Pia Thrasher

Born in Bamberg, Germany and currently residing in San Diego, California, Pia Thrasher first started out as an extra during the mid-1990s, before progressing to roles in numerous B-movies and stage productions. Most recently, the horror and sci-fi enthusiast was cast as a witch in the upcoming independent fantasy The Immortal Edward Lumley.

Pia Thrasher talks about wearing prosthetics, working on Titanic and performing in theatre…

Your most recently announced project is The Immortal Edward Lumley, in which you have been cast as the Stitch Witch. What can you reveal regarding this?

“Oh, I’m really excited about this one! It’s the first feature film for Metro City Films. They made this really awesome short previously, Android 413, which will be screenened at SDCC’s Film Festival next Saturday, actually. Anyway, The Immortal Edward Lumley is a film somewhere between Alice in Wonderland and Time Bandits. The Stitch Witch is scary and intimidating, but actually a very good witch; and she’s 874 years old. Oh, and she’s German, which means I get to use my mother tongue in this role. I can’t wait to get started!”

You posted an article last month on how to cope with being cast as a zombie. What experiences have you had with these kinds of parts and do you enjoy working with make-up and prosthetics?

“I love playing zombies, vampires, witches or other scary creatures! I don’t care how many hours I have to sit in the make-up chair because I’m having such a ball with the make-up and FX artists. Watching them doing their magic makes me wish I had learned their craft, especially when Halloween comes around. The hardest part as a zombie was getting used to the contact lenses, but after about half an hour and eating some brains, it was all good. All in all, I have no problem with sticky make-up and prosthetics and thankfully I never got claustrophobic. I hope to play an alien sometime!”

What do you recall of your early time as an extra on features like Titanic?

“Many long hours and repeat takes. I played a third class and a first class passenger on the “poop” deck and in the fancy restaurant below, respectively. Funny thing is, I was literally rubbing elbows with the stars and absolutely sure I was going to be visible on the big screen once the movie was finished. I told all my friends and family about it and we all got really excited. Then we saw the movie and my face never showed up anywhere, haha. Made me look like a big liar, damn! Back then I didn’t quite understand the concept of close-ups and wide pans. It didn’t help that I head to wear a brown wig, because my bleach blond hair at the time was not right for the time period. Still, it was an amazing experience because it was my first time being on such a huge production. The scale of it was insane. There are a lot of unsung heroes, especially the make-up and wardrobe people. Boy, did they have their hands full! Most of the movie was filmed at the Fox studios in Rosarito, Mexico and the scenes I was in were almost always filmed overnight. Watching James Cameron direct was both amazing and a bit intimidating. I don’t care what some people think of him, I think he’s a genius.”

Do you find that many roles you are offered require nudity or of a sexual nature and is there too much pressure for actresses regarding sex in films?

“Not in my case, maybe my boobs aren’t big enough, haha! Maybe it’s because I’m more of a tomboy or nerd type, which is fine with me. I’d rather play a smart chick, scientist or villainy type anyway. Just wish I didn’t always wind up getting whacked! I think it’s up to the actress and it’s her choice in the end, if, and how far she wants to take it concerning nudity. Unfortunately, a lot of times female nudity makes it easier for a film to get financed. That’s just how the biz works. All the more reason why I appreciate movies like Neil Marshall’s horror flick The Descent. His girls are intelligent, educated, yes they’re sexy, witty, yet flawed. You relate to them and you care for their characters and what happens to them. There’s never any nudity required to “sell” the story. It’s sad when women are also only in a movie as “filler,” like the girlfriend, wife or mom of the main character. Let’s think outside the box and not automatically write or cast a character as a male! Wasn’t Ellen Ripley, who was played by Sigorney Weaver in Alien, first written as a male? I doubt the movie would have been the success it was without her kick-ass character!”

How come only six of your titles are listed on IMDb?

“Some of the older ones didn’t qualify, unfortunately, or in some cases the filmmaker didn’t submit his project to IMDb. Some of them are still in post-production. I’m expecting some new additions soon, though!”

How would you compare working in film to theatre and which do you find the most fulfilling?

“I like acting in film a little more because I have terrible stage fright, believe it or not! On camera, you have to be much more subtle than onstage, because you’re not projecting to a live audience and I somehow prefer that. The camera gives you the opportunity to be more intimate. It’s a different kind of animal. My training is also much stronger on the film acting side than theatre. I highly respect both, film and stage, because they each have their unique set of challenges. In a way, working in either venue is a big rush. Another reason I prefer film, though, is the fact that there are a lot more horror and sci-fi choices offered than in theatre.”

What is your involvement with the 48Hr Film Festival and how do you hope this will affect your career?

“I’m on a team as an actress and whatever crew is needed. Everybody pitches in. It’s a crazy ride and you never now how good or bad the end result will be. Most of the people on the team are cast or crew I’ve met on other projects, so we know each other and our strengths and how to best utilise each team member. I don’t really have any career aspirations with this, just looking forward to no sleep and frantic people. I really need to get my head examined! Kidding aside, I love the creative process, just going out there to film something. Beats sitting around at home!”