Tara Cardinal: Actress, Activist and Queen of the Pick Axe, Mutant Killers! By Brian Kirst
Actress Tara Cardinal initially made quite an impression as the kindhearted Bibi in the horror filled Delivery. She even made falling in love with a huge, pizza delivering psycho seem like the most natural thing in the world. Since then Cardinal has flourished in the horror film community with appearances in films such as Legend of the Red Reaper, Death Knocks and Terminal Descent. As evidenced by www.myspace.com/taracardinal, it is obvious that Cardinal also has a strong knack for social justice and this passion surely led to her being named as September 2006’s Scream Queen of the Month at www.screamqueen.com. Cardinal (www.taracardinalactress.com) recently took a few moments to answer some incisive questions for us, as well.
Brian: Who were your first performing influences – Susan Strasberg touring the country in Agnes of God – Susan Lucci laying down the law on AMC – A tap dancing aunt?
Tara: I wasn’t exposed to too much entertainment when I first started. I grew up on a small farm in Indiana. We didn’t have cable. We got the Price is Right and Dallas. Most of my original performances came entirely from my own imagination. – I always had a very active imagination. I used to sit with my friend on the bus on the way to school every day, and the two of us would make up stories, and act them out. We did that every day for almost 4 years. I miss Tabitha…
Brian: You have participated in Shakespearian productions and Renaissance festivals. Do you find that the bloody films you appear in kind of mimic those classic works with their violent emotions and sweeping dramatic scope?
Tara: You know it’s hard to tell just how bloody a film is going to be until after it’s released. My role in Delivery, for example, was fairly tame in comparison to some of the other cast who were brutally slaughtered, and sometimes topless. But I have to admit, the kind of films I become a part of tend to be more on the intense side. Of course that’s the joy of acting. Digging down and finding those crushing wounds that aren’t healed, rehashing the very memories that give me nightmares when I’m alone – on set is where I can explore all that stuff, and let it all out. So, it’s fair to say I’m drawn to those sorts of projects.
Brian: You have played sensitive heroines like Bibi in Delivery and mysterious villains in productions like Death Knocks and Legend of the Red Reaper? Is it more challenging to find the underlying nuances of a fragile character or to discover the evil power of a more dangerous one?
Tara: Good question. Bibi was a fairly easy to character to play. Bibi was pretty much me. I’m the girl that dated the guy that no one else would date because he reminded me of a lost puppy. I would make friends with the loners (thus, depriving them of loner-status, but still…). The Red Reaper, on the other hand, is powerful BECAUSE of her fragility. It’s not until she looses everything that she goes on a rampage. But prior to that, she’s every girl who’s ever been in love, disappointed her father, felt abandoned by her mother, didn’t fit in socially. She just happens to be a Reaper. – But I still haven’t answered your question. I think playing evil power is “harder”. It’s more work. I spend a lot of time making sure I’ve found the right combination of hate, pain, power, and respect for each fight scene – and they’re all fight scenes in Red Reaper. Even the dialogue scenes are fight scenes. Even the love scenes are fight scenes. Maintaining the intensity for that is tiring. I spent a lot of time by myself on set, when I could. I stay in character on set, and the Red Reaper is terrible dinner companion!
Brian: You endured quite a lot as Bibi in Delivery. What was the most interesting aspect of that filming experience for you?
Tara: – Almost getting thrown into the entertainment center. … See, Matt and I had a disagreement about how he was going to throw me during our confrontation scene. I asked him to throw me straight forward, and he had his body tilted on an angle. He said he would only change his body position with the permission of the director. – Which of course makes sense. – Continuity can be compromised if you alter your position without changing camera angles – and it was hard to know when the camera angles were changing. The director got caught up with something, and we never got to ask his permission. I jumped on Matt – all 6’3” of him, and he threw me. I saw the Entertainment Center coming at my face, dropped my knee to halt the momentum, and ow!!!!! We took a nice long break after that. And Matt got permission to change angles.
Brian: Besides budget and time, what is the biggest difference about working on a major production like Miami Vice and lower scale production like Delivery?
Tara: The food, and people knowing your name. The food is insane on big budget productions. It’s extravagant. On Delivery, the whole crew knew my name, and they all pronounced it right (for some reason the whole world wants to call me Terra, instead of Tara). On Miami Vice, I was “little red car”. No one knew my name. Not even the guy yelling at me on the walkie.
Brian: Morganna Chavez in Dangerous Games sounds like a fascinating character. What can you tell us about her?
Tara: She’s a young, sassy CIA op in love with an older man. She’s incredibly independent, and on a mission to discover who killed her best friend. She’s taking this job very seriously. The man she’s in love with, Clint, is her brother’s best friend and has never returned her advances – until now. BUT he still treats her like a child. From there it’s ever action/romance.
Brian: I grew up in the country so I love me some Hick Horror! Therefore, I am thrilled about Terminal Descent – described as a tale about urban riot girls versus mutant hobos. What was the most exciting aspect about that production?
Tara: YES!! I LOVED making that film. The director, David R Williams, was great. He gave me complete creative license with my character, my action style, my wardrobe and even my hair. – The stunt coordinator was amazing too. He knew his moves, was a white guy with dreads and a soft voice. Most of the time he had my fights choreographed, and sometimes we would work together on them. My character goes down fighting the leader of the mutants. I am really excited to see how they cut that scene together. I really put a lot into it, physically and emotionally. Because of the character, I spent some time re-vamping my look. At my height and natural build, it wouldn’t have been believable that I could take on a 6’2” 250 pound psycho mutant and win the fight. So I bulked up. I went down to 12% body fat. I was ALL shoulders and biceps. I’ll see if I can find a picture for you.
Brian: I grew up near Buffalo, so I was also curious about your experiences filming in Western New York for Terminal Descent. Is there anything that sticks out in your mind?
Tara: We shot entirely on location. We used natural light, and I was the flare girl and leader of the expedition. It was dirty, dangerous and FUN! And Tim Hortons has the best coffee.
Brian: Lastly, do you have any words of advice (IE: Never trust a pizza delivery guy with slightly batty eyes) that you’d like to offer us or future projects that you’d like to tell us about? And thanks – this has been better than a thin crust with 12 toppings!
Tara: Advice for my actor friends: Never pick up a weapon you don’t know how to use and can’t get rid of before the next fight scene. (The pick hammer in Terminal Descent). Never try to sing an opera in a 21” corset.
And for my non-actor friends:
And always tip the pizza boy. You never know who’s at your door. And don’t fear the Red Reaper. She’s on your side.
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