Lorraine Pellicone
She played in Stephen Baxter‘s Dollar Baby Rest Stop as Ellen.
SKSM: Could you start with telling me a little bit about yourself? Who are you and what do you do?
Lorraine Pellicone: I live in Montreal, Canada and have been acting for a few years now. I am the youngest child in my family (I have two older sisters) and my cultural background is Italian. On my spare time, I love exercising, discovering new recipes, and meditating. I am also a classically-trained ballerina.
SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become an actress?
Lorraine Pellicone: The earliest memory I have of this is being about 7 years old and telling my parents very dramatically (with the back of my hand over my forehead, very old Hollywood-style) that I was going to be an actress! Then I dropped out of it for quite a while until I rediscovered it 5 years ago.
SKSM: How did you become involved in Rest Stop Dollar Baby film?
Lorraine Pellicone: I saw the casting call on Facebook in a Montreal casting group. There was a local film festival running at the time, so we had to submit self-taped auditions online. I filmed the audition after an acting class and Stephen and Amy offered me the role a few days later.
SKSM: What do you think it is about the story that attracts people so much?
Lorraine Pellicone: This story focuses a lot on image; how a person sees themselves vs how they want other people to see them. This sort of image management is a universal struggle and I think the viewers can relate to Dykstra’s confusion between what he thinks is his “real” self (the timid college professor) and what he thinks is a made-up character to sell product (Hardin). Both personalities are a part of Dykstra though and I think watching him discover this is very interesting.
SKSM: Did you have to audition for the part or was it written directly for you?
Lorraine Pellicone: I auditioned for the role.
SKSM: You worked with Stephen Baxter on this film, how was that?
Lorraine Pellicone: Brilliant. This was one of the most organized and talented crews I’ve worked with. Stephen was considerate and patient, and a great leader. The cast and crew all worked so well together and part of that can definitely be attributed to Stephen’s steady directing. I loved the finished product. Stephen has great vision.
SKSM: Was there any funny or special moment when they made the movie that you would like to tell me about?
Lorraine Pellicone: It was actually my birthday the day we filmed Ellen’s scenes. During the lunch break, in-between takes of Adam and I fighting in the bathroom, the cast and crew sang me happy birthday! It was a pleasant break from the very bleak scenes we were shooting.
SKSM: Do you still have any contact with the crew/cast from that time? If so with who?
Lorraine Pellicone: Yes I do. The Montreal acting scene is close-knit, so I see many of the cast and crew at local events. I see Adam most often as we have many mutual friends and have known each other since high school.
SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?
Lorraine Pellicone: I will be working on some other local short films. Looking forward to what 2019 will bring!
SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?
Lorraine Pellicone: I’ve seen several Stephen King films throughout the years (Carrie, Pet Sematary, The Shining, and Dolores Claiborne). Truthfully, I’m too afraid of horror films to watch them very often. I’m still afraid of scenes from Carrie and Pet Sematary and it’s been probably 15 years since I’ve watched the movies!
SKSM: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Lorraine Pellicone: I have many interests and skills outside of acting. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in Montreal in History, with a double-minor in Political Science and Religious Studies. At one point, I had strongly considered going into International Law.
SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Is there anything you want to say to the fans that read this interview?
Lorraine Pellicone: Thank you so much for your interest in the film! It was a great experience and I’m so happy to share this work with everyone.
SKSM: Do you like to add anything else?
Lorraine Pellicone: A shout out to my friends and family for supporting me throughout this fun, busy journey!
