We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Jean Nassar about his career and latest projects. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Jean! Thank you for granting the interview. You are an actor, writer, and director. Being so young, how did you embark into the entertainment industry?
Thank you so much for the opportunity! For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a huge passion for the arts. When I was little, I would watch movies and imitate other actors who have played iconic roles in cinematic history. I would even go to the park and pretend to be different characters and even characters I created myself just for the fun of it. The next thing I knew, I was eight years old and certain I wanted to be an actor. After taking acting classes with the wonderful and talented Joann Polanco, I participated in the IMTA New York, where I won Best Drama Actor. This motivated me to move to Los Angeles and pursue my career, thereafter working on several films. I remember how when I was a kid, I used to play with action figures and would set them up into different shots, taking pictures of them with my flip phone. From being on numerous sets since then working as an actor, I have been inspired by several humble directors I have worked with and had a strong desire to create my own content and be a filmmaker and storyteller. At fourteen I had the courage to create my first short film and my own opportunities as an actor. Ever since I have screened three of my short films in numerous festivals including the TCL Chinese Theater/Indienight and Peekskill in New York. I have also been nominated for NBC Emerging Director 2018.
Congrats on your new project, “Undertow.” What should the audience expect to see?
Undertow is me and WJ Cintron’s darkest project to date. It is a psychological horror anthology series which follows nine dysfunctional characters trapped in a bar and their emotional and physical battle against their inner demons and most importantly, their pain. The audience should expect to see a character-driven drama with psychological and supernatural terror lurking in every corner. This series is sure to leave the audience at the edge of their seats.
Tell us about Troy, the character you are playing in the series. Who is he? What is his personality like?
I’d say Troy is the character you love to hate. He is a homeless runaway, emotionally scarred by his heart-wrenching past and a traumatizing loss in the family. He is strong and assertive for his young age, due to living in the streets during his teenage years. In consequence of being mistreated his whole life, he has entered his adult years doing the same, slowly becoming a tyrant, however still being a good young man at heart with an unconscious need for the love and care he never received.
What role does Troy play in the series?
Without giving away too much information, in my opinion, Troy is the most dynamic character of all. Despite his young age, he is that one person you don’t want to mess with. During his time as a captive in the bar, he is very opinionated and tends to highlight the worst in everyone, but only when bothered and pushed to his limits. Troy is forced to carry a laughing-stock reputation which lingers among everyone in the bar, and he will do anything in his power to stand up for himself no matter what.
Regarding your past project, “Flytrap,” was it a challenge to play Michael? Did you have to pull from experience?
I personally don’t see the word challenge as a negative thing. As an actor, I love challenges. They are always fun and you can learn so much from them. Every role I encounter is always a challenge of some sort, and even though I was the one who wrote the character of Michael into the script, as an actor it was still quite a challenge to get in touch with his romantic feelings for Ashley (the lead character) and to really feel the love he felt for her, however, once I used personal experience, it was like snapping a toothpick. I was able to feel his inner pain and concern. I learned a lot from my portrayal of Michael and it was a really fun experience.
When looking back on the production of “Flytrap,” what resonated with you the most and why?
What resonated with me the most of filming Flytrap was the learning aspect the production had in store. In a film set, directing and acting at the same time is not easy, however, it is fun, because I get to learn new things as I venture through the experience. The number of challenges which I and my team encountered while shooting was enough for us to strive to do better, and in the end, we finished with a strong final product. One thing I learned from the production, is that whenever I am overseeing a shot I am supposed to be in, I should have a stand-in cover for me while the scene is being blocked. I will take this into account and do this from now on to avoid difficulties.
The subject matter of “Undertow” is exciting. How does the production bring something new to the story?
The way we film the series is what is really going to help bring the script to life. As the director, I like to make things look as unnerving and horrifying as possible in the visual side of things. In order to do that, it all comes down to designing shots which will catch subjects the way the human eye would see them in the flesh, giving our viewers a sense of disturbing reality. When it comes to horror, I’ve always believed that even though the audience is experiencing the horror of a scene while sitting in front of a screen, the shots have to be character-driven and look realistic enough for the audience to feel like they are actually there in the scene with these characters, venturing through the same terror. Is there a way you can achieve that using an excessive load of CGI? Of course not. I believe that horrific special effects should rely 90% more on makeup, and set designing, and of course, the magic that post-production has in store. All these elements conclude to a beautiful and terrifying final product.
What is going to surprise people about Troy?
I think the most shocking element of Troy’s character is his horrid past. Since he is such a reserved individual throughout the series, the moment we reveal glimpses of his backstory, I believe it is going to really surprise our viewers. Believe me when I say that Troy has gone through the worst of the worst, not only in his childhood but during his long time living in the streets. I hope people can feel for this character and see the good side of him.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
I love almost all of Troy’s lines, but if I had to choose one, it would be: “The fear of dying alone will forever haunt you.” It is a line which demonstrates how dark and aggressive Troy can be when standing up for himself and his roots. It also adds a sense of immorality to this specific scene, and it really takes not just the character he’s talking to, but the viewers back.
In your opinion, what scene in the pilot is going to blow people away and why?
The pilot is filled with a lot of shocking moments, however, I’m sure the closing scene of our pilot is the one which is going to really blow people away simply because of its nail-biting cliffhanger. I love this scene because it sets a certain unnerving atmosphere to the continuity of the series and it stands up to its genre the most.
What do you enjoy most about your character and role?
Like I said before, Troy is extremely mature and strong for his age, and I really enjoy playing this type of role, because as an actor, it gives me a lot of levels to play with. I admire Troy’s lion-hearted and fearless attitude which really drives the story forward.
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the series?
All I can say is Undertow is packed with lots of emotion, character, and terror. This is just the beginning of what is yet to become a spine-chilling series, and I hope viewers and fellow readers of Occhi Magazine love the show as much as I do. We are still in pre-production and are seeking investors and distributors to contribute to the series.
If interested in backing and investing in this project, contact us through the following email: filmsestro@gmail.com
To follow up with our series, follow our social media links:
Instagram/Twitter:
@jean_nasser_ and the pages we JUST created:@undertowtheseries
Once again, thank you for this amazing opportunity and remember, like Troy would say, avoid getting burned by your own mistakes…
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