Everyone likes a good slasher movie and FrightFest 2023 contains one that shows other "how to do it"! We talked to the star of Punch, Alina Allison.
NYX: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be an actress?
AA: From the first time I stage at age 11, I remember vividly the euphoria I felt and after the show had finished I said to my mum on our way home “I want to be an actress”.
NYX: Are you a fan of horror movies?
AA: I am a fan of horror movies for sure, especially when done right the emotions you tap into during the film make it exciting yet terrifying.
NYX: How did you get the part of Frankie?
AA: I received a self-tape from my agent, after seeing the script, I immediately was excited, so I messaged my friend Reem who I normally tape with and we taped the same day, sent it off and forgot about it! then my agent rang me when I was at the airport coming back from a job and said I have an in person recall for the following week. My sides were sent to me, and I studied the hell out of them ha ha even the other characters lines, I wanted to know everything and to avoid being nervous. Prepping a lot is key for me. When the day came, I was super confident and just enjoyed the process with no nerves, it was fun.Three or four days later my agent rang me and said ‘congratulations you got the part’…
NYX: Its quite an intense role, how did you prepare yourself for it?
AA: I read the script over and over again, studied Frankie and tried to see myself in her shoes. I met myself and Frankie halfway I guess. I envisioned ‘what would I do in that situation and then what would Frankie do?’ As the days were so intense and we didn’t shoot chronological,so it was key for me to revise the schedule to make myself aware ‘right what are we shooting now…and what is Frankie feeling…where is she in the script…’ etc.I would take myself away for a couple minutes and become her at that moment in the storyline.
NYX: You seem to have a real spark with the rest of the cast, did you all have much time to rehearse?
AA: I loved the cast and crew; it was such an amazing bubble for the time we were shooting. we would run lines in our accommodations in the morning and once we got to set we were allocated sometime to block and a few rehearsals and then straight into shooting…I like this process.
NYX: How did you cope with the night shoots?
AA: Coffee!! They were intense, but I think when you are doing something that you love and the people that surround you are all on similar wave lengths it makes the process so easy! You can sleep at the end.
NYX: Without giving too much away, which of the murders is your favourite?
AA: The party scene. Filming that was just so much fun!
NYX: This is your first feature film, were you nervous the first day on set?
AA: I remember I couldn’t sleep the night before but it wasn’t nerves I remember waking up to go for a run on the first day of filming and being so excited to be filming by the sea for 3 weeks.
NYX: Will you be nervous when Punch has its world premiere at FrightFest 2023?
AA: I am incredibly nervous for this day ha ha, I don’t know how I am going to watch myself on that screen, I might have to put an eye mask on and some ear plugs in…I am excited to see everyone’shard work pay off however!
NYX: So, what are you up to at the moment?
AA: I have just wrapped on an episode for the BBC. I have been confirmed for a film shooting in October. In-between that I am shooting a couple campaigns here in the UK and hopefully will receive some more auditions, other than that, being patient and seeing what comes next.
NYX: Alina Allison, thank you very much.
