March 2012
Reprinted from (re)Search My Trash
Your movie Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot – in a few words, what is the film about, and what can you tell us about your character?
The movie is a combination of dreamy, sci-fi, horror and sex… lots of sex!! It’s an amazing movie about the adventures of two beautiful women, Prudence and Veruca, who go on to discover the mystery behind Bigfoot. The viewers follow along a hilarious journey with the two ladies and come to learn the truth behind the mystery. My character, Veruca is a powerful, independent and very sexual woman who gets everything and anything she wants, such as a martini in the middle of the woods. She is Prudence’s rock and “go-to” person. She is a professional sex-blogger with a double identity and is never seen in public without high heels.
The know-it-all, Martini-slurping sex blogger Veruca – how do you approach such a role, how much of yourself can we find in your portrayal? And how would you personally judge the character you’re playing?
This was a fantastic role to play, and it came very easy to me as there wasn’t much changes I had to make to portray the ideal Veruca. The credit goes to our Director William Burke [William Burke interview – click here] as he knew exactly who to cast to play such a versatile character. Veruca is the woman most women want to be, at least the ones who want to eventually run the world by the snap of a finger, and playing this character was a dream for me as I got to fulfill some of my intimate fantasies and desires.
How could you relate to Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot‘s brand of comedy, and do you consider yourself a humourous person in real life?
This movie has a ton of good laughs and I am glad that the audiences were always on cue with the jokes. It’s humour that you don’t see these days in your usual B rated movies. Most B rated movies are so serious and have lost the humourous touch, which is how they were meant to be. So I am definitely glad this movie captures every essence of a good laugh and delivers throughout.
I am joker and always find myself doing random acts of silliness in public just to make my friends laugh or simply to entertain myself. I live life smiling…no matter what. I still chase after ice cream trucks… in my six-inch stilettos of course!
In Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot, you and Angie Bates [Angie Bates interview – click here] as Prudence are basically a comic team. So what was your collaboration like?
Angie Bates was a gift to this production, she was extremely easy to work with. After the first day of rehearsals we practically became best friends!! Thanks to Bill for that because he knew we would be good pals before we even met each other. Angie and myself bring a diverse kind of energy to this production and when one us is low, we feed off the other.
How did you get involved with the project in the first place? And honestly, what did you think when you first heard this is going to be an erotic feature featuring Bigfoot?
I remember being at the Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario when I received the email from Bill wondering if I would be interested in being one of the lead roles for his upcoming Erotic Feature. I was ecstatic!!! I started screaming at the top of my lungs and jumping everywhere erratically, meanwhile people were wondering what I had won as I wasn’t sitting at a table or at a slot machine. All this while I spilled my drink all over myself and my phone. Quite the mess but the best news ever. I didn’t care what the people thought because in my eyes I had just hit the JACKPOT!
I had already worked on the TV show Lingerie for 3 episodes with Bill, so the idea of an erotic feature wasn’t a shock, I was actually thrilled that it was. The confusion or shall I say intrigue arrived when I learned about Bigfoot‘s involvement in an Erotica… hmmm… interesting…. but upon receiving the script I was on the floor laughing.
A few words about Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot‘s director William Burke [William Burke interview – click here], and what was your collaboration like?
William Burke is a super talented director with not only the vision to make amazing movies but also a knack for casting the perfect actors for all the roles in the movie. I am so blessed that he spotted me out of hundreds at the audition for Lingerie and not only did he cast me for that he kept me in mind for THIS! He saw talent in me that I honestly didn’t know I had, he saw all this just from my few short moments on camera on Lingerie. One thing anyone has to know about Bill, he always believes in his cast and crew and is a motivator.
Working with Bill was a breeze, he made all of us feel extremely comfortable throughout the production and especially during the love scenes. I have heard horror stories of other actresses who have worked in the B movie industry and I can proudly say IK had nothing but great experiences. Bill always made sure we all were looked after and had adequate mosquito repellant on site 🙂
As far as I know, Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot was shot at an actual nudist camp – did that at all feel weird, and what can you tell us about the on-set atmosphere?
I didn’t think much of it when the location was disclosed, but I remember arriving there with Angie and my first glance was at a naturist, spread eagle at the parking lot. Thats when the intimidation and curiosity started setting in. So, weird? – Yes. Uncomfortable? – NO… All the guests and staff at the resort referred to us “Textiles” as we kept our clothes on for the better half of the day when we weren’t filming. But after the first couple of days on set, it was scorching outside so the cast one by one slowly started turning from a “Textile” to a “Naturist”
In Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot, you do get naked quite a few times, and I presume you have gotten naked on camera before. So, has on-camera nudity ever bothered you, and can you still remember your first nude shoot?
Never bothered me, I feel more comfortable in my own skin than clothes… maybe thats the naturist in me speaking. I remember the first acting gig (naked or not) I ever booked was a “naked” commercial for MTV. So that was a very interesting way to break the ice for on-camera nudity… for this shoot I was to report at a beach in Toronto in early March with nothing but a robe… my job was to jump on a trampoline for two hours giving the illusion that I was being tossed around by fans while they filmed me naked. Not to mention it was freezing and I was by the lake with creepers hiding behind trees taking pictures – yikes… good thing my career has progressed from that 🙂
Before you got into acting, you started out as a model, right? What can you tell us about your modeling days, and how does modeling compare to acting?
Initially I was aspiring to be a model but soon realized that I wasn’t 6 feet tall, so my wonderful agent at The Fulcher Agency signed me on as an actor and told me not to sweat it as there was more money in acting than modelling 🙂 Now that my acting career is starting to progress it’s also dragging up my modelling career. I still work as a commercial print model and enjoy the versatile shoots here and there, but nothing beats acting and the experience, rush of being on set and being someone else!
I love expressing myself on camera and rather speak than be silent for an ad campaign
What got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal education on the subject?
The Fame and Fortune!
I am currently attaining a degree at University of Toronto for Theatre and Performing Arts along with constant training for acting workshops offered by Fulcher Agency. I also have extensive training from well known “Celebrity Teachers” in Los Angeles.
Training is crucial in this industry, if you are not working you have to train, learn a new skill or take up a new language.
You’ve recently made the movie Esha, which from all I’ve heard about it couldn’t be further removed from Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot. You just have to talk about that one for a bit!
Esha is a modern-day love story rooted in the cultural backdrop of people changing their names to fit into western society. This was my first short film I ever worked on and all I have to say is I was amazed how well it did at all the film festvals around the world… from Cannes Film Festival to all over Europe and North America. NOT BAD at all for a modestly budgeted short film shot in pretty much one day. Its a must-see and is available on YouTube. You can read more about it at www.itwaswritten.ca.
I got to attend a lot of the film festivals where Esha was an official selection with the cast and crew and got to walk my first Red Carpet for this movie. That was an amazing experience! I was shaking like a leaf and petrified of all the flashing lights, journalists and photographers.
Best part about a film festival whether it was for Esha or Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot was that I got a chance to meet and connect with all my fans across the globe and sign autographs!! Yayy!!!
I have also worked on Mangalsutra with Dalewood Productions. I am currently working on a handful of movies – shorts and features with Dalewood Productions. The latest feature project, and I can’t say much because its all hush hush, is being shot in India and Toronto in August, 2012. I will be collaborating with well-known Bollywood actors and in the process will learn a lot from the traditional acting techniques implied in Bollywood.
So follow the progress of the movie with Dalewood Productions.
If there was ever a sequel to Sweet Prudence and the Erotic Adventure of Bigfoot (and I hope there will be), would you hop on board?
ABSOLUTELY! I would enjoy and love nothing more!!!
I am always bugging bill about it, I know he has his hands full with the first Sweet Prudence, but I am nuts and already want to film another one!!!
Actresses (or indeed actors) who inspire you?
Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep.
Your favourite movies?
Proud to say Titanic and Cast Away.
… and of course films you really deplore?
…. well I don’t think I have ever watched a movie I really deplored, I always learn and take the best from any movie I watch. Every so called “bad movie” has a diamond in it and I try to find it and seize it.
Your website, Facebook, whatever else?
Official Website: www.albinanahar.com
Find me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=500417301
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AlbinaNahar
Reach me at: albina@sweetprudence.com
Anything else you are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
You did a wonderful job – can I get back to doing my homework now?
Thanks for the interview!