The First Blood strand bright to FrightFest a slew of fresh acting talent and we tried to talk to as many as possible starting with Mackenzie Larsen, one of the stars of The Caretaker.
NYX: Did you know from an early age that you wanted to be an actress?
ML: I knew early on that I wanted to be a performer of some sort; I did a presentation in 3rd grade that I wanted to be a pop star like Brittany Spears, but that quickly morphed into a love of acting, particularly onstage. I definitely knew I wanted to be an actress by the time I got to be about twelve.
NYX: Did you have to audition for the role of Marie?
ML: Luke (writer, director, producer) reached out to me online as he’d seen my acting profile and asked if I’d be interested in auditioning. He sent along the script, I had a read, taped for Marie, and the rest is history!
NYX: What did you think of the script when you first read it?
ML: I loved Marie’s unapologetic personality. There are a lot of ways that Marie and I are similar, but something that is unique to her that excited me was the unfiltered and unapologetic way she expressed her thoughts and opinions. It was a fun contrast to have a character so willing to say every thought that comes to her head paired with someone who does speak at all!
NYX: How did you prepare to play Marie as she’s had a very troubled background to say the least?
ML: I prepared a backstory for Marie to help motivate the decisions she’s made that have brought her to the point she’s at when we meet her at the beginning of the film. That involved thorough reading and re-reading of the script to understand her goals, her strengths, her weaknesses, and deciding where each of those things came from - what happened to her in her past to bring her to this point?
NYX: Did you and the rest of the cast have much time to prepare?
NL: Yes, there was a good month or two after our first read-through before I began filming. There were edits and updates to the script coming through all the way up to filming day sometimes, but in general we had plenty of prep time. I had a couple of zoom calls with some other members of the cast to talk through our characters’ relationships to prep for scenes as well.
NYX: What’s it like working in such a vast building?
NL: Coming to set was wonderful, we were working in such beautiful spaces. The vastness also added to my sympathy for Marie having to clean everything! It helped me to feel immersed in the world of Lockbridge Academy and how isolating a place like that would feel if I were Marie.
NYX: Will you be nervous when the movie has its World Premiere at FrightFest 2025?
NL: This is my first feature film, so yes! But I’m also excited for everyone’s hard work to come full circle and to share it with audiences, particularly the horror-lovers at FrightFest.
NYX: Are you a fan of horror movies?
NL: I’m late to the game with horror movies. I was decidedly not a fan when I was younger, but I’ve come around to the genre through Jordan Peele movies, and now I’m a particular fan of character-driven horror. I’m also a sucker for a B-movie horror film.
NYX: There are some paranormal moments in the movie, do you believe in such things?
NL: Yes and no; I believe in the idea of an afterlife, but not so much spooky ghosts haunting us.
NYX: So, what are you working on at the moment?
NL: In addition to acting, I also write music. I’m currently working on a musical I’ve co-written called Heaven Has No Rage which will have its premiere at The Other Palace in March 2026.
NYX: Mackenzie Larsen, thank you very much.
