One of the upcoming horror films that I’m most excited to see is The ABCs of Death. This horror anthology film from Magnet Releasing features twenty-six short films by as-many directors, each inspired by a particular letter. It covers just about every horror genre and filmmaking style, including animation and claymation. One of those segments stars actress Kyra Zagorsky, who agreed to do an interview with us about the film.
Q: You star in one of the segments of the horror compilation movie The ABCs of Death. Can you tell us about the segment you star in?
I star in the segment directed by Kaare Andrews (Altitude). It is set in the future and has a bit of sci-fi mixed in with the horror genre. I play Lainey, a skilled officer of the law who has dedicated her life and career towards one day creating a family of her own. She’s in for a big surprise. I got to do a lot of action in this one too, so that was fun.
Q: Since your part is in one of the film’s many segments, how long did the shoot take?
Shooting only took a few days. A few long jam packed days!
Q: You have built up an impressive resume of television credits — including episodes of Smallville, Fringe, Supernatural and Soldiers of the Apocalypse — of all those roles, which was your favorite to shoot and what role is the one you are most proud of?
Oh boy. Supernatural was probably the most fun to shoot. Who wouldn’t have fun playing an ancient Mayan God/Xena Warrior Princess/ super stripper? I think I’m most proud of what I did on Divine because there was a lot of creative physical work to prep it up and the character goes from being the damsel in distress to being this super powerful, evil demon. And it was insanely cold when we were shooting!
Q: What are some of the significant differences between starring in an episode or two of a long-running television series and in a bloody movie like The ABCs of Death?
TV moves fast and when you come on to set you are sort of walking onto someone else’s playground. You have to have an understanding of the style of the show so that you can quickly dive into that world and help tell the story. Even if you are guest starring, you aren’t the main focus so you are supporting the leads. With The ABCs of Death, I was the lead. The story Kaare wrote was based around my character and the whole crew and cast comes together right from the beginning to collaborate and make the film. When I went to the Toronto International Film Festival to see the ABCs I was amazed at the following of fans because of the horror genre. It’s a whole different animal than anything I’ve done on TV! Also, I only represent 1/ 26th of the movie, so every other segment is done by a different director from around the world. It was fascinating to see the styles and tastes in horror from other countries. I think there are at least 15 different countries represented in this film. Some were bloodier, scarier…racier than others.
Kyra in ‘The ABCs of Death’
Q: You also star in Toxin, a post-apocalyptic 3D movie. There was a lot of buzz about the movie at the end of 2011, but not much news since. What can you tell us about the film, and do you know when audiences will finally be able to see it?
Toxin is supposed to be coming out this spring! This film is going through a lot of post production because of the 3D. Government conspiracy, the next generation of Zombie… it’s a fun ride with lot’s of action and great characters. My character the outdoorsy girl next door turned badass. It was such a blast to shoot.
Q: When and where will we see you next?
I am in a new Lifetime movie that will be airing during black history month called Twist of Faith. The world premiere is on February 9. I actually don’t have any weapon in this one! I play the wife of the star of the movie, David Julian Hirsh who is a Jewish cantor in Brooklyn, New York. I also have an amazing guest starring role on the new television series Motive that airs on 17th. The most exciting news is I just wrapped a new pilot from the producers of Divine called Adrift. We will begin shooting the rest of the season this summer. Really looking forward to that one.
The ABCs of Death will be released on VOD on January 31 and will have a limited theatrical release in March. For more information about Kyra Zagorsky, check out her website here and follow her on Twitter @KyraZagorsky
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