Getting married is hard enough, without having to worry about your fiancée hiding something from you. Autumn Reeser's character Julia has to deal with the secret of all secrets once she finds out her hubby-to-be is really a werewolf!

Just in time for Halloween, Nature of the Beast hits the ABC Family channel this coming Sunday, October 21. Why is this show so great? Reeser says, "It's a fun show to watch this time of year because the werewolf story makes it perfect Halloween fare, but the comedic tone means the whole family can watch it, and you don't have to worry about your children seeing something they shouldn't!"

Autumn has done a bunch of work dealing with otherworldly themes lately (you may remember her from the O.C.). Coincidence? "I call it 'the Summer of the Supernatural!! It was just a coincidence, and I actually took each project for a different reason: Nature of the Beast allowed me to play my first romantic lead in a film, Ghost Whisperer let me try my hand at the horror genre, and I was so excited to be a part of Lost Boys 2 because I got to explore the vampire lore, and to be a part of such a cult hit," explains Reeser.

Filming any production brings about good and bad experiences. "The worst moments were the unseasonably cold night shoots while wearing a dress!!! The type of cold where you're chilled down to the insides of your bones – it's hard to act warm and cheerful when you're trying to keep your teeth from chattering!"

It wasn't all bad though. "The best moments were watching the sun go down, and then watching the sun rise over these gorgeous natural locations—unbelievable! The magic hour and the dawn light were so stunning, and the ability to just sit and absorb it while waiting for the shot to be set up was priceless," recalls Reeser.

Autumn has not seen the final cut of the movie, she is waiting to see it like everyone else, but what was it about the script that drew her to this role in the first place? "I feel in the horror genre, women are often represented as victims, and here I had the opportunity to play a strong female character—someone who isn't a victim and would never consider herself one. She's the heart behind the movie, the one who believes it will all work out in the end, if she just tries hard enough. I like playing women with enormous drive like that, they speak to me," says Reeser.

When comparing the character to herself, "She's more straight-laced than I am, and a traditionalist. She comes from a wealthy, old-money, East Coast background, and I come from middle-class California liberals! There's a big difference in upbringing there!! But we both believe in marrying for love and compatibility, not for money or status or parental approval," confides Reeser.

When it comes to character comparisons, what would Autumn do if she discovered her significant other had a secret? "Hmmm. Well, luckily they have often been good secrets, like a surprise party, so I've been happy to find out about them! I'll keep the specifics behind the bad ones to myself, but those experiences certainly came in handy during the filming of this movie. Secrets are never as scary to deal with as you imagine they might be."

Secrets aren't scary? Not even when your fiancée is a werewolf? Why would her character Julia even stay with someone if they were a werewolf! "She really loves her fiance! It's a metaphor for all of the big and little realities that come to light when you have decided to spend the rest of your life with someone. There's suddenly no more hiding because there is someone who will be in your life 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year after year after year...

"Julia really believes in marriage and understands what it takes to make it work. It's always work and there is always a problem to be overcome, so I feel like in some ways, the movie is a love-letter to marriage and the energy it takes to have a successful relationship. I'm also a believer in mating for life," says Reeser.

Love and marriage aside—what is it that makes this movie really work? "In this film, the comedy is what makes the horror work, and vice-versa. You can become desensitized quickly during a horror/gore film because you're always on the lookout for the next big scare, so you're bracing yourself. With a film like Nature of the Beast, you become invested in the characters because they're endearing and you like them, so it's much more effective when horrifying things happen to them," reflects Reeser.

Don't miss this funny, horror of a film during ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween. Make sure you check your local listings for show times.

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Katie   |2007-10-20 19:43:36 this show sounds cute. i like autumn she seems very easy to talk to. Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."