Troll 2 Queen Interview

The B Club presents “The Interview”

It’s not very often you find yourself in the presence of Royalty, The B Club is honoured to be

able to bring to you on this prestigious occasion, an interview with……………..

(

Her Majesty Creedence Leonore Gielgud, Queen of the Trolls (or Goblins!!)

Deborah Reed

B: Thank you for your time your Highness, it is very much appreciated! So, let's start at the very beginning, how did you hear about Troll 2 and how did you grab the prestigious role of the Troll Queen, Creedence Leonore Gielgud?

Deborah: My pleasure, I'm most happy to be here. I got a notice from my agency that there was a 'cattle call' in Park City. The client, who was doing a horror film, had chosen my picture out of the book. It turns out they had queried agencies all over Utah and when I arrived, there were hundreds of actors waiting to audition. When it was my turn, they gave me a few Creedence lines. I gave it my campy all and the rest is history!

B: Camp definitely suited the character and added to the movie. When you had the script read through, was there any guidance from the Director (Claudio Fragasso) or the crew on how to play the role? It has been said and rumoured that due to the language barrier (Italian), that filming was "slightly" chaotic, with the actors defining the characters.

Deborah: I was given a script about a week beforehand (which seemed

off-the-wall but figured I'd get direction and further understanding when I

got on set), but as far as I know, none of the cast ever did a 'read through'.

Basically, for me, when it came time for my scenes, I was told where to

stand and was shown which scene and lines I was doing. Sometimes

Claudio would express in his way what emotion he desired. Other than

that, I just went with my campy gut with gusto and had fun. Most of my

lines were 'one-take wonders'! LOL. A few of my fellow actors said they

had a somewhat different experience.

B: Wow one week! Too much time to prepare!! We’ve heard the "popcorn scene" was your first on set, is this correct? If so, how did you prepare for this and was it as you expected?

Deborah: True, it was my first scene that was filmed! Hee. I found my old script recently, so I'll have to take a look... but as I recall I had no idea of the crazy scene that was about to transpire. Pretty much, just my lines. Actually, the first thing we filmed was where I am sauntering down the mountainside on my way to the trailer. It was freezing and my teeth were chattering! Then on my way into the trailer the door slammed on the finger! Inside, was the next surprise. The sweet young man waiting for me and... Popcorn! It was awkward, bizarre and funny at the same time.

B: It was an epic scene, along with the "hunger pains". Quite an introduction for you then, the rest of the filming must have been a breeze? How long were you filming for and did you worry about any negative feedback from non-believers, prior to and after its release?

Deborah: My role, I believe, took four days? My son, Gavin, also won a role (the directors didn't know we were related!), so as he was twelve at the time, I was also on set for his scenes. That was fun, as I got to know the other actors I otherwise wouldn't have.

None of my other filming was a breeze, as I was in makeup for hours, then as you can imagine, some scenes were quite uncomfortable, with the huge glass yellow contacts and spewing green goo out of my mouth. Hee hee.

During filming, it was obvious to me that it was a B Movie and figured it would be seen in a very limited way. I wasn't worried anyway, as most of my life, I've loved, created, acted and directed camp, so I just had fun with it! Little did we know what was to come . . . I still hear from fans all around the world from many walks of life, saying how much they adore Troll 2, many having yearly parties! Some have gone so far as to say it saved them during dark times in their lives. As I've often said, if I couldn't be in the best movie, I'm grateful to have been in the worst!

B: It must have been a great life experience for Gavin and one of your proudest moments as his mum? Four days filming, that's incredible considering the makeup and your pivotal role.

You've already mentioned the fans, we (Troll 2) are a breed unto our ourselves, watching the movie over and over, pushing for new recruits. The B Club does have the movie in our BShare library and the feedback is so varied. There are some new contenders for the worst movie, none however have the same appeal, or indeed their own documentary. Regarding the documentary (Best Worst Movie), can you discuss your absence other than the very end, you were very much missed by the fans :-(

Deborah: Well, I couldn't say proudest, as Gavin (the Presents son best known

for throwing the "...before we eat you", baseball), had some fun with the role,

but has probably done more notable things to make me proud, since! Haha.

His being in the film, however, has made the experience for me as a whole –

then and now - more enjoyable.

And yes, we both get a big kick out of having had that unique, if not otherworldly life experience! A little about Gavin, he has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and sold paintings in New York and was in a show in Tokyo last year. For the last number of years, he's been doing animation for ads, twice winning Addy awards for his clients. He's currently working on a kickstarter for a game for which he is doing the art, music, and programming (@heybudgames)

I love how you put that -Troll 2 fans being a certain kind of 'breed'. I do believe our fans are the best and so loyal! I have a lot of fun communicating with my 'minions', as we often role-play, many calling me, "Your Majesty" or "My Queen".

I was invited to participate in "Best Worst Movie", numerous times, but simply wasn't able to make it happen. I was producing a TV show at the time which was pretty much a 24/7 schedule, among other obligations. But just before they were about to release, I was able to find some time and am on the DVD version in the 'Bonus Features - A Conversation with the Goblin Queen’.

B: Glad to hear there’s life after Troll 2 for both of you, BTW, love the characters in the commercials you worked on! So, there has been talk of Troll 3 for some time now, any gossip? Would you consider returning given the opportunity? Also, what keeps you ticking over at the moment other than sharing the Troll 2 Queen love?

Deborah: Thank you! I really enjoyed writing and directing campy Ads for clients, many of which I played off-the-wall zany characters! My talented husband, Randy, and I had such fun co-producing, until his passing in 2012.

True, there has been talk of another 'Troll 2 1/2' for years and ... who knows for sure? But yes, I have shown a willingness to consider.

What keeps me ticking is a myriad of things. Family first and friends, mostly! I'm an animal lover, especially kitties. My friends of the internet have become special to me. I have a blog, Deba Do Tell, where I am sharing experiences. There is a 'Troll 2 Queen' category! My passion is writing. I've been working on a number of books for some time and hoping to release "Flump ~The Gaseous Ghost", a middle-grade novel, before long! There are even some Troll 2 'references' in it . . . Hee. You can also find my books on my blog.

B: Well your Highness, thank you very much for your time and providing a great insight into your life during and after Troll 2. Thanks also for enriching our lives with, in our opinion, one of the best and most loved characters brought to the screen. Do you have a final message for the fans?

Deborah: Thanks much for having me, I've really enjoyed this interview. To my fans, I would say, I truly appreciate you - old and new - your caring and support. I never tire of the fun we have together and just knowing you are out there. Troll 2 lives on. Yay!

Deborah Reed

27th October 2017