Heidi Wolff

She played in Ian Wolfley‘s Dollar Baby Big Driver as Doreen.

SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?

Heidi Wolff: I’m an actress currently living in Los Angeles.  I started out mostly doing theater work and later began acting in some film projects.  Film was something I avoided for a long time, since the experience seemed so cold and technical compared with being in front of an audience and running through a play from beginning to end each night.  It was delightful to find that acting in front of a camera can be as satisfying as acting in front of an audience, though the process is so different.

SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actress?

Heidi Wolff: I knew I wanted to be an actress as soon as I was aware it was something you could be, though I wasn’t really able to get started until high school when I began auditioning for plays and musicals.  I went to school for acting, but money and other issues forced me to focus my energies elsewhere for a while.

SKSM: How did you become involved in Big Driver Dollar Baby film?

Heidi Wolff: I had worked with Ian and Derek on a short film previous to Big Driver and was very excited to work with them again.  Both films I did with them were horror and it’s a genre I find really compelling.

SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?

Heidi Wolff: The story is suspenseful, but also has a lot of humor.  For me humor in a horror story has a way of tricking you into letting your guard down and making the horror much more upsetting and horrific.  I think the revenge story is made much more relatable by the Tess’s imaginative projections coaching her through the crisis.

SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?

Heidi Wolff: I don’t think the part was written for me, but I was suggested for Doreen during the casting process as I had worked previously with Ian and Derek on a film where I played a troubled psychic. I read the script and the role was exactly the one I wanted to play, so it was a pretty easy decision for me.

SKSM: You worked with Ian Wolfley on this film, how was that?

Heidi Wolff: I’ve really enjoyed working with Ian on this project.  I thought his script was a very thoughtful and clever adaptation of the story.  As a director, he has a very clear idea of the story, but is very collaborative in the way he works with actors to develop their characters.  He’s always willing to take the time to talk through scenes with an actor and will really take the time to create a scene.

SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?

Heidi Wolff: There was a scene where my character lets out a scream.  We rehearsed it quite a few times where the actress playing Tess and I would walk into the room and I would scream.  One of the crew upstairs became really worried that someone in one of the nearby houses was in trouble and wanted to call the police.

SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?

Heidi Wolff: I moved down to Los Angeles fairly recently, so other than the occasional social media contacts, not really.  Both cast and crew were really great to work with, though.

SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?

Heidi Wolff: I took a little time off because of the move, but am now ready to begin auditioning again.  I act in both theater and film, so am just hoping for an interesting project.

SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?

Heidi Wolff: I was a constant reader of Stephen King’s early work and have been an occasional reader of his current work.  When I was in high school, I was the odd person in my class, so Carrie certainly spoke to me pretty directly.

SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

Heidi Wolff: I left acting for about ten years to pursue an undergraduate and graduate degree in Creative Writing.  I had a number of stories published and still do some occasional freelance editing work.

SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?

Heidi Wolff: Keep watching independent films.  It helps new voices to be heard and develop.