Interview with Horror Goddess Olga Fedori

By Hyan Thiboutot.

With the recent Brit horror hit Mum and Dad (dir. Steven Shiel), Olga Fedori is fast becoming an acting tour-de-force. Behind her deceivingly wide-eyed looks, lurks a piercing ferocity that promises wrath and fury unleashed. In an unusually canny, generous and friendly interview in Edinburgh, Olga shared with me the trials and tribulations of acting in Eastenders to landing a part in the up-and-coming classic remake of the Wolfman with Hollywood director Joe Johnson.

Where does the name Olga Fedori come from?

It's a half of my actual last name, which is Fedorishcheva. It's a Russian/Ukrainian last name, which my papa graciously let me cut it.

You gave brilliant performances in Eastenders. But prior to that, what acting gigs did you do?

Thank you! Enders was my third job in the UK. My first gig was on the film So Christian Youth (not yet released) by Stephen Parsons, where I play a religious fanatic. Then came along that wonderfully insane episode of Skins, (big thanks to Ben Schiffer for writing it) which was pure fun, comedy and action! Before that, I was in theater, in Cambridge, Boston, and NYC. I feel very lucky to have worked on a few productions with maestro Jay Scheib, my mentor and simply a creative genius.

With your recent success at the EIFF with Mum and Dad, what was the most disturbing thing you had to do during shooting?

Wake up at 5am and going to sleep at 12am. The most normal things start to seem very disturbing after a few weeks of that.

How did you hear about the part - and get the part - for the remake Wolfman?

My agent sent me to audition for a different film which I didn't get, but got Wolfman instead! But seriously, Wolfman was one of the most memorable rounds of auditions so far. Improvising with casting director Priscilla John, and under the speed-of-light directions from Mark Romanek, who was originally directing it, was a roller-coaster.

What are the differences and challenges of acting in Eastenders, compared to Mum and Dad and Wolfman?

Dealing with 6-week old babies in Eastenders was the first one; swallowing bloody teeth in Mum and Dad the second; and with only two days training, almost killing half of the cast and producers driving a rickety horse cart at full speed!

Though you are recently 'new' to the international scene, what advice would you give someone wanting to break into acting?

Wow, just watched an interview where Johnny Depp answering the same question, so I don't feel particularly qualified! Someone give me GURU! The only thing that keeps me happy is doing EXACTLY what I want. That's all the advise I can give.

Will you stay in the horror genre, or are you looking for new challenges?

Ha, I haven't thought about it this way. Well, I think a good old blond surfer movie is way overdue. Also, I am looking forward to doing a fairytale. Tell you a secret: the very next one is not horror :)

If you could step back in time, what film in the last 120 years of cinema would you have liked to star in? And why?

Hmm? That's seriously cruel. I have at least 10 films each year. Plus, I am not a fan of choosing: one ought to have it all.

What's next?

Who knows! I would like to play a vampire-superhero along the lines of Hancock. That makes Batman gone Charlie's angel, doesn't it?