Stuntwoman-turned-actress Lauren LaVera has gone from being Anya Taylor-Joy’s stunt double in a 2016 psychological thriller to carving out a name for herself as the Scream Queen du jour in films such as Terrifier 2 and the upcoming third film in the franchise, Terrifier 3. Her new film, Italian-set chiller The Well, is directed by horror veteran Federico Zampaglione and brings her to Glasgow next week when she presents its UK premiere at FrightFest, part of the Glasgow Film Festival.
What’s the last book you read?
My grandmother’s copy of Stephen King’s The Shining. I’d never read it before but had seen the movie countless times. At its core, it really is about the struggle of alcoholism and focuses on that way more in depth than the movie does, as most people know I’m sure, and what I think is one of the criticisms the movie faces from King himself. So happy I finally got around to reading it – but it didn’t put any damper on my love for the film.
What’s the last film you saw in a cinema?
I honestly think it was the Barbenheimer phenomenon! Not on the same day, but it must have been consecutively. It was a busy autumn so I, unfortunately, didn’t have much time to make it to the cinema. I have a lot of catching up to do.
What’s your favourite horror film?
It really depends on my mood on the day but it ranges from The Shining to Evil Dead. There are too many amazing horror films, it’s impossible to choose a favourite for me.
John Carpenter or David Cronenberg?
I don’t really like to compare film-makers … but if I had to choose, it would be John Carpenter because of Halloween.
Who’s your favourite actor ?
Lucille Ball. Aside from being a trailblazer, a woman ahead of her time, the first woman to run a production company, having one of the best shows on television even till this day, she was wickedly funny and talented. She was truly unstoppable all while being an absolute joy. I love Lucy. 😉
Recommend a TV box-set …
Fleabag. The main character is not only hilarious but is also flawed yet redeemable. Most of the characters depicted aren’t good people who make some morally questionable decisions and I personally feel like that’s one of the over-arching themes of the show: people make mistakes. And we still love them despite their very human flaws.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction. I like an escape from reality and there’s no better place than in the imagination of an artist.
What music are you currently listening to and what do you like about it?
Currently I really love Ashnikko. I love her messaging and how her music makes me feel. I saw her live a few months back in the rain and we all howled at the full moon. It was primal and magical. Highly recommend.
Vinyl or MP3?
Vinyl at home, MP3 at the gym. :)
What has been your most formative cultural experience?
Studying abroad in Italy and travelling in Europe and the UK. It’s where I met my husband, for one thing. It also taught me to take risks and chances on myself. I have greater love, patience, and understanding for people that I really don’t think I would’ve learned as quickly had I not ventured out and away from my small neighbourhood. I’m forever grateful for that experience.
What’s your go-to YouTube video?
I love a good fun, funny, witty, or just creative music video. I could watch them for hours and I’m always looking for new ones to play in the background when I’m entertaining friends. If you’re reading this, send me your recommendations!
Favourite band?
I have multiple, but my go-to is The White Stripes. I’m so fascinated with what they were able to achieve in their simplicity. They’re a prime example of “less is more”.
Recommend a singer …
Tash Sultana is a multitalented, multi-instrumentalist, one-person band whose live performances are so unreal and is one of the only musicians that can move me to tears almost instantly.
Favourite film ever?
Favourite is a strong word for any film, because again it depends on my mood that day. But one film I’ll always watch if it’s on TV is Anchorman. I guess that constitutes a favourite. No notes, just a fun watch.
If you’re a gamer, what’s your current favourite game?
It’s not as current any more but I still love Layers Of Fear. It’s a psychological horror adventure game and it’s so well executed and, at times, downright creepy.
Recommend a film …
Kill Bill, both parts. The Bride, our film’s lead, is deliciously complex and has some of my favourite fight scenes which is a fun added bonus. The film is dialogue heavy and I love that Tarantino trusted his actors enough to know how interesting it is to just stay on a simple conversation. It works so well.
Vampires or werewolves?
Vampires. The outfits of course …
The UK premiere of The Well screens as part of the FrightFest line-up at the Glasgow film Festival on March 9 (6.05pm)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here