We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with actress Kathy Searle about her role as Jessica in the film “Empathy, Inc. Check out the interview below.
Hi, Kathy! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Jessica in the “Empathy, Inc.” film. What should the audience expect to see?
Hi there, thank you so much!
“Empathy, Inc.” is a really cool sci-fi thriller. I remember reading the script and feeling like it was similar to an episode of “Black Mirror,” which I’m totally obsessed with. 🙂 “Empathy, Inc.” is a 90-minute film that takes you on a crazy journey and the last 15 minutes of the film is mind-bendingly awesome!!! Lots of twists!
Tell us about Jessica. Who is she? What is her personality like?
I was so thrilled to get to play Jessica. She is a 30-something actress and when her husband‘s business goes belly up, they end up moving back in with her in-laws. She is a truly good wife, she stands by her man when their life is turned upside down & she encourages Joel to trust that they’ll get back on track. The great thing about Jessica is she’s trying to figure herself out through the tough times, and coming back home allows her to return to her roots of the theater; which for her was something she put on the back burner to be there for her husband.
What role does Jessica play in the movie?
Jessica is pivotal for many of the other characters journeys in the film, especially Joel. Because she has an actress and is drawn to Shakespeare, a lot of this movie is parallel to Shakespearean work “To thine own self be true” A line that for every character in this movie they are questioning what their own truth is. Without Jessica, there would be no Joel.
They truly are a team and need one another to survive.
Was it a challenge to play Jessica? Did you have to pull from experience?
In some regards yes it was challenging to play Jessica, There is a weird meta-aspect to being an actor within an actor! In one of the scenes Jessica asks her husband Joel if she’s a good actress, sometimes to separate yourself from the character can be tough, and of course there was a little bit of Kathy asking that question as well… that vulnerability is something I not only strive for in my performances but in my own life as well!
I learned a lot from Jessica, she certainly is not a victim, she’s the opposite. She is incredibly strong not just for herself but for her family when going through an extremely difficult time when jobs are lost and moving home, she found a way to find the positive in it. And know that things are only temporary. I also loved her bravery to follow through with the part of her life that she let go of and pursue her dream of acting!
How did you get the role?
The amazing casting director Harley Kaplan when reading the script thought of me! He had reached out to me, had me read it, and by the time I got to page 2…I sent him an email and I said I want to play Jessica! The following week I am Met Yedidya and Mark, The writer-director! I remember having such fun in the room the first audition playing the first couple of scenes and then, of course, working on the climactic final scene. When I came back for the call back it was great because they really let me play and ask questions. It was nice because it felt like we were rehearsing, rather than auditioning, it took the pressure off and I was less nervous!
I was really so grateful to Harley because a lot of people consider me a comedic actress and the nice part about Jessica is she’s just a real person, flaws and all. She’s not playing for laughs; she’s taking a journey grounded in truth.
The subject matter of the movie is exciting. How does the movie production bring something new to the story?
I was thrilled to work on a sci-fi, it’s a genre I have never done before and because it’s a film that deals with very advanced technology and yet shot in black-and-white it’s a bit of a mind bender; which was very exciting for me!
For me, the major plot twist which is the last 15 minutes was truly what I was nervous about and yet so excited to get out of my comfort zone! This process was very collaborative not just with the creative team but with the actors as well. We all really trusted one another and I think that’s why this film is so incredible. Also, it’s a very timely film, the idea of being able to make people feel what it’s like to be “lesser then” I think it is a very important subject, what it’s like to be empathetic for those less fortunate. I think in this day and age we could all use a little more empathy
What is going to surprise people about Jessica?
People will be surprised that Jessica isn’t just the wife; she’s a woman finding her voice in this world. And again just wait for the last 15 minutes of the film!!! 🙂
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
I’m going to paraphrase it a little because I don’t want to give it away but two of my favorite lines in the movie are: Jessica at one point says “when I was a kid people said you could be whoever you want to be, I actually believed it” and another character says “walk a mile in the shoes of the less fortunate and wake up and no matter what problems you have in real life feel that much better”
There is a lot of heart to this film, and again very timely film of teaching empathy to those that have a lot.
When looking back on the production, what resonated with you the most and why?
For me this was an incredibly rare film.
But it didn’t matter with the money aspect of this film was it was all incredibly collaborative. A labor of love in all aspects not just cast, but crew…everyone that worked on this film! We really became a family, we shot in January it was very cold… But everyone just rolled with it.
There were no egos everyone there wanted to make a really great movie! And I believe that truly shows when you watch the film. We knew the story was so fascinating and we put our faith in the director to lead us and he did just that!
In your opinion, what scene in the movie is going to blow people away
Get ready for that last 15 minutes, some of the most awesome mentor mind fu*k you’ll see!!!!!!!! I love love love the way it turned out.
What do you enjoy most about your character and role?
I enjoyed being Jessica, she found the positive in low points of her life which was a really nice teachable moment for me, Kathy 🙂 she’s a woman who really trusted but everything is going to be OK. And I guess I needed that reminder of trust and faith that things are temporary, the good and the bad it’s all part of the journey!
Do you have anything else you would like to share about the movie?
I truly hope everyone enjoys this movie, we had such a blast making it! The reviews have been stellar and I hope that you can see us in theaters and on-demand in 2019!
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/6IXK8WRGRX8″]
Connect with Kathy:
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1617220/
Web: http://www.kathysearle.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/KathySearle
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kathy.searle.988
Twitter: http://twitter.com/searlekathy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kathysearle307
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