Heidi Schooler is the female lead in “Half Dead Fred”. “Half Dead Fred” was written and directed by Bron Theron. Heidi is so talented, she’s an actress, voice-over actor, dancer, and she has the most infectious wonderful laugh. You just want to laugh along with her. Heidi has this personality that just shines. She SHINES, you can feel it through the phone. Make sure to check out her work on her site. www.heidischooler.com/ or on www.imdb.me/heidischololer I was given the opportunity to interview Heidi for Horrornews.net.
So, please tell us how you got involved with “Half Dead Fred”? Why did you decide to take on the role of Roberta?
Heidi Schooler- All the incarnations and different groups I’ve been a part of, I found my way to this group called, We Make Movies – it’s a collective group of actors, writers, directors, cinematographers, music makers, (composers & musicians), producers… anyone that’s involved in film, in any way shape or form. I found my way there because a fellow director friend invited me. It’s once a month in person (since Covid), and we all get together via zoom once a week, the other weeks of each month. One of the people I met was Bron, around 2015 or 2016. He started writing and doing some of his own projects. He wrote/directed & acted in a comedic web series prior to “Half Dead Fred”, and he’s written other scripts. I’ve always kept in touch with different people in the group, and Bron asked me if I wanted to audition. I liked the script and I wanted to be part of it. The cast and crew are amazing!
What was it like for you working with the cast and the director?
Heidi Schooler- It was focused, and fun. It was exciting to work with Corin. I love Sci-fi, and I was excited to work with him because I knew him from “Stargate”. I had the chance to work with Jason London as well, he plays my husband in the movie. He was also amazing. We all got along great. It also was fab working with Bron as a director, since he knew what he wanted with each take. We definitely had a lot of material to shoot, and we all just worked super hard, but also had a fun time on set.
Do you think that you would ever direct a movie?
Heidi Schooler- You know, it’s funny that you ask that. I’ve directed theater because I’m also a choreographer. I’m not presently doing that but if I was asked, I would do it. I wouldn’t be the person that would know all the technical language, but that’s why you get an amazing DP who knows all the lighting & technical stuff. As far as directing actors, I would love that. I already coach people for voiceover demos & have also intermittently coached actors auditioning for roles in certain projects.
Did you start in theatre?
Heidi Schooler- Yes, I started out in theater. I still do theater but not as much as I used to. Originally, I danced; I used to go into the city (NYC) when I was a kid. I thought I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was a kid, but my parents said, you’re going to college. The American Ballet Theatre school trained me, and I grew up doing theater in NY, and then L.A. When I first came to Los Angeles, I did more theater & musical theater. I’d of course do theater for a fabulous role now, since I love it. But recently, I have put the focus a bit more on Film and TV, just for now. I finished school out here, and I originally thought I was going back to New York, for whatever that entailed (theater being a part of that) but stayed living in L.A. I got a commercial agent while still in college out here, and I started being sent on auditions for things, and that lead to me staying here.
I think you can tell when actors have theatre training. Do you think that you take with you what you learned in theatre to film and television? Does it help you?
Heidi Schooler- Yes, the breakdown of the characters, and how you look at a role. The one thing that you don’t learn when you’re doing theater (i.e. for film and TV), is that you have to bring it down a notch. You have to not move your face a lot, like in the theatre, where you need to have people hear & see you on a larger scale. When I got into commercials (out here), I was still in school, and auditioning at the same time. I was glad that I got into commercials, because that helped me with this. A lot of people were helping me with my facial movements, and I took classes for that also. That’s one thing I had to relearn. But from the theater I learned good discipline and work ethic too. It’s amazing training. I love theater, and I did it for so many years. Even though I’m involved in tv and film presently right now, more, theater is still my first love.
What advice or words of wisdom would you offer to fellow actors, writers, producers, directors etc.?
Heidi Schooler- Yes, well there’s a few things I always try to remember: First, I think it’s majorly important to be Grateful for all that you have, first and foremost. The one thing I would say is to not give up and be determined. If you can’t see yourself doing anything else, I would say keep going and plugging along doing something, at least one thing a day, for your career, and be patient with yourself. If you’re an actor, writer, director or even producer, begin to write or involve yourself in stories that you’re interested in, are passionate about, or see yourself playing a part in. – because these days, you can keep yourself busy and inspired by working on your own projects and getting them out there to be seen, and continue to show people work you can be proud of. Also, I think it’s super important to never take anything personally, no matter what! – Just do your best, and always be appreciative of the chance to collaborate & be creative with others or within a project! So much is really outside of our control, and all you can do is do your best. And specifically for actors, just be thankful you are being asked to create a character and you get to BE them for a while in the world of that project. Ya know? Lastly, I try to remember, it’s a collaborative process so everybody has an opinion about how your character came to be, why they were written a certain way, or how you are being directed… so, just go with the flow, and take the input and incorporate that into whatever you have prepared, and keep moving forward. Again, never take the information you are given in a personal way. It’s never personal. It’s just that different creative people have separate visions regarding the same project.
Thank you, Heidi. It was an honor.
Heidi Schooler- Thank you.
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