I could be on it. I was able to be on Halloween because I was in Grindhouse. Having worked with Rob I had mentioned to him I said I'd love to be in your Halloween, no role is too small. You know what there say - there are no small roles, only small actors. You can do your best in a small role or a big role and that's never been important to me. I've done a lot of roles which were small and then I came out and people loved me and my characters stood out because I take everything I do very seriously. All the characters I do I take very seriously. So when I told Rob that I would love to be in your Halloween he said, 'It's all ready cast...but' Then my blood pressure shot up and I thought I love this man, I love this man. He said, 'I am doing a little rewrite and I think there's something in there for you.' I said OK, whatever it is, whatever you think I'm right for I'm going to play it because Rob is a genius at what he does and he's so extremely talented if he would've told me to play a mole I would've played a mole because he knows whatever he does is going to be good for the movie and the actor. I had full trust in him and I said whatever it is I want to do it. On the last day of shooting on Werewolf Women of the SS I had taken off my makeup and he said, 'Sybil, I got the role for you. You can play Nurse Wynn.'
Q: How would you describe your character?
A: Like Nurse Ratchett from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Q: What is your opinion on remaking Halloween?
A: When I heard Rob was doing the remake there was no question in my mind that it was gong to be done with the integrity of a Rob Zombie movie. It's always who does what.
(Someone comes and complains about her autograph prices)
Q: That was weird.
A: It's never happened before ever. That's why I left Austria, like Arnold, and came to this country because it's a free country and every has a right to speak their mind.
Q: Did you stick the script or did he have you improvise?
A: Not on my part, no. There was a rewrite of my part. The first time I got it was different, but hat's Rob. He always has greater ideas and you just go with it. I didn't improvise anything.
Q: Have you seen the film?
A: No I haven't. I just kept hearing the editing was gong great. They are sitting editing...
Q: I know he filmed additional scenes.
A: I wasn't involved with any additional scene. Do you know who was?
Q: Danny Trejo I heard. They expanded his character to show more backstory.
A: Good, good.
Q: You once said "I have a tendency to play larger-than-life figures, which is good. I would never want to play a nurse or a housewife. You can see those people in everyday life. How boring!" So how do you feel after playing a nurse in Halloween?
A: I do remember that! I was playing bigger than life characters, mainly queens and could not picture myself in that everyday role! However, the nurse I play in Halloween is nothing like any normal nurse. She's a nurse in a Rob Zombie movie. That makes it special!! If I were to play a housewife - she too would not be a normal one!
© 2007-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net