An Interview with Actress-Producer Camille Mana - Page 2

I think perhaps the difficult thing about dark comedy is that it confronts elements that are taboo or a little scary for people to deal with. I love broad comedy as well as dark comedy, so I am happy performing both. But there is a level of intellect and perhaps of risk for danger that dark comedy is not afraid to tackle, whereas farce is often just plain fun.

What were the most enriching aspects of working with a talented Norman cast that includes Dan Byrd, Emily VanCamp and Richard Jenkins?

I am just thrilled to be part of casts like this. The work that Dan does in this film is on a completely different level of artistry from what most actors have been able to do in careers twice as long as his. Richard Jenkins is great in pretty much everything he does- I admire him so. I was excited that he was nominated for an Oscar a few years back because The Visitor was my favorite movie of 2008. Adam Goldberg is such an indie film icon, and Emily is so sweet and likeable onscreen and off. I am excited for people to get to see this film. It is really a gem.

Have you had the pleasure of sitting in the audience at certain film festival viewings of Norman, if so, can you talk about what it was like to soak in people's reactions to your character?

I have actually, which is always a weird experience. I hate watching myself onscreen, and the first time seeing something is always the worst. People have been very kind to me, and have said some ridiculously flattering things. It's always a little uncomfortable, and yet I am happy that I was able to add something to the film that people enjoyed. I have some really fun moments of awkwardness and levity to contribute some of that "quirk" factor to the film. I love that I get to do that.

Did I hear correctly that you were asked to join the cast of Jesse Eisenberg's Off-Broadway play, Asuncion, without an audition--but rather based on your talented reputation?

Yes, you did hear right. Sometimes, I even question it myself (laughing)! But yes, I was offered the role of Asuncion from Jesse, and even more exciting is that it is quite a departure from the awkward "Helen Black" type roles that I've been exploring for the past few years. I am elated at the opportunity. I haven't played a character quite like this before, so this is really opening up a whole new chapter of my career I think- I am getting to play a three-dimensional woman, rather than a girl.

Article Author: Tim O'Shea

Tim O'Shea loves all manner and shape of pop culture. He's been email interviewing creative folks since the late 1990s. When not working with Blogcritics, you can find his email interviews (dating back to late 2007) at his pop culture blog, Talking …

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