P2 debuted this past weekend and as luck would have it, Rachel Nichols, star of the film was available for an interview.

Rachel has appeared in many roles on film and television. (Alias, Sex and the City, Shopgirl).

P2 centers on Rachel"s character, a rising corporate star working for a mid-town Manhattan firm. She finds herself in peril once she gets accosted in a deserted parking garage by a psychotic security guard (Wes Bentley) when her car won"t start.

Being held captive and antagonized for hours, the frightened and blood-soaked woman tries to turn the tables on her delusional antagonist.

Since there are a lot of bizarre scenes in P2, what was it like coming to the set day after day knowing that you were going to be put through some tough work?

There is so much torture, and being bound by handcuffs for long periods of time in the film. How long was the shoot how long did you have to endure the grueling takes in the garage?

Coming off a filming where there is a lot of terror, some people might have some nightmares or uncomfortable dreams after doing the film...

What was your reaction after seeing the film as a finished product for the first time?

It’s very surreal for me because I’m not one of those actors who hates watching their work. I enjoy watching the work that I do, because it’s obviously very, very personal. And I am very critical of myself, but I still like watching the movie when it comes together.

I have to admit, it is really hard to watch myself in peril for 90 minutes. I don’t know how my parents are going to do it. I don’t think my father will be able to watch it. But it was something I am really proud of. I think we put together a really good final piece. So I’m happy with it.

Playing a challenging part like the one you had to do can affect you personally, did it change your outlook on choosing future roles like this?

I don’t think I’m ever going to read scripts the same way. Of course when I read the script for P2 there were dogs and water and bare feet and crowbars and breaking glass and bleeding, and you know, there were all of these elements. But I’m reading the script thinking, ‘God that’s great.’ She really kicks ass. How fantastic is that, and... oh... I love it, and she does all these great things and nobody comes to save her. She saves herself... how empowering and great.

And all those things are true, but man oh man, every time I see a dog in a script I’ll wonder...oh gosh is it going to be a Rottweiler? Is it going to have to jump at me? Is going to have to bite me? Am I going to have to wrestle it? Am I going to have to run down a corridor and have it chase me and put me in fear for my life? So I have definitely started reading scripts a little differently, although anything like this certainly wouldn’t deter me from doing another film like P2, because in the end I ended up having a good time shooting it.

But I am definitely more aware of the different elements. I mean, I wore handcuffs basically 12 to 13 hours a day for five weeks straight. They actually had to cover up the bruises on my arms after a while. Instead of enhance them, they had to just cover them up 'cause it looked absurd that I would have such crazy bruises on my wrists.

Most roles are lessons in acting as well, what did you learn from doing this film, and what can you take with you for your next role?

A very good question. This is obviously the first film in which I’ve ever really played one of the lead characters, and having completed this film under the pressure and in a stressful situation due to the fact we were shooting nights. It was crazy. The film has really given me the confidence that I can take with me for roles like this, which is really important for me.

I think, and for any actor frankly, to find that power within yourself and that belief and self-confidence, like 'Hey, I came out of this on the other end and I think I kept my head on straight through the whole thing,’ which I didn’t know if I’d be able to achieve. So that was extremely rewarding for me, actually knowing that I could do a job this strenuous and be happy with the end results.

Because this is such a tough role to play for any actor, why did you take it in the first place?

You know I read the script and obviously that thriller genre is a very, very popular genre and there are many, many scripts that are written in that vein. And P2 kind of stood out. I have a 20-page rule. If I get 20 pages into the script and I am not into it I stop reading it. But P2 kind of had me right from the beginning and I thought wow this is different. This is interesting.

I hadn’t thought of the parking garage aspect, which frankly is a fear for many women, a really tangible fear. And I like that in a thriller. I like when the audience watching the movie can potentially see themselves in the same situation as the lead character. Thinking wow that could be me, that could happen to me. So the script I thought was great.

On the set of most films crazy things can happen, were there any funny incidents that happed on the set of P2?

I am so glad you asked me this question, 'cause nobody has asked me this question and I so have this great story to tell. There’s a scene where I get splattered with blood on my face, an extraordinary amount of blood. And what happens is, after we do that scene we still have to shoot the scenes that come after that sequentially in the movie.

So my make-up artist (Diane Mazur) had to recreate the sporadic blood spray on my face every day. She had to paint it on my face. And we had a very hilarious experience with a Hudson Sprayer, which is this sort of blood spraying machine.

So Diane Mazur, poor lady, was recreating the blood on me and she was using the Hudson Sprayer. She sprayed me once and then stopped, and then she sprayed my arms again and then stopped. Then, she accidentally hit the hold button that keeps it spraying non-stop, so it kept spraying me and spraying me, the white dress I was wearing in the scene was covered in blood.

Continuity was completely screwed and I got it in my hair, it sprayed all over the make-up trailer. Diane and Ethylene, who’s my hair person, and myself, were the only three people in there. We are laughing hysterically, and we were all covered in this sticky gelatinous, disgusting fake blood…I had to shower so they could start all over again.

It was like a 2-hour delay. It was insane and it was one of the funniest experiences that ever happened to me. The special effects guys decided that they would no longer let us use their Hudson Sprayer. They revoked our privileges as soon as they could.

What advice would you give to aspiring actors?

I grew up in Maine so actors, musicians and models—they don’t really exist in the tangible world where I’m from. It’s not like there’s celebrity sightings all the time. It seems acting is like the impossible dream I guess I would say. I didn’t have designs on an acting career.

I went to college in New York and really thought I was going to end up on Wall Street. I majored in economics and minored in Psychology. I speak French. That is what I thought I would end up doing (working on Wall Street).

But, the domino effect of what happens when you go to New York City, and doors keep opening, and your life changes dramatically by that effect...I ended up sort of taking a path that I didn’t think I would take. And I would do it all again the exact same way...

I feel my college experience, and graduating from college, really sculpted who I am. So my advice is: I wouldn’t start working any earlier. I think it’s really important to go all the way through school even if it is acting school. I’m a big proponent of education. So I feel that getting an education suited me very well. So I would definitely recommend that.

The topic in Hollywood these days centers on the writers' strike, what is your take on it?

Do you have any future projects coming up?

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Frances   |2007-11-14 08:07:06 That movie was chilling. She did a geat job! Reply 0   0

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