Known for her role as Tess Ross on TVs crime drama “Blue Bloods,” as Grace in the sci-fi drama “Auggie,” and as Jane Doe in the TV drama series “Who Killed Jane Doe?” actress/producer, Simone Policano is a versatile talent with a long list of film and TV credits.
In “This Is Our Home,” Policano is Reina, a young woman who answers a knock at the door one night from a young boy claiming to be her child. In this one-on-one interview, Policano reveals the rewards and challenges of being in this thriller and her views on acting.
This is an intimately personal horror/thriller. What attracted you to the role of Reina?
Simone Policano: The roles of Cory and Reina were crafted around Jeff (Ayars) and me. We were dating at the time. Jeff and Omri (Dorani) had worked on films together years ago. Omri has just finished working on a broad comedy entitled “How to Get Girls.” He reached out to Jeff and told him he wanted to do something completely different. So Jeff, Omri, screenwriter Rob Ayars and I got together and came up with this idea for a horror/thriller. We talked about anxieties and scary long-term relationships. I love Reina. She starts out as being a bit silent at the beginning of the film but eventually finds her voice and learns to stand up for herself. And what’s not to love about that?
What scene did you find most challenging?
SP: The scene at the end of the film where Cory and Reina say some pretty horrible things to each other. Jeff and I were emotionally connected in real life and we had to go to a really difficult place. After the scene, we re-checked with each other and reminded ourselves that it’s just acting. Having to inflict emotional pain on someone, even if it’s fictional, is hard.
Can you go into your favorite scene and why you liked it?
SP: I really loved the scene where Reina and Cory are dancing and drinking in the living room. And then lying on the ground and talking about how Reina and her brother Auggie put pea pods on their noses.
What film or actor inspired you to become an actor?
SP: Seeing a young Julia Roberts, her energy and how she was having such a great time in everything she did. That spoke to me and I thought, wow, wouldn’t it be great to be able to do that.
When you first started acting, what was the turning point that convinced you—I can make a living doing this?
SP: I didn’t go to theater school. I went to Yale as an American Studies major. But I did a lot of theater in college. You get out of school and you wonder—is acting feasible, can this really happen? So I started auditioning. I got lucky getting acting work and it kind of snowballed into TV shows and then came “Bluebloods.” After a point, you start to realize that it’s hard but not impossible. But really, everything is hard—doctor, lawyer, banker—you just have to pick the kind of ‘hard’ that’s right for you.
What did you draw from to create such an extraordinarily convincing emotional relationship with Drew Beckas who plays Zeke?
SP: I love kids. Drew was the biggest gift in the film. He kind of came out of nowhere from a wide casting search. When he walked in, he had this weird eccentric energy. And he and I just hit it off. He is warm and open. Yet he was able to play this kind of creepy kid. He’s very mature, but he has this childlike innocence about him. Whenever we weren’t shooting together, we’d be playing games on set. When our scenes were over and the director yelled cut, I’d sit with him and make sure he remained engaged and that he retained that character bond we had so we could jump back in and continue where we left off.
What would you say is the core message of this film?
SP: For me, the film is a lot less about a woman who wants to be a mom and more about what happens when your body autonomy or agency over your choices are taken away from you. Reina is a woman trying to find her voice after it’s been taken from her. Everyone should be able to make their own choices whatever they may be. It’s often the things that go unsaid in relationships that end up consuming you. It’s all about grief and trauma within relationships and navigating the parts of a relationship that you try to avoid and don’t want to talk about.
What were you like in high school? ‘The girl most likely to…?’
SP: The girl most likely to say what she feels and stand up for herself. I was studious and did a lot of plays. I would have loved to have gone into sports but the timing of practices interfered with those of drama rehearsals.
Any advice to aspiring young actors?
SP: Make a spreadsheet of every person you meet in this industry. Keep track of whom you meet, where you met them and what you talked about. Because the best way to make it in this industry and to move forward is to form a web or support system of people around you. Sure it’s about the art and craft, but you also have to network. Make sure you know people on set and that they know you.
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.
