An exclusive Interview with Jaimi McPeek on her lead role in Anthony Penney’s “ALONE”

Q: How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did have to audition, would you still have gotten the part?

Jaimi McPeek: I auditioned for the director, Anthony Penney, in the past for another film he was casting for. I was way too young for the part, but he was so impressed with my audition that a few months later, he offered me the lead in this film. I happily accepted. I believe that if I had auditioned for this part, I would have gotten it; if I don’t believe in myself, then no one else will. I always give my all to every audition. I go in as prepared as possible and pour my heart out. After all, that may be the only time I can ever play that character, so why wouldn’t I?

Q: As one of the main cast on this project, how did this ‘choice’ work for you?

Jaimi McPeek: This choice worked very well for me. This choice of character spoke very heavily to me because I know what a big issue depression is among people from all over. It reached out to me to be able to get that message out there about the seriousness of depression, anxiety, and mental illness in general. I have seen first-hand how prevalent depression and other mental health issues are in our society. With this role, I had the opportunity to really show the importance of these issues and why they shouldn’t be taken lightly. Many people have the attitude that if you cannot see the problem, then there is no problem. This is why so many people with mental illness can feel so alone and why they feel like no one understands them.

With this film and this character, I wanted (my whole crew wanted) to show that no one is alone. We wanted to show that mental illness is just as severe as a physical illness. That is why I wanted so badly to portray my character in a light that was relatable to people who are going/ have gone through this all while showing people who don’t know what it is like how painful it can be. This character took a lot of work and a lot of planning as I wanted to truly impact everyone who watched this film.

Q: What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?

Jaimi McPeek: This film is all about suicide and depression. I know that so many people suffer from their own minds and having dealt with my fair share of demons, the most challenging part was truly giving my character justice. Making her as real as possible, so people could actually FEEL her pain, feel her struggle, and know that they aren’t alone. No matter what you are going though, you are NOT alone. You may feel like it, but as long as you breathe, there is hope. I wanted people to remember my performance and the film as a whole, and with this being such a touchy subject, it is very easy to offend people or do more harm than good. I wanted to leave the audience with an impactful performance that accurately depicts what it is like living with the entire weight of the world on your shoulders. Having all this in mind while acting was a huge challenge and one that I am grateful to have had. This project means a lot to me, it always has.

Q: You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?

Jaimi McPeek: Being able to become a different person, being able to live someone else’s life and being able to take their brain, their past, their whole story from paper to screen is why I do this. To be able to create a whole other world through this person’s eyes is truly magical. It allows me to step out of my body and live in someone else’s all while inspiring people from all over.

I always knew that I was meant to perform, and that hasn’t changed. Every role I get, I spend hours upon hours, days upon days to perfect. My goal isn’t just to make a movie, it is to leave a message, to leave a mark, to inspire people that no matter what they are going through, they can do anything that they put their minds to. I get to explore the realms of so many different characters in a multitude of ways. I am always looking to jump outside my comfort zone and challenge myself. All of this is what keeps me working and what keeps that fire inside of me burning.

Q: Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?

Jaimi McPeek: I had discussed with my director a lot about how my character should feel, so the biggest direction I got on set was where to go and when. The whole movie is shot in a series of one- takes. This means that for one whole scene, there is only one take to get it right. We would get through 75% of the scene and then someone would accidentally move out of frame and/or get out of focus, etc. and we would have to start all over. The biggest direction I got was where to be and know my limits with my range of motion to make sure that I stayed on the camera.

Q: How did you create your character from the ground up?

Jaimi McPeek: I created her with immense planning. I am a method actress, so once I get a role, I become that role. I read the script a total of four times. The first time was to get the overall tone and idea of my script/character. The second time was for memorization only. The third was for marking up the script through my character’s point of view (why is she saying that line here? Why is she looking scared? What is prompting her to move here?). The fourth time was for a mini rehearsal with all of her thoughts in mind. I then proceeded to a little book I have where I wrote down all of her traits on one page and on another, I wrote diary entries from her point of view. I wrote about her past, the people she has met, her accomplishments, her downfalls, everything that has made her into the person that she is today. I do this with every script. That is why every character is so unique and special to me; they are not just a character, they are a whole other person with a story to tell. My character from ALONE, Sarah, had a very dark but meaningful story that she had to tell. I had my own playlist for Sarah as well. Songs that she would listen to as well as songs that would get me in the right headspace. She was/is a very complex character with many layers and I am honored that I got to bring all of her complexity to life.

Q: As one of the main cast on the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Were you scared, or did it fire you up? What scenes where difficult to shoot?

Jaimi McPeek: The biggest responsibility, as I said before, was truly bringing my character, Sarah, justice and making her relatable to the audience. I wanted the audience to not just see a face, I wanted them to see her pain, her struggle, her conflict, her rage, all of her battles that she is fighting with just a single look. That can be very taxing. I wasn’t scared, I was ready! I embrace every new challenge with open arms. Everything that challenges me just makes me stronger and better for future projects. Instead of being nervous, I use that energy to devote to her mindset.

She was feeling scared throughout the movie, so I was feeling scared. She was feeling sad and hopeless, so I was feeling that too. I make sure to direct my energy towards my performance whenever I am on set. The most difficult scene to shoot was definitely the last scene of mine. Without spoiling anything, that is the climax scene. The energy was so high and the emotion was so real. We had to reshoot this scene for about 2 hours as it is a very long scene with a lot of moving parts. I had to keep all this energy bottled in me for a very long time and make every take just as good as the first one. It was well worth it in the end!

Q: Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?

Jaimi McPeek: The biggest creative choice I made on this set was going completely method and just abandoning myself to Sarah. I have always been a method actress, but on this set, I did not allow myself to break. There were just too many intense scenes coming up throughout the day, that instead of socializing when the director called ‘cut’, I went into a corner, put on Sarah’s playlist and just let her emotions fill me up. Now I have found a healthy and happy balance between complete abandonment and not letting myself get worn out, and that is all thanks to this set. I used this set to just let go. I learned how to truly direct all of my energy.

Q: What did you take away from the film production?

Jaimi McPeek: Besides all the amazing people I met from this film, I took away experience that I will always remember and use to better all of my performances to come. Sarah had so much power and so much to tell from every single look she gave and every action she would take. I not only had to feel everything she was feeling, but I had to portray it in a way that would make everyone else feel it too. I didn’t want to just ‘play a part’ that people would forget the second the movie ended, I wanted to leave an influence. This film taught me even more about how to act with my eyes and with my heart. It taught me even more how much deeper a movie can go. It taught me how to truly explore every aspect of my character. It also taught me exactly what I wanted to get out of every performance; a true message. The message will be different with each character I play, but the underlying will be the same… to leave an impact!

Q: What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?

Jaimi McPeek: What I love most about Anthony is his passion, his desire, his fire! I love being surrounded by passionate people and that is the kind of person he is and those are the kinds of people that he works with. When I work with him, I am surrounded by a whole army that will not rest until every angle, every line, every shot is perfect. If it isn’t, we try again until it is. I admire all of Anthony’s hard work and all the hours, days, and weeks that he puts into every one of his projects. When you are on set with him, it doesn’t feel like work at all because everybody is so dedicated, motivated, and in love with what they are doing. The collaboration was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with.

Q: What is next for you?

Jaimi McPeek: I have a lot of upcoming projects coming up that I am very excited for. I am currently a recurring role in the episodic thriller, THE ILLS. I have two more projects with Anthony coming up, a short called DamAged and a feature called Being Golden. I am in a sci-fi film called Juvie. I am also signed on for two other films that I am not allowed to release details about yet, but when I can, I will! I am super grateful for all the opportunities I have been given and super eager for all the upcoming ones to come!

Q: What advice do you give actors regarding what you learned on the project?

Jaimi McPeek: The best advice I can give to actors from what I learned is that the best way to master their craft and give the best performance is, don’t view it as acting! View every role you get as a chance to give light to someone else’s whole being. View every role as an opportunity to
navigate outside your comfort zone and go through realms you never thought you could. Be willing to work hard and spend a lot of time on each character. Nothing great ever comes from laziness or haste. Take the time to get to know your character and then when you are on set, you won’t have to force anything, it will all be natural. Another piece of advice I can give is something I mentioned before, and that is how to direct your energy. If you are feeling nervous, anxious, insecure, etc., use that energy to better your performance.

All of the nerves will only hinder you and make you second guess yourself. Direct all of that into your character and just let your heart speak. Don’t overthink everything you are doing. The best performances come when they are natural. One more thing is never forget that most of acting is from the eyes. This is where knowing your character is everything! Your eyes do the speaking, not your mouth. You can be saying a whole monologue about a struggle your character is going through, but if your eyes aren’t explaining that same struggle that your mouth is, your performance won’t be believable. Work hard and show the world that this is your passion, it will pay off, trust me!