Staunton Hill

It would be difficult to forget the Coen Brothers movie No Country for Old Men. It's nail biting watching Javier Bardem rampage through the streets with a bolt gun. You can't help but to feel a sense of dread hammer at your head as he enters a trailer park office demanding information from the woman behind the desk. Any normal person would have a mental breakdown and cry if confronted by a man like this. However, this woman behind the desk isn't fazed by his intimidating nature. They stare each other down like a scene from a western. Javier Bardem speaks these dry resolute words, 'I'm looking for Llewelyn Moss'. The woman refuses to divulge the information, 'sir I ain't at liberty to give out no information about our residents'. You could cut the tension with a knife. He knows there is no shifting this woman's resolute attitude when he asks 'where does he work?' - she won't tell him jack s***. Javier Bardem has met his rival and decides to walk out. Who is this actor lady with such an unyielding mind-set?

Kathy Lamkin is a character actor who has appeared in such memorable TV roles as Aunt Gail in My Name is Earl, Judge Marcia Fudge in Boston Legal, Marianne Epps in Bones, Gladys Discala in Medium and Momma Boone in Nip/Tuck. Having appeared in a number of supporting roles throughout the 1990s it wasn't until the dawn of the 21st century that Kathy's film career went from strength to strength with such supporting roles in The Life of David Gale (2003), $5.15/Hr. (2004), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and In the Valley of Elah (2007). She has also worked on the 2003 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2007) gaining cult success as the Tea Lady. Even though she has played supporting roles alongside such Hollywood juggernauts as Ben Stiller, Billy Bob Thornton, Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer she is never overshadowed, you know when you watch Lamkin on screen - she's a show stealer. Her performance always strengthens and reinforces the film. All Lamkin needs now is that leading lady role, which brings us to the DVD release of Staunton Hill. 
 
I managed to track down Lamkin to ask her a few questions about her career. I'm fortunate enough that I didn't demand information from this woman. If an unhinged psychotic killer can't stand up to her resolute attitude I wouldn't stand a chance in hell…

With working on mainstream films as a supporting actress how did you get involved with an independent horror flick like Staunton Hill?

It began with meeting two friends in Los Angeles who wanted to do an indie-film. They asked what it would take and I said a good script. My friend Margaret Bowman and I meet with them [the people behind Staunton Hill] and they started a script.

Which character do you play in the film?

I play Louise Staunton, mother of the Staunton family.


Did you go through prep work with the cast before you began the shoot?

No prep work…I just worked with my husband who ran lines with me. I call him my dialogue coach. He's an engineer at NASA so getting the lines 'word perfect' is a niche he does well.

What was it like working with director Cameron Romero?

Working with Cameron Romero was great. Cameron listened and that is worth it's weight in gold.


Did you have fun working with your filmic family? The scenes in the family Staunton house with your son Buddy (B.J. Hendricks) and mother Geraldine (Sherry Weston) are disturbing but also quite comical.

Working with B J Hendricks was a blast and we have been looking for other scripts we could work on together. Sherry and I had known each other prior to this shoot but this was our first time working together. Sherry and I went off one day and toured the countryside and that was a blast too. I used those memories of that tour with my character to remember good times in the family before everything went south in their relationship.


What about the rest of the cast, the hitchhikers who invade your farm. Did you all have a good working relationship with them?

Working with the rest of cast was good. Everyone respected each other's space.

There is a great scene in the film after Buddy attacks the hitchhikers and your character Louise looks oe of them. I won't give away the undercurrent for people who haven't seen the film but you create an interesting flow with your mannerisms. Do you think the most important thing as an actress is to convince the audience that your character is real by unspoken gestures like this?

The subtleties of the character come from the layers of past relationships and that's where I did my homework before coming to set. Glad that it came across in a subtle way. I never wanted to do acting by indication, always want it to flow from a real place.


Even though your character Louise instigates the 'evil stuff' through her son Buddy you couldn't call her a black and white villain. There's a grey area to her deeds. Can you tell me a little about the psychology behind your part?

Louise loves her son and in my mind, I had a back-story that he had been damaged in an experiment 'gone bad' with the older brother and Grandma Staunton. You will note an undercurrent of hostility with Grandma Staunton because of the almost drowning of Buddy and the resulting brain damage. Buddy was smarter and the shinning star of the family until jealousy took over and Grandma and the older brother went too far and almost killed Buddy. At least that was my back-story…remember the photo of Buddy in happier times?

I would love to know what happens after the end of the movie, if the family are still 'working'. It's always a good sign when you watch a film and you wanna know what goes on after the credits role...

The ending leaves it where the family could continue in the family business…


What are your most vivid memories about the production of Staunton Hill?

We shot in Pennsylvania and the fall colors were spectacular…loved the day off. I visited covered bridges and went to Amish country. Bad day was the day a stunt went wrong and I had to go to the emergency room for my injured shoulder and knees. It was interesting working in different types of weather…cool crisp autumn days, sunshine like summer and falling snow. The first couple of days we worked around yellow jackets [Wasps in the UK] at base camp after food on the craft table…no one got stung but it was a hazard…very glad to see the arrival of wasp traps and the departure of the yellow jackets. Only yellow jackets were the ones in the farmhouse…which the owner did not want to kill.

It was great getting to know Cameron and his wife over dinner with my husband and daughter.


You've worked with some interesting people over the years, working with such film directors as Shane Black, Richard Linklater, The Coen Brothers, Alan Parker, Paul Haggis - which experience did you enjoy the most and which director do you think is the most talented?

Each director I have worked with has something different to offer and all have one thing in common - a passion for filmmaking. All take you aside and speak to you privately about what they want in a particular take. It was fun working with Michael Polish [director of The Astronaut Farmer] …Michael keeps the film rolling after dialogue was finished and you keep in character. Cameron let the film roll after the page was finished and we got a couple of good improvisations. Some directors I would crawl over broken glass for because they inspire everyone to a higher standard of excellence and are so nice.

Do you feel that having a major role in Staunton Hill will help you get more substantial acting jobs in the future?

All that I do hopefully leads to larger and more challenging and interesting roles. Maybe this is the year I get a regular character on TV.

What's the best thing about being an actor?

To know that my work will exist long after I have gone from this earth. In all that I do I try to leave you with thoughts about the world and to feel passionate about something. Not all roles are on the light side but it is my intention to make the audience think.

What's your fondest memory working on a film or TV set? This is always an interesting question because people remember stories 'us fans' don't usually get to hear…

I have many fond memories…I love what I do and enjoy it all…first thoughts that come into my head…

Working on the western Broken Spur years ago and riding in the explosive truck, but I didn't know it was carrying explosives until we hit a really hard bump in the non-existent road and the driver commented on how brave I was to ride with him…everyone else was afraid…which proved that ignorance is bliss at times.

What about your work on Malcolm in the Middle?

Jane Kaczmarek (who plays Malcom's mum Lois) reminding the director that he needed to do a turn around of me for close ups; other wise none of my close ups would have existed in Malcolm in the Middle.

What's your most vivid memory working with an Hollywood actor?

Improvisation with Billy Bob Thornton on The Astronaut Farmer. I thought he would be a jerk but one of the best people I have worked with in this business… and so much fun, creative, and kind.

What about your performance in My Name is Earl as Aunt Gail?

Love that the writer, director and producer for My Name Is Earl, Greg Garcia let my character Aunt Gail live. I was supposed to die in that episode and Greg let me live so I could come back as a recurring character…unfortunately the show was cancelled before I could come back.

What about working with the Coen Brothers on No Country for Old Men?

At a call back several weeks after the first audition with the Cohen brothers when they told me they had been all over the United States looking for my character and one brother said to the other…"See I told you no one does it like Kathy Lamkin"

Javier Bardem told the Cohen Brothers that he loved me because I wasn't afraid of him in No Country for Old Men.

I liked your performance in Nip/Tuck as Momma Boone…

The Nip-Tuck audition when Ryan Murphy [the show's writer] asked me if I was a ******* acting genius was good. And in editing room when Elodie Keene, director of the Momma Boone episode called me at home to thank me for being Momma Boone. Both moments I was walking on clouds.

What about anything random you can remember?

Having my daughter, Kati as my assistant on many sets. She takes care of things so all I have to do is be the character. Alan Arkin [Alan and Kathy worked together on Sunshine Cleaning] coming to my trailer to talk with me about our scene during the first hour on set…he was so nice…

What other acting gigs can we look forward to in the future, I've noticed your attached to a number of films?

Let's see- Welcome to the Rileys [directed by Jake Scott, son of Ridley Scott], Walking Distance [with Reggie Bannister from Phantasm], Ex-Terminators [with Heather Graham], Expecting Mary [with Elliot Gould] and in talks with film shooting in Louisiana.

I look forward to seeing these films, thanks for answering my questions!


Staunton Hill is now available on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment.