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Exclusive Interview: YouTube Sensation Nikki Limo Talks Travis Baker’s Mischief Night!

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Nikki Limo as “Daphne” in Travis Baker’s Mischief Night.

*Nikki Limooooo!!! I’ve probably screamed this about twenty times since I started interviewing the cast and crew of Travis Baker’s Mischief Night. While everyone involved with the movie are extremely noteworthy and talented, Nikki has a special place in my evil, humorous little heart. I first discovered her talent during my freshman year of college (about six years ago) and have been a big fan ever since. So, imagine my surprise when I saw she was playing one of the lead roles in a new movie being released by Lionsgate and After Dark Films on May 20th! You can find my interview with Nikki Limo below where we discuss her rise to fame, the parallels between YouTube and television, and more importantly her role as Daphne in Travis Baker’s Mischief Night.

H: To start things off, can you introduce yourself to the readers? Tell us a little about your background.
N: My name is Nikki Limo. I’m an actress/ comedian. I started acting when I was 8-years-old, but then took a very long break when my talent manager died two years later. I had almost gone into another field entirely, but something pulled me back when I was 19, and I decided to pursue acting full time. While waiting for gigs, I started writing and performing stand-up. I helped launch UCSB’s stand-up comedy program, Laughology, back in 2007, and by the time I moved to LA in 2008, I knew enough people to perform on a regular basis while studying acting. Now I act, write, and produce mainly scripted comedy for the web.

H: When did you decide to start making YouTube videos?
N: I actually never planned on making YouTube videos, it was just something I fell into. In 2007 I started putting up short, silly (stupid) sketches on MySpace, and the second one I posted got featured on their main page, which was a big deal back then. Suddenly I had “fans!” I kept making videos and used YouTube as a back-up storage site, basically. When MySpace kind of fizzled, I stopped making videos and focused on acting and stand-up. Then in 2009 I submitted to be in a sketch for a new channel called TotallySketch, and met Michael Gallagher.

We started working together, and he introduced me to a whole community of people on YouTube I never knew existed. I knew nothing about YouTube, but suddenly I was working with their top 100 channels. I gained a huge subscriber base with virtually no content of my own, just from those channels driving to mine, and realized “hey, maybe I should start making my own content again.” Creating my own content gives me the joy I feel from writing stand-up, combined with the love I have for acting. I’ve always felt very welcomed and at home with the YouTube community, as I lived a very contrasted life working the audition circuit in traditional media.

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Nikki Limo getting ready to shoot Travis Baker’s Mischief Night.

H: How does it feel to be one of the most revered YouTube stars of all time?
N: Is this a trick question?

H: This is not a trick question. You’ve, at least, been my favorite YouTuber for many years now.
N: I feel far from being one of the most revered YouTubers, but thank you. I am ever grateful for the people who introduced, and welcomed me into this game changing medium, back when it was on the ground floor. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything special. I just feel like I was just in the right place at the right time. I’m still a LONG way from where I’d like to be. But I’m working on it!

H: Eventually you started booking roles on television shows including “90210” and “How I Met Your Mother.” How did the transition from the computer screen to the television screen go?
N: I feel like YouTube afforded me the ability to be working on set, in front of a camera, on a regular basis. A luxury that many up and coming actors don’t have. And a lot of the YouTube productions I’ve been a part of are extremely professional and produced (crews, lighting, RED cameras). Because of this, I felt SO much more comfortable and confident on set when I was working on TV. It felt like home. Television is also where I’d like to end up eventually, and playing small roles on these hit TV shows gave me a taste of what life might be like someday.

H: From computer screen, to television screen, to the big screen: in 2012 you found yourself playing a supporting role in Smiley, one of the hottest horror releases of the year. What can you tell me about your leap from comedy to horror?
N: You know, there’s surprisingly a lot of similarities between comedy and horror. Namely, timing. Both genres aim at surprising the audience, so I had fun with it. I’ve also been trained as a serious actor for eight years, so it’s nice to be able to work on something different now and then. Plus – BONUS FUN POINTS – I got to give my mom a heart attack when she watched me die a horrific death on an Imax theater screen.*

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Nikki Limo (right) while filming Travis Baker’s Mischief Night.

H: As an actress, what’s harder for you: laughing when the joke isn’t funny or acting scared when the threat isn’t real?
N: I think laughing when the joke isn’t funny is harder. People don’t realize how many takes you have to do before getting a final cut. Everyone’s heard the jokes. I also probably suck to tell jokes around in real life, I rarely laugh out loud, even when I think your joke is clever or funny. It doesn’t mean I didn’t like your joke! I didn’t choose to be jaded! I guess working the stand-up comedy circuit for six years will do that to you. When I do laugh, you know it’s genuine though. Doesn’t that mean more? Acting scared when the threat isn’t real is easier, because it’s acting. It’s imagination. And I have a dark, DARK imagination. I can always conjure up something terrifying.

H: Now you have a movie coming out this month, Travis Baker’s Mischief Night, where you play one of the lead roles. Can you tell me what attracted you to the project?
N: What’s funny is we actually shot this project in 2010, almost two years before Smiley. So, at the time, I had never done a horror flick before. I thought it would be a nice change-up from comedy.

H: What can you tell me about your character in Mischief Night?
N: I play Daphne. She’s the pretty, popular high school girl (obviously, look at my face. jkjkjkjk), which contrasts Kaylie’s character who’s kind of a loner. They’re best friends though, and Daphne has good intentions. She’s a good person, but easy for Kaylie (played by Brooke Anne Smith) to get jealous of.

H: What was one of your favorite behind the scenes moments?
N: [One scene in particular], getting the timing down was very exciting and nerve wracking, but we did it!

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Travis Baker (left) and Nikki Limo (right) rehearsing a scene in Mischief Night.

H: Was there anything challenging or something you learned from taking on this role?
N: I would say the acting, alone. I’m never in a scene with anyone this whole movie. I’m talking on the phone to Kaylie, but she’s not actually there. And then there’s a lot of inner-dialogue moments when I approach the house. It was probably the only project I’ve had where I never had a scene partner. It helped a lot though, when I had to act alone in Smiley for a few scenes. A lot of lonely acting in horror movies.

H: Who do you think this film will appeal to the most?
N: Probably comedy goers, and horror fans alike. It’s not your typical horror movie. There’s something different and funny about it.

H: What is next for Nikki Limo in 2014 and beyond?
N: You know, only time will tell. I’ve definitely been a lot more focused on my YouTube channel, and creating scripted content on my own. Writing and producing has been the majority of my life this year. But maybe I’ll make some headway towards my dream life in television? Or, you know, maybe I’ll be homeless, holding signs on the freeway asking people to subscribe to my YouTube channel. That’s the fun part of this industry. THE MYSTERY.

*Thanks for taking the time to chat with me, Nikki Limo! I appreciate it and now I can tell my roommate I interviewed, “The girl from the energy drink video!” Travis Baker’s Mischief Night will be released on May 20th, but you can pre-order your copy here. Also, make sure you check out Nikki’s YouTube Channel here or here.

*And, as always, thank you to Travis Baker and Richard Tanne for the exclusive images.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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