Exclusive Interview: Actor Bill Oberst Jr. Talks MTV's Death Valley, Vivid and More

Bill Oberst Jr. is the definition of “the horror actor”, the working actor doesn’t prefer anything outside of the horror genre and wouldn’t have it any other way. Oberst has some cool projects in the works including VIVID and Legend of the Red Reaper, he shares some stories about working on True Blood and MTV’s upcoming horror series  Death Valley. The actor keeps busy for sure! Check out my latest Versus with Bill Oberst Jr. to learn more about this hard working cool actor. 

 

Brian  S- First off you've really been cranking out film projects since 2007. How'd you get into acting?

Bill Oberst Jr.- I was a bizarre-looking kid who loved monsters and the other kids made fun of me. I learned a useful equation: "If You Entertain People, They Will Not Hit You." So my whole career has pretty much been about trying to get people not to hit me. Haven't had a day job in 15 years; spent 12 years on the stage on the east coast and am going on 4 years here in Hollywood. Fulltime actor. Very blessed.

Brian  S- You are in some films that I'm familiar with, like Vivid and Legend of the Red Reaper. Tell me a little about these and your character.

Bill Oberst Jr.- I play a skinny, shirtless, scarred-up freak of a drug dealer in VIVID. He crawls down the stairs like a spider and moves like an insect. It's a small role but (I hope) a memorable scene with star Devanny Pinn. The director, Brandon Slagle, let me develop the character look and I based it on British actor Sean Harris as the drug dealer Stretch in HARRY BROWN with Michael Caine. We both have creepy cringe-inducing torsos so I figured it might work. Brandon is going to be known as a major horror director, I predict. He's that good.

LEGEND OF THE RED REAPER is a cameo role I am shooting for my friend Tara Cardinal, who stars in it. Tara is awesome and so nice to me; she cast me as the twisted principal in THE DEVIL WITHIN, which did well for me. I saw her at an audition and she said "Bill, would you do me a favor?" I said, "Tara, whatever it is, the answer is yes." So we are shooting it soon. I'll be in the climax of the film. I think I am half-naked and bloody in a cave (which is pretty much the norm for me anyway.) I think this film is going be huge for Tara, and she deserves it.

 

Brian  S- Ok, tell me about some of your other projects you're working on.

Bill Oberst Jr.- Never ask a horror actor that question and expect a short answer! But I will be mercifully brief: I have a lead role in The Asylum's new 3-D horror film A HAUNTING IN SALEM which will be released August 23; I just wrapped a role as a demon opposite the great Robert Loggia; I played a spectral Shadow Man in Aash Aaron's upcoming thriller 333; I just wrapped a role as a creepy-weird French hermit in the feature RESOLUTION; I start a lead role in Jordan McClure's horror project CHILDREN OF SORROW in August and I start a lead in a futuristic thriller from Kasra Farahani (who did concept art for AVATAR, WOLFMAN, SPIDERMAN 3 and a slew of others) next month. Last week I wrapped a role in an episode of SPIKE TV's new series ALTERNATE HISTORY as an American SS Officer in an alternate reality where Hitler won WWII, and I'm in an episode of MTV's new horror series, DEATH VALLEY, airing this fall. I have leads in Michael Emanuel's upcoming feature SCARY OR DIE which stars Corbin Bleu of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and in Drew Daywalt's period horror piece LET THEM (with MADMEN's Edin Gali and Maria Olsen of PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS.) My grindhouse turn in Joseph Guzman's NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS gets a DVD release in the coming months. Just got attached to Jeff Palmer's creepy THE SILENCE OF WALTER SHELTIN. And my biggest non-horror role lead role to date, Michael Landon Jr.'s THE SHUNNING for The Hallmark Channel, gets a DVD release later this year. I work a lot. Like I said, I am blessed. And grateful.  

 

Brian  S- You've also been on cool shows like True Blood and 1000 Ways to die. How cool of an experience was it to do these popular shows.

Bill Oberst Jr.- Both of those shows were fun to work. I am partial to 1,000 WAYS TO DIE because the food is better (who would think but it's true!) Plus I got to gut a real squirrel. Where they got a warm squirrel in Burbank at ten o'clock in the morning I'll never know. Don't ask.

Brian  S- If you had your choice what would you do, TV or film?

Bill Oberst Jr.- I'd do film and here's why:  I'm kind of a loner; I spend a lot of time reading. Even the sports I like to do are all solo ones like boxing and swimming and weights. But film making is the ultimate team sport. It is like being a part of a big hard-working, hard-bitching family for a few weeks at a time. Everybody is working for the same goal and we all cover each other's back. The actor's role is really a very small part of a very large machine. Making a movie is like going to war - once you start the process you have to keep moving forward to completion no matter the obstacles. You can't just stop. That is an exhilarating environment to work in. Plus there's free food.

 

Brian  S- Do you prefer doing horror movies over other genres?

Bill Oberst Jr.- I do actually. Horror suits my look and film is a visual medium. You can't fight the camera. I started working out here in L.A. the minute I stopped trying to be something I am not and let the camera define me. The camera is my lover. And my lover likes me a little dark. 

Brian  S- Craziest experience you've had while filming?

Bill Oberst Jr.- Oh there are so many candidates for that title; accidentally choking myself unconscious when a hanging gag failed on THE BLOODLET and thinking as I passed out "I hope they get the shot;" trying to keep a straight face while watching Devanny Pinn get sugar (standing in for cocaine) up her nose in VIVID; looking down on Debbie Rochon's very realistic expression of disgust while I committed spousal rape on her in RIPPED MEMORIES; trying to throw Asun Ortega onto a bed and bitch slap her without knocking her only piece of wardrobe, a nun's habit, off of her head in NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS. But I'm gonna give the prize to the night shoot on MTV's DEATH VALLEY where Maria Olsen and I were guest zombies and we were to push a blood-mobile van over. The van was attached to a giant overhead crane that was supposed to tip it over at the right moment. They set up the shot; the van goes half-way over...and the cable snaps and comes recoiling towards the cast and crew. The van comes crashing back down and rocks back and forth. You talk about some scared-ass zombies.

 

Brian  S- Do you have any hobbies? 

Bill Oberst Jr.- I do. I love film history, so I am also scouring bookstores for old books on the early days of movies. I like reading in general; love anything analytical; love Ray Bradbury; love the Bible; love alternative history. I like to hike. I like to work out. I actually like to do abs. Does that count as a hobby? 

Brian  S- Where can everybody find you on the net?

Bill Oberst Jr.-

My IMDb is  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/ 

Horror fans might enjoy an overview of my horror genre work at http://horrorjobs.com/bill-oberst-jr/ 

My Blog is http://billoberstjr.blogspot.com/ 

My Facebook personal is http://www.facebook.com/billoberstjr 

My Facebook Fanpage is http://www.facebook.com/ActorBillOberstJr

My Twitter is http://twitter.com/billoberstjr 

I friend back, I follow back and I answer my own mail. 

Brian  S- Would you like to say anything to the cool horror fanatics checking this out?

Bill Oberst Jr.- I sure would. There's this page on me as a horror actor at More Horror and they asked me to write a personal message. I did and it sums up everything I'd like to say about why I am passionate about horror. It's right underneath the pic of me in the demon's dungeon in  shackles at  http://www.morehorror.com/bill-oberst-jr  I mean what I say there. If you've got an idea for a new iconic horror film, let's talk. Everything that people call a classic started with somebody saying, "I got an idea..."