Photo by Carly Dame
We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with actress Jocelyn Panton who stars in AMC’s Shudder series Critters: A new Binge. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Jocelyn! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Ellen Henderson in the new AMC/Shudder series Critters: A New Binge. We are excited to speak with you about it! Since this isn’t a reboot and rather a continuation of the classic film franchise, what should the audience expect?
Thank you so much for having me! I would say to expect for a whole lot of fun and delightful surprises mixed in with some mayhem and ridiculousness and good old fashioned Critters cheesiness.
Tell us about Ellen. Who is she? What is her personality like?
Ellen is the town reporter. She’s trying to make her footprint in that industry, always pushing to show up first whenever there’s something to report on in order to make her big break. Without giving too much away, she gets caught up in the middle of the chaos and gets to experience her own wild journey.
Was it a challenge to play Ellen?
I actually went to broadcasting school before I decided to jump into acting so it was neat to be able to merge this world with my acting career. Drawing from my old training isn’t something I get to do every day but with her role, there was a lot of room for play and fun. I would say that some of the challenging parts were that there were some really complicated and amazing shots all done in one take with hundreds of actors and background actors involved, so it required a lot of focus to stay on the ball. It was exciting. We’re really happy with how it turned out.
What was the audition process like?
For this audition, they gave me one of my scenes that ended up being in the show, but there was also some improv they asked me to do. So it was just like finding the humor and goofing around in the room. It’s the auditions like these that you forget that it’s just a simple room with a camera and a blue wall, but bringing the world of the critters to life and imagining being caught up in all that.
How does this production bring something new to the film franchise?
Well without giving anything away, I would say hot dogs. There are lots of hot dogs.
Do you have any on-set stories you can share with us?
I loved how much fun everyone was having on this. Usually, when you’re not being used for a particular shot, you wait in the tent or trailer or on standby, but on this show, there was a huge sense of camaraderie. We were all watching a lot of the scenes get filmed even when we weren’t in them. It was really entertaining! I also made some good friendships that I still keep in contact with.
What do you enjoy most about working on the series?
I think the cheesiness and silliness. Sometimes in life, you’re required to be serious, but this is like hanging out with a bunch of friends goofing off.
Do you have any upcoming roles you can share?
Yes! I have a recurring role on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” (on The CW) where I play Marilyn Monroe. My next episode is coming out in the two-part season finale where I make an appearance at the beginning of it. Also, I have a cameo appearance in the new “Twilight Zone” series. It’s a small one, but I feel so lucky to be on these kinds of continuations of well-known series.
Where can we follow you on social?
My Instagram handle is @jocelynpanton. That’s where I’m most active. You can also find me on Twitter @jocelynpanton. Thank you so much for having me!!
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