Known for her work as Ana Thatcher on “Gremlin,” young Lillian on “Object Eleven” and Stephanie Roebuck on “Two Secrets,” Katie Burgess has amassed a considerable body of work for a young actress. In the futuristic thriller “Jurassic Games,” Burgess is Joy, one of 10 lethal death row criminals competing for their freedom in a virtual reality game show that pits players against dinosaurs and each other. All who die in the virtual game, die in reality. In this one-on-one interview, Burgess reveals her feelings for the film, her character Joy, and some personal insights.
What attracted you to this futuristic thriller?
Burgess: I did a film with director Ryan Bellgardt called “Gremlin,” where he used a lot of special effects. So when I heard that Ryan wanted to do another film with dinosaurs, I was really excited because I knew that he and his team have a great talent doing special effects. And, of course, the character of Joy attracted me to the film because I thought she was absolutely crazy.
How did you prepare for this physically demanding role?
Burgess: I have to be completely honest; I did not train enough. It was definitely a challenge. I went to the gym a couple of times a week, but nothing like I should have to prepare for the role of Joy. It was demanding but I felt like I was in amazing shape afterward.
Joy wasn’t exactly a sympathetic character. How are you like her and how are you different?
Burgess: I think, beyond being kind of a psychopath, Joy has that kind of teenager in her. And I think you can see that in her character. She’s still a kid, even though she’s kind of a horrific individual. I think that I could relate to the teenager in her. That attitude, which is how I’m kind of like her. But I’d like to say that I’m not as ruthless as Joy.
What’s it like acting with computer-generated saber tooth tigers and T-Rexes you can’t see?
Burgess: I’ve always thought it was interesting, especially on the set of “Gremlin,” when you’re working with something that’s not there, it’s almost easier to use your imagination. You can sort of see what you’d truly be afraid of to get that feeling across. So I took my imagination and ran with it. Of course, there were physical cues they would give us. So it was a creative process that called for a number of takes. But it wasn’t as challenging as I thought it was going to be.
What were you like in high school?
Burgess: OMG. I did do the school plays. I was kind of classified as one of the dorky kids through my freshman and sophomore years. But then I found where I wanted to be and I started to do the musicals. I did a lot of speech and debate and was pretty successful and made friends there. In my junior and senior years, I was part of a different crowd of people.
What’s your favorite sport to play and to watch?
Burgess: To play, it would probably be La Cross, which is what I played in high school. My favorite sport to watch is definitely hockey.
What film or person inspired you to become an actor?
Burgess: That’s a great question. Okay, there’s a film called “13 Going on 30.” I was obsessed with that film growing up. The actress, Jennifer Garner was my hero when I was little. I loved her. I think she’s one of the reasons I wanted to get into acting.
If you weren’t an actor, what would you like to be?
Burgess: I don’t know, I’ve always been really interested in having my own business and being an entrepreneur ever since I was young.
What advice would you give a young actor eager to enter the profession?
Burgess: I would say to work hard but not have incredibly high expectations. Because it’s definitely difficult. If you have high expectations, it will kind of deter you from acting. Whereas if you go into it with lower expectations and work really hard, it’s easier to pursue it no matter what.
What are you working on now?
Burgess: I was recently cast in a spy-action thriller. I can’t say too much about it, but we’ll be shooting it in the summer and it should be out by next fall.
“The Jurassic Games” will be available on Digital 6/12 and DVD 7/3 from Uncork’d Entertainment. Check out the trailer.
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
