By JOSHUA “PROMETHEUS” SCAFIDI
In DEMIGOD, Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe) plays a woman returning to the Black Forest of Germany with her husband (Yohance Myles) to confront her family’s dark past, where, naturally, a terrifying secret awaits them. We had the chance to chat with Rachel about her role in the film, her time being green on the set of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot, and so much more!
What can you tell us about DEMIGOD without spoiling too much?
This is what I like about it; first of all, we shot in the fall of 2020, and obviously, there weren’t vaccines yet, COVID was raging through the country. I had trepidations about getting back to work, but I wanted to get back to work. It’s a genre film, [but] there are underlying currents and backstories that [are] much deeper. About family, lineage, about what it all means. Yes, there’s a supernatural element, and even though it sounds like it’s going to be the focus of the film –it’s really not. It’s about family and knowing who you are, and where you came from. At the end of the day, it’s really fun to watch and really creepy.
What was it like working with Miles Doleac?
I loved Miles! He was so supportive, and collaborative. The cast and crew all stayed on the same sort of campus. It was a big campground, we all had little cabins and everything. We also shot there, as well. We were all super contained because of the virus. I loved Miles from the beginning because he made me an executive producer on the film because he wanted me to know that I was protected, that I was safe and in good hands, and if I had any issue creatively, or otherwise, I had a significant role in the process of making the film. That was his big thing. He just wanted me to know that no matter what, I would be safe and protected, and he would have my back no matter what. I adored him. I loved his vision. They did some crazy, weird stuff with different lenses that I don’t understand. Different aesthetic views, but he told me about all of it ahead of time. I believed, and trusted him, and said we’re just going to have a good time – and we did!
It’s so important to have a good working relationship with a director.
It’s a very big deal. Especially when you sign onto a smaller film. It’s nice to think that you have a director who has your back. Because when they ask you to do something, and you’re not sure how it will work but still do it, and then it turns out awesome, that’s perfect.
Yohance Miles plays your husband in the film. What was that dynamic like?
He was great. The whole cast was fantastic. In this COVID time, I didn’t get to meet him in person before filming. Now, Zoom meetings with co-stars have become a thing, so we met via Zoom a couple of times before I left to go to the set. So, I already felt like he was super easy to get along to with. Then once we were on set we were sequestered to this one campus, so I got to know him really well. I was very grateful that he was as cool as he was and as easy to work with as he was. There’s nothing worse than showing up, and not having chemistry, or dealing with someone who’s difficult. He was lovely.
An awkward situation is never fun.
Yeah, an awkward situation is the worst. Another thing a lot of people don’t think about is if someone you’re acting with has bad breath, or is a sloppy kisser, or has B.O. There’s so much gross stuff. [Laughs]
Okay, so let’s say you’re shooting a film, and the person you’re sharing the scene with has bad breath? What do you do?
Um, I’m not going to lie to you. On one very big occasion, where the actor I was supposed to kiss decided to eat an onion omelet for breakfast, I immediately went to makeup and told them to get him to brush his teeth. So, then it got super awkward, and he apologized. I’m very straightforward. If you have something in your teeth, I’ll let you know. If you have bad breath, I’ll tell you. Especially if I’m supposed to kiss you and pretend to like it. I always take them aside though. I’ll pull them aside and say, “Hey this is what’s going on in your mouth. Can you fix it, please?”
DEMIGOD takes place in the Black Forest of Germany. Where was it actually filmed?
We filmed in the middle of nowhere, in Mississippi. It felt like the dark, black woods of Germany, though. It was very Deliverance-like. We were on a lake, nothing around me and all I could think was, “Who’s going to come for me now?” So, not filmed in Germany, but they found a pretty adequate place to substitute for it.
The film looks dark and atmospheric. What was the tone like on set?
On sets where it’s big and scary, like on Criminal Minds where it’s dealing with death and murder, sets like that are usually pretty jovial. Because people are taking a break from the horror. Once you get onto the set, everything from the fog, to the aesthetic, to the lenses they were using, even the temperature, seeing your breath, all of those things add up, and it enhances the movie.
In Star Trek (2009), you played Gaila, and you were green. I mean completely green. Would you ever do that again?
Ugh! [Laughs] I got to tell ya – I would do it again for JJ Abrams. If he called me and asked if I’d play be Gaila again, I would totally do it for JJ. That was one of those jobs where it was sticky, I was in make-up for six hours, but it was super cool. I would do it again. Plus I got to meet Leonard Nimoy on the set of that film, and he told me a very funny story about the green girl [in the original series].
He said the studio hadn’t told the network that she was supposed to be green, so they kept trying to color correct her greenness, and it was turning every other actor very orange. Now, I’m hearing this story from Leonard Nimoy thinking, “How luck am I? I’m sticky, and I’m green, and I don’t care!”
It made it all worth it?
All worth it. I was just sitting there, and he was such a sweet man, and he goes, “Can I tell you a story about your character?” Like I’m going to say no.
Are you a horror fan?
I am. One of my favorite movies is The Silence of the Lambs. I love being scared. I still watch The Exorcist. I love to be scared, I’m a weirdo! I watch horror movies by myself, alone, in the dark just because I love the thrill of it all.
DEMIGOD, is available now on VOD now from Gravitas Ventures.
