Corey Jackson on his role in the Suspense Thriller, Crisis Hotline

Corey Jackson is an actor, known for Notorious Nick, Everyday Black Man (2010) and Shadows in Mind (2019). Corey talks to us about his work on his role in High Octane Pictures Crisis Hotline. He talks his audition, performance, working with the cast and crew.

indieactivity : How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did, would still have got the part?
Corey Jackson : I found the audition on SF casting. I auditioned for the part of Simone via video submission. 

indieactivity : Did you feel the pressure being one of the ‘stars’? Extra stress than being a support player?
Corey Jackson : I did feel the pressure, given this was my first starring role. Yet, I felt more at ease knowing that I was one of three lead actors. The other two actors-Pano and Christian-were great, although I never got a chance to meet them in person and work with them directly. They filmed their scenes in a different location at a different time.  

indieactivity : What part of the story appealed to you the most about the project?
Corey Jackson : The part of the project I loved the most was that it was a suspense thriller focused on LGBT characters. The scripted was exceptionally written with a well-paced narrative that kept me guessing about what was going to happen next. 

indieactivity : You’re not new to indie work – what do you enjoy about being a part of independent productions?
Corey Jackson : What I love most about indie work is the small cast and crew. I love how cast member and crew develop close relationships after spending so much time together on set, like a family. The connection made often lasts long after the production is over. I have already worked with the super talented cinematographer-Donte Yore-on another project. I look forward to working together again soon. 

indieactivity : How collaborative was the director? Open to suggestions?
Corey Jackson : The director, Mark Schwab, was amazing to work with. He was both collaborative and focused. He was clear in his vision of each scene and what he needed from me as an actor. 

indieactivity : How alike the character are you?
Corey Jackson : I see both similarities and differences between the character, Simone, and myself. I’m like the character in that I am compassionate and like to help others, however I see myself as more confident than Simone in real life. 

indieactivity : Any scenes difficult to shoot?
Corey Jackson : It was kind of difficult to do some of the emotional scenes, because I was unable to perform with any other actors when my scenes were purely over the phone. However, I liked the challenge and feel these scenes have helped me grow as an actor.

indieactivity : Explain a creative choice you made on set during production?
Corey Jackson : One of the creative choices I made during my scenes, was to think of Simone as a kind of big brother or mentor to Danny, trying to guide him out of the life-threatening situation he was in.   

indieactivity : What did you take away from the production – besides an extra credit for your IMDB?
Corey Jackson : I see this film as much more than a credit to my IMDB.  This production feels like a huge win as I am playing a starring role. I am honoured that Mark Schwab and Tim Sika trusted me enough to embrace this character and give my all as one of the leads. 

indieactivity : What do you hope audiences get out of it?
Corey Jackson : I hope the audience is truly entertained by this suspenseful and nail-biting film. Everyone on the project worked very hard to make the production engaging. I also hope this movie generates the desire for audiences to want to see more diversity within films. 

indieactivity : What is next for you?
Corey Jackson : This movie really put me on a role as I have two more indie movies, “Even Just” and “The Mentor” that will be released in the near future. I am also playing principal roles in the SAG movies, “Notorious Nick” and “Ball Buster”. 

indieactivity : What advice would you give to budding actors?
Corey Jackson : Never give up!  There will be a lot of rejection but keep going.  Always keep training and working on your craft.

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