DarkVeins interviewed the talented actor Bill Oberst Jr. who is known as "The King of Independent Horror Cinema" for his commitment and outstanding performances in film. In fact, since 2008, he has acted in over 100 independent films and television projects and stars in about ten films a year. Most recently Bill Oberst Jr. played Papa Corn, the brilliant and charismatic leader of a dangerous group of clowns in the grandiose Circus of the Dead By Billy Pon (interview here).
L: Hi Bill, it is an honor for me to have you here on DarkVeins! Thank you for your availability!
Tell us a little about yourself.
B: I thank you for this opportunity. I like the site because it treats genre cinema seriously, as an art form. As for me, I am just an actor.
L: How would you describe yourself as a person and as an actor?
B: As a person, I am quiet and introspective. As an actor, on the other hand, I am melancholy and often threatening.
L: What led you to choose the path of acting?
B: In the usual way. It was like an escape from the misery of childhood. It worked!
L: You are the hardest working and most outstanding actor in genre cinema, and your fans have labeled you "The King of Independent Horror Cinema." What do you think about that? What are the most important roles you have played during your acting career?
B: The first rule to follow in this world is "Never believe you are infallible," and I don't believe that but I love to work, and acting is all I know how to do. The darker genres of film involve me because they represent the human condition well.
I am a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. He said, "Why do you call me good? There is no good except God." I believe in this with all my heart.
My most important roles? I don't claim any of them to be but my favorites are: Jesus of Nazareth on stage, the murderer I played in Criminal Minds of CBS-TV this season and Abraham Lincoln in the movie of the same name.
L: You also played a Facebook stalker in "Take This Lollipop." Can you tell us about that? Also, what can you tell us about your performance in "Children of Sorrow"?
B: Take This Lollipop is a Facebook app that was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award. It has over 100 million views and is still online for you to enjoy (http://www.takethislollipop.com). Take This Lollipop is the fruit of Jason Zada, who also created Elf Yourself, the famous app that appears online every Christmas. All I can tell you about Take This Lollipop Is that its 90-second duration is very intense!
Thank you for asking about my role in Children Of Sorrow. It was one of the most disturbing things I've ever done. I played Father Simon, the leader of a cult. I believe in the Devil and that's what Father Simon was to me; the father of lies. The role shook me up. Sometimes I still dream about him.
L: You played the role of Papa Corn in Billy Pon's Circus of the Dead. How would you describe this character? Papa Corn is an iconic figure who has become memorable because of your outstanding performance. I have seen the movie and I can say that, in my opinion, you are much more than just a horror actor; you are an artist with a lot of talent.
B: Another creepy character! Papa Corn is a serial killer and compulsive rapist with a taste for necrophilia and who does clown work in the circus by day. I can't think of a more terrifying combination. Thank you for the kind words about this characterization of me. I always end up playing characters that scare and disturb me, and Papa Corn is now chief among them.
L: How would you describe "Circus of the Dead"? And what was it like working with Billy Pon?
B: Billy Pon is both a hot-tempered man and a good-hearted man. Like most true artists, his temperament is complex and, as a result, it is difficult to imagine him as a smiling man while he is busy producing the horrors that viewers will see when Circus Of The Dead Will be distributed. I really like Billy. Papa Corn was a character that he and co-writer Lee Ankrum have been working on for years, so I was very concerned because I didn't want to mess it up. I just did what Billy Pon told me to do, and I'm glad you liked the result.
L: You also appear in the cast of the upcoming films "The Chair," "Deadly Revisions," and many others. You have also agreed to be the lead in "Night of the Babysitter." Can you briefly tell us about the roles you have been cast in these films?
B: In The Chair by Chad Ferrin (it is an adaptation of Peter Simeti's comic book and filming will begin in February) I will be a prison guard. In Deadly Revisions by Gregory Blair (which is touring festivals and has won several awards) I play a writer with amnesia. In Night Of The Babysitter by Louis Edward Doerge (filming to begin in January) I will be the father of the wonderful Dora Madison Burge. Together we will take revenge on my wife's murderers.
L: Your acting career includes so many films. You are indeed a very productive actor-what are your upcoming horror films?
B: The next worldwide release of a genre film for me will be. Coyote, a bizarre and very intense film written and directed by Trevor Juenger. It will be released by Wild Eye Releasing on December 18. It is a hallucinatory film.
You can see the trailer and get some information at Coyote here.
I make about 10 films a year so I never know what is coming out and when. Sometimes the release dates of multiple films match and I'm embarrassed that all the horror sites are talking about me. I don't mean to say I'm embarrassed, I guarantee it! I like to work.
L: What role would you like to play?
B: Thank you for asking me. I would love to play an exorcist who has stopped doing exorcisms because of some traumatic event; a man who has lost faith in his faith. I am fascinated by what Father Malachi Martin wrote in "Hostage to the Devil": "those who come face to face with Evil must pay a price" and "every exorcism takes something away from the one who performs it in the name of Jesus." This concept is of great interest to me.
L: You won several Best Actor awards for your performances in "Children of Sorrow," "Circus of the Dead"... You also received the Chaney Award at the FANtastic Horror Film Festival. Can you describe this experience?
B: Awards fall under that first rule, "Never believe you are infallible," but I have to say that the Chaney Award tempted me! For a misfit kid who grew up building monsters and idolizing horror pioneers like Lon Chaney, to be honored with a Chaney Award to boot by Ron Chaney himself (Lon Chaney Jr.'s grandson and great-grandson), was a great moment, one I will never forget. I am just an actor and to be associated with the name of that great family was very surreal.
L: Can you tell us about The Dark Cinema, the horror TV series you run?
B: The Dark Cinema is producer Cheryl Compton's international TV horror series; a half-hour show that covers horror, thriller and science fiction shorts from around the world. Cheryl asked me to host it, and I gladly accepted.
Trailer:
We shot a pilot episode with award-winning short films from Italy (The Puzzle by Davide Melini), Portugal (The Line by José Pedro Lopes), United Kingdom (Transmission by Brett Young and 2:20 by Jason Wingard), United States (Out of Place by Daniel MacMunn).
The pilot episode is about to be bought by TV networks, and I hope it will be well received. Film talent exists all over the world, not just in Hollywood. It is time to recognize it!
L: What is your favorite horror movie and why?
B: The Exorcist Is at the top of my list. It deals with so many themes that are omnipresent in my life. It is a very important film for me and it also terrified me. I love the horror reflected in humanity. The perfect mix.
L: What are you working on right now? What are your plans for the future?
B: I have a number of films in pre-production and others in development. It looks like in 2015 I will end up doing 10-12 projects again. The outcome of some of the films is good, right? My motto is "keep throwing stuff against the wall -- something is bound to stick there."
L: Would you like to leave a message for the DarkVeins community?
B: Absolutely. I would like to thank DarkVeins for the opportunity it gives to new artists, writers and filmmakers in the genre. I see many articles about films and artists who are not well known but whose work is worthy of exposure from you. I admire this and, speaking as someone who works in the indie film world, I appreciate it very much.
L: Thank you for your words and time!
B: Thank you. It's been a pleasure. I would like to make a horror film in France; something that is not generic, but rooted in French culture and long history. If any of your readers have an idea or script, please contact me!
I'm on Twitter https://twitter.com/billoberstjr and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ActorBillOberstJr.
