Tricia Helfer has confronted Cylons, demons, and all the pieces in between, however now she’s going head-to-head with dinosaurs. The Battlestar Galactica alum stars in Primitive Struggle, a wild style mash-up that drops a recon unit into the Vietnam jungle solely to find one thing way more terrifying than enemy troopers: prehistoric predators. Helfer performs a paleontologist stranded within the valley, pressured to battle for survival alongside the troopers who bump into her.
Through the years, Helfer has constructed an impressively diversified profession throughout tv, movie, and video video games, balancing memorable turns in sci-fi staples with new challenges like efficiency seize. She informed me in regards to the attraction of Primitive Struggle, why capturing on sensible units made all of the distinction, and the way she’s continued to be a working actor. This interview has been edited for size and readability. Watch the total dialog within the video above or on our YouTube channel.
I noticed the trailer for the movie. I imply, dinosaurs, how cool is that?
Tricia Helfer: It was a whole lot of enjoyable. It’s a film that basically is a mash-up of some totally different genres and the dinosaurs are like icing on the cake.
It undoubtedly has a grounded warfare story that then turns right into a horror side with the dinosaurs and a little bit little bit of a sci-fi component, however that’s what was enjoyable to me about it was the mash-up of various genres on this film.
I play a paleontologist that, with out freely giving some spoilers, has been remoted out within the jungle for nearly a yr and she or he’s had some trauma and is attempting to take care of it whereas additionally attempting to outlive. There’s no option to get out of there, and that’s when she meets the Vulture Squad and so they find yourself serving to one another.
While you’re reacting to dinosaurs, what are you really reacting to? I’ve seen tales the place they’re tennis balls and issues like that. What have been you taking a look at?
Tricia Helfer: In a few of the scenes the place there’s a number of dinosaurs, the place we’re getting attacked by a pack, you’re wanting throughout, proper? And there’s folks which are within the grass; they’ve rigged it in order that it strikes and all the pieces.
However there’s different situations the place there’s a scene the place we’re all taking a look at this T-Rex and we now have to be wanting on the identical place on the identical time. And it’s actually an AD with a pool skimmer strolling round to get the peak, so we now have a visible to have a look at. We did have one sensible dinosaur for a couple of days after we have been on set, a person in a go well with clearly, that appeared actually, actually good, so you’ve gotten that to work off of.
However the greatest factor, and to me was integral and actually sensible of the manufacturing to do, was all our units have been sensible. So, for one thing like this, oftentimes the entire thing is CGI. So that you’re on a inexperienced display screen and also you’re making up all the pieces. You’re imagining all the pieces and that I discover actually onerous.
So we have been out within the jungle. And the topography and the local weather of Gold Coast of Australia mirrors fairly properly Vietnam. So, we’re actually trudging by the forest. We’re actually trudging by the mud. We’re actually leaping within the lake.
And that simply makes it a lot extra grounded as an actor. You are feeling a lot extra grounded while you’re within the components. And it simply makes the method a lot simpler, and I feel look higher.
However on the opposite excessive, I’m doing a efficiency seize online game proper now, and it’s my first time doing efficiency seize. I’ve performed the voice for in all probability eight or 10 video video games now, however that is my first time doing efficiency seize, and that’s wild. I’m a little bit extra used to it now as a result of I’ve been filming all of it yr.
However the first couple of days, I used to be like, ‘I suck.’ It’s so onerous since you’re imagining all the pieces, however you’re additionally imagining your world. You’re in the midst of this huge warehouse, simply open room with loopy fluorescent lighting and white partitions. After which there’ll simply be a bit of tape on the ground.
You’re in a go well with with a helmet on with this digital camera that’s hanging off, it’s all rigged up. However the go well with is definitely the simplest factor to get used to as a result of the opposite actors are in it. You get used to that fairly quick. The helmets harm your head and I don’t suppose you ever get used to that.
However there’ll be a bit of tape on the ground and that’s your set to work off of. So, they’ll field you in with tape after which if there’s an enormous desk, it’ll simply be a bit of wooden. And all it’s a must to work on off of is items of wooden and tape on the ground. And it’s a must to think about your complete world. And that I discover actually, actually, actually difficult.
However with Primitive Struggle, being in sensible units and being out within the forest was large.
I used to be in a Civil Struggle film some time in the past and simply being out within the fields in the midst of Virginia, it made all the pieces a lot simpler.
Tricia Helfer: Yeah, you’re there. At one level, we’re being attacked and we’re combating after which I lean again in opposition to this embankment, and so they yell, “lower!” I flip to rise up and there’s a spider the scale of the palm of my hand that was proper right here.
Nope. No thanks, I’m good.
Tricia Helfer: Proper? I may have performed with out the spiders. However it’s vastly useful to be within the components, as you understand.
You’ve performed so many roles throughout each type of style and a whole lot of them are vastly memorable. Is there one thing particular you search for now while you’re deciding to tackle a brand new mission? Or does it generally come right down to, “I’ve by no means skilled this, I need to strive that.”
Tricia Helfer: It’s a little bit little bit of all the pieces. I’ve turned down issues as a result of they have been too much like a job that I’ve performed earlier than, or the writing wasn’t adequate. Like proper after I bought off Battlestar Galactica, I turned down fairly a little bit of sci-fi stuff as a result of it simply didn’t evaluate.
But it surely’s additionally a enterprise and also you’ve bought payments to pay. There’s ebbs and flows within the enterprise, and proper now we’re in an enormous contraction. There was COVID after which I used to be out for over a yr with a knee harm. After which there was the strikes and now it’s the contraction within the enterprise.
And so generally it’s a monetary resolution, it’s like I have to work. There’s solely a really small share of actors which are on the place the place they’re in all probability not too involved about paying their mortgage, proper? For the remainder of us, it’s a must to consider that you just don’t all the time get the chance to simply work on issues that you just need to work on.
The enjoyable a part of performing to me is to get to play various kinds of characters. And also you usually get put in a field on this enterprise, you usually get to play very comparable characters. However the enjoyable of it’s discovering these occasions while you do get to play one thing a little bit bit totally different.
Going off that, you’ve been working for some time now, in movie, TV, voice over and now motion-capture. How have you ever been capable of keep a profession this lengthy when a whole lot of different individuals who may need began similtaneously you aren’t working anymore?
Tricia Helfer: Luck. I feel there’s a whole lot of luck. I feel there’s a component of being prepared.
I used to be married for a few years and one factor that my ex-husband mentioned, despite the fact that he was out of the enterprise, is that in your down occasions… as a result of I’m not so good in down occasions, I choose to be working, but it surely doesn’t all the time work out that method. However he mentioned to me, a part of your job is in your downtime, being prepared for when the following job occurs; proceed to be figuring out, proceed to be concerned by some means. Studying or watching different packages so that you just see what different persons are doing, see what else is on the market. And I feel that’s one factor, being prepared for when the chance occurs.
And to be fully sincere, I’m in all probability within the hardest a part of my profession proper now, as a result of I’m at an age the place Hollywood is type of considering I don’t exist anymore in some methods. However I don’t need to blame that both, as a result of I feel as we go ahead, there’s a gap up of alternative.
And it’s about not being afraid to vary to totally different elements of your life. I’m not going to have the ability to play the roles that I used to be once I was 20 or 30. I’m wanting ahead to enjoying various kinds of roles that I didn’t get once I was youthful. And I feel it’s simply having the ability to be open to vary and having the ability to navigate the ups and downs.
I’ve all the time been a working actor. I’ve by no means hit tremendous huge, however I’ve been lucky to be concerned in some actually good high quality tasks. Even after we shot Battlestar Galactica, it was a success, but it surely was earlier than social media, pre-streaming. The standard of that present was so good that it continues to be seen and continues to be sort of a marker of sci-fi and of fine writing.
And eventually, what’s been your worst audition ever?
Tricia Helfer: I’ve had lots. I undergo from nerves, I simply get extremely nervous within the room, not on set. I’m nice on set. It’s just like the check mentality of strolling in and having one shot at it and the nerves… the place if I’m holding my sides and so they’re shaking as a result of I’m nervous or my mouth will get dry, or my thoughts goes clean.
There was one time that I walked in and proper after, I used to be headed to the airport for a flight. I’m very OCD, so I’m like very organized. And I feel a part of it was like, ‘okay, it’s a must to be sure you get to the airport on time and also you drop your automobile off’ and all this sort of stuff.
After I went into the room and I began doing the scene, I simply fully went clean. And I used to be like, “Oh, I’m sorry. Can I begin over?” ‘Certain’. Identical factor occurs.
It occurred 3 times the place I couldn’t even get by the primary line. I went clean. I went, “I can’t do that.” And I rotated and walked out. I used to be like, it’s not going to get any higher.
While you’re on set and also you see someone that begins getting into a spiral, generally it’s higher to, as a substitute of conserving at it, simply take a fast break and go get some contemporary air or one thing, as a result of we’re human. We’re going to have moments the place our mind goes numb or, you understand, for me it’s nerves.
And also you’d suppose self-tapes could be higher, however self-tapes are actually onerous as properly as a result of I’m not technologically savvy. I dwell in the midst of the nation with no person round. So usually I’m working off someone. I’ve bought my iPad propped up, someone on FaceTime, and no person can transfer the digital camera, or they’ll’t zoom out and in, you’re doing the lighting, you’re doing the sound and then you definately’re doing all your hair and make-up. You’re doing the background.
And I discover it very onerous to modify after which to get into character and work with someone off of a display screen.
Each have their challenges, and I discover I don’t put together as a lot both for self-tapes as a result of you are able to do it 50 occasions if you might want to. I imply, the individual studying with you would possibly get mad at you… I don’t actually like both of them.
I’m not someone that likes to audition. I feel I’d in all probability do higher in my profession if I did. I like actually being on set and the collaboration, however clearly to get on set, it’s a must to get by the audition.
Proper. With self-tapes, you’re like, “Oh, I’ll simply get it on the second strive. Third strive. fiftieth strive.”
Tricia Helfer: Proper. However every time, you’ve bought to cease the digital camera and begin it and no matter. It’s like, can’t we simply return to the day while you’d go within the room?
Even then although, you’re sitting within the ready room with 10 different actors, and you’ll hear the individual within the room however then it’s a must to take care of the nerves. Some persons are simply actually nice at it. I’m so jealous of individuals which are good at auditioning.