It's not every day you hear that someone visited Transylvania, but that's exactly what All My Children alum Carrie Genzel (ex-Skye Chandler) got to do as part of her filming experience for the horror/comedy flick They're Watching. Luckily, she wasn't snatched by snaggletooth vampires and was able to share with Soap Central some fun, behind-the-scenes moments of making the film, which will be in theaters and on Video On Demand beginning Friday, March 25.
But this is a soap site, after all, so we of course got her to take a stroll down Pine Valley memory lane in addition to talking about her new film. Read on to find out why the cancellation of AMC had her in tears, how she describes her past relationship with the late David Canary (ex-Adam Chandler), and so much more.
soapcentral.com: They're Watching is coming out on March 25, and from what I can tell, it's quite a unique movie. The official description teases it's about the crew of an American home improvement show that travels to Eastern Europe and experiences some extremely weird happenings. What has the response been like so far from fans and from people who have already seen the film?
Carrie Genzel: People are really excited about it. It's different than what's out there, and I think people have been really surprised. The trailer came out recently, and people have been really surprised at how much humor is in it and that it seems really intense and scary, as well. So people are like, "Oh, my gosh, I can't wait to see this!"
soapcentral.com: Is it similar to anything already out there that you can think of?
Genzel: Oh, gosh, not really. It really does put a spin on the horror genre, because there is a lot of humor in it, but it's not a slapsticky kind of humor, which has been done in the past, kind of broader comedy within a horror film, and it's not like that. This is really different than what's been out, so I think people are going to be really surprised, and it'll keep them on their toes too, which is great.
soapcentral.com: It's always a good thing to feel that super suspense when you're watching a horror film, but I know I appreciate occasional humor to kind of slice through and lighten the mood.
Genzel: [Laughs] You know it's funny when you're watching movies that are suspense or thriller or horror with an audience, because you realize people get uncomfortable and they start laughing at weird times in the movie, because they just need to let that pressure out. Again, without giving too much away, it is different even more so than that. It is very different. Jay Lender, who is one of our writers and directors, describes it as a workplace comedy gone wrong, and that really is kind of the best way to describe it. It's my favorite way to describe it.
soapcentral.com: Your character, who's the producer of this fictional television show, is described as tyrant in the press release, which I thought was kind of funny.
Genzel: I know, I saw that! [Laughs] I don't feel that way about her, but I can see how she might be perceived as such. Kate Banks is the host and producer of House Hunters Global, which is the show these characters are shooting in Moldova. And more than anything, Kate is consistently frustrated throughout the movie, because she's trying to get this shoot done, and her crew is off, from her perspective, fooling around and not getting the shots they need, getting to locations late. So Kate is just trying to get the shoot done so they can go home, and there are so many obstacles that get in her way. So as that continues to happen, her level of frustration grows.
soapcentral.com: The film description also has a funny line about how they all go to this place to do the shoot, thinking the lack of Wi-Fi and mocha lattes will be their biggest problems. So that puts you into their mindset, and I can see how Kate could get upset.
Genzel: Right? It's interesting to see the response online in terms of the trailer. I always love when people judge an entire movie based on two minutes, from something they haven't seen. And there are people who are like, "This was not shot in Moldova! That isn't what the people are like!" And it's so funny, because it's like, first off, you haven't seen the movie, and secondly, we, the Americans, are really the bad guys in the movie. In a way, we're quite obnoxious and you kind of get why they don't like us! And it's exactly that: we're kind of spoiled, and we want our Starbucks and our Wi-Fi and all of the niceties that we enjoy at home, and not really taking into consideration that we're in another culture, another country, and people live differently. And we storm in there and want everything the way we want it. So, yes, that is also one of the things I'm dealing with as the producer of my crew, complaining about the circumstances in which they have to work.
soapcentral.com: That's like art imitating life, because so many cultures really do feel that way about Americans.
Genzel: Right! And I think we're just perpetuating that... but we're having fun with it. And I think everybody will enjoy the result, once they see it and see the context of it.
soapcentral.com: How did you end up getting involved? Was it a regular audition?
Genzel: It was just another audition. I read the script and thought it was really clever and really funny, and I went in to the audition like any other job. You just never know, right? And it was a really funny script, and they really encouraged me and everybody to have fun and make it our own, and that's what really great about working with Jay and Micah Wright, who directed the film. They gave us great stuff to say, but they also really gave us a lot of liberty to inject a lot of ourselves into the scenes and our characters. They really got a lot of our own flavor, and we were able to really ad-lib a lot and add a lot of moments. As a cast, you know, we were all cast out of Los Angeles and flown over to Romania, so we were experiencing some of these things that the characters were experiencing, like going out and eating traditional Romanian food, which isn't the food we're used to eating, and we had people staring at us, and all kinds of strangeness. You feel odd, and we stood out as tourists. So we really got to bring some of those experiences and funny moments into the actual scenes. Of course, much more extreme in the movie, but it was funny to say, "Oh, let's put that in, the thing that happened at dinner last night!"
soapcentral.com: What a great chance, to get to travel and see new places like Romania.
Genzel: I know. That's what is really exciting about being an actor, getting to travel to places you wouldn't normally occur to you to visit. I wouldn't normally hop on a plane and visit Romania. It's a long trip, and I didn't know anything about the country before I went. I knew where it was but I was like, "Oh, okay!" And it was so much fun to be able to live there for a period of time and get to know some of the people that live there and learn about the country. And it adds so much to the film. It really becomes another character in the movie, which is something you can't fake if you were trying to reproduce that in New Orleans or Canada. And we had such a great supporting cast, all from that area, who just brought so much authenticity to the screen and their characters. It was a real treat to be able to work with the local actors and see their excitement to be a part of it, as well.
soapcentral.com: Did you know right away this was going to be a quality film? With horror films, you can never really tell until you're in it, you know?
Genzel: I felt like we were in good hands. When I went in to audition, [the writers] were there, as well as our executive producer, and it was just such a great feeling in the room of support and excitement and fun, as if they had really thought all of this out and put a lot of care into developing the characters and the story. I felt like I was in really good hands. And we also have a fantastic cast. We've all worked quite a lot, and I knew that we were all going to have each other's backs. So it felt good going over there, and we felt like a team. As an actor, you really do your work and you go home, and you don't know what's going to happen. It's a little crazy sometimes, you know, you cross your fingers. But Micah and Jay have been so collaborative this entire process and have really included us in a lot of decisions and have given us updates along the way, so I'm just really thrilled that people are finally going to get a chance to see it and experience it and hopefully have a lot of fun with it. But you just never know as an actor when you get on board with something. You just have to go in and do your work and do the best you can and see what happens. But I felt pretty good about it going in, and it really was a really fun, fun shoot. It was a great experience, regardless of what the outcome is -- which I think will be great -- but it was just a great experience to go and do that with them.
soapcentral.com: Were you recognized in Romania, or did they have no idea you were actors?
Genzel: I don't remember that happening so much. We stayed mostly in Bucharest, which is a pretty big city. It's not like we were staying out in the woods somewhere. But we did shoot in Transylvania for five days, and that was really fun. And it was more of a smaller town. But I don't remember anybody recognizing us. It happened more so just in the traveling to Bucharest. A few of us got recognized at different airports we were at and things like that, but not so much when we were there. They recognized that we were probably part of a film crew and would watch us and try to figure out who we were, but I don't remember anybody running up and going, "Oh, hi!"
soapcentral.com: Is it soap opera fans who typically recognize you?
Genzel: Just different things, really. I find that I don't get recognized for the soap opera as much anymore. It's more from other projects I've done since then. It's interesting because a lot of people from daytime do reach out to me on social media, but I find in person, it doesn't happen as much as it used to. It's more so from other things that I've done more recently. But soap opera fans are amazing. They're absolutely incredible, and I'm so grateful to them, because they have been so loyal and supportive all these years.
soapcentral.com: They really stand by you forever, and they remember everything.
Genzel: Yes, they do remember everything. I forget a lot of things, because it's been awhile, and they'll be like, "No, no, it was this!" And I'll go, "Oh, yeah, you're right!" And if I say, "Does anyone remember..." and of course, I'll get like 30 responses [laughs], like, "You went here, and then you did this." I have to say, when I first joined All My Children, it was really the fans that helped me a lot in piecing together Skye's history, because the character had been off the show for about six years. A lot of people didn't really remember things she had done previously. I got a little information from the show, but it was really the fans who would send me these beautiful letters and talk about her past, and that filled me in the most, which was interesting.
soapcentral.com: Did you keep up on the drama of All My Children being canceled and everything that happened with that?
Genzel: Well, I did... on social media. A lot of people were reaching out to me to get thoughts, and I have so many friends still in daytime, and I still have some friends who were on All My Children, so I was certainly aware of what was going on. And it was really sad. It felt really sad to me that there was nothing going on anymore in Pine Valley. It had been a long time since I had been there, but there was something nice about knowing there was still life in Pine Valley, even though I was gone. And it was sad to me, to think that it just wasn't there anymore. Also, it was sad to me for the fans, because I know what that show meant to them, and those characters. They grew up with those characters, and they shared their lives with them, so it was heartbreaking to see that end for them and to see how upset they were and still continue to be upset with it. My mom continued to watch the show after I left, and she was completely heartbroken that the show went off the air. In fact, she was just sharing with me recently that she still has the last episode that aired on ABC on her DVR [laughs]. She saved it, and she said, "It's not like I really go back and watch it a lot, but it's just nice to know that it's there."
soapcentral.com: It's sort of like a security blanket. And I think a lot of people look at soap operas like that, because you allow these characters in your home, every day, five days a week. They become a bit like an extended family.
Genzel: Absolutely. For sure. And I feel as an actor that was a part of that, I can only really speak for myself, but I feel like it was a general thing; I really did feel like I was a part of people's lives, because you would get these wonderful letters and messages from people who would share what was happening to them. They may have been in the hospital for an extended stay, and the only bright hour of their day was watching All My Children. And you realize how much you really meant to a lot of these people, and how you really were family to them. It's an incredible experience to have that, and it feels really special... And also, you go along with everything on the show; you celebrate Christmas together, you celebrate Thanksgiving together, and it really is very different than a nighttime show. You're a part of their lives every day.
soapcentral.com: I'm sure you heard the sad news about David Canary passing away, and I'm wondering if you can share some memories of working with him and what he meant to you?
Genzel: I was contacted a lot to give quotes for various publications, and it's easier to talk about now than it was when it first happened. I was honored to have a place to be able to speak about David, but there were times when I sobbed through my quotes! David just really meant so much to me. I was so honored to be able to work with him during my stay on All My Children. He really was my New York dad. I even called him my New York dad. His dressing room was across from mine, and he would check up on me if we didn't work together for a little while, and he'd sit down and just chat and see how I was. And he was like that with Kelly Ripa [ex-Haley Santos], as well, like we were really his kids. And it was incredible to watch him work, to watch him juggle Adam and Stuart. He would do it so seamlessly, and it was fascinating to see that and be a part of that. We really had an opportunity to talk about some personal things, relationships and family and so forth, because of the nature of the Adam and Skye relationship, and I really treasure those moments and those talks that we got to have. And it really added to the scenes, because we had a real foundation under us to really work from. I just really respected and loved him. He was a wonderful, wonderful man.
For more about They're Watching, check out the film's official website.
Photos courtesy of Best Served Cold Productions
Will you be watching They're Watching? What are some of your favorite memories of Genzel's AMC days? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
