Sat. Apr. 28, 8:05pm
KICKIN’ ASS / TAKIN’ NAMES – SHORTS BLOCK
PIMPKILLAH – SHORT NARRATIVE
Synopsis: When a ruthless killer searches for her estranged sister she’s propelled into LA’s underbelly of prostitution and human trafficking leading her down the dark path of retribution. Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez; Terrence Julien; Bryan Royal; Angelica Amor; Christie Insley; Sarah Bitely; Sarah Bitely, director. Adult themes, violence-fight action. USA
“I’ve always been fascinated by our ability to relate to others, and I love exploring the wide spectrum of the human experience. Being an actor has allowed me to delve into understanding our shared fears, joys, triumphs, motivations, circumstances, and other things that move us through our varied journeys in this life.” — Michelle Jubilee Rodriguez
Questions by Kaylene Peoples | Responses by Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez, Actress/stuntwoman
Through Pimpkillah you’re involved in a serious issue today, human trafficking. How did you prepare for the role?
The idea that humans still sell & trade humans like products with a shelf life is so atrocious to me, and I wanted to understand the many other dark sides of this business to bring that true grit to every scene. I researched some of the stories of survivors who escaped their journey of being trafficked, and those incredible individuals who work in the unique field of finding & rescuing them. How that translates to the character of Sloane was in my process of relating to both the victim and the victor. In this case, the idea of having to rescue my sister made my imagination run wild and I uncovered my own inner savage animal that would unleash fury (and even kill) in order to protect not only my loved ones, but also any human (or animal) that was being abused and mistreated.
Did you perform any of your own stunts in this film?
Yes, I performed my own stunts on this shoot. I love doing fight choreography for stunts, so being able to tell the story both with dialogue as well as with the action sequences was a very fun experience for me.
Why did you become a stuntwoman?
I became a stuntwoman because it was an arena in which I could best showcase my variety of skills. I’ve always loved gymnastics and martial arts, and stunts has allowed me to explore my passion and curiosity for motion and action design as it encompasses so much more than just fights and flips. My job requires that I keep my proverbial “cup empty” so that I can constantly be filling it up with new skills like working with horses, guns, wires, fire, water stunts and so on. The training and learning never stops, and as the voracious student that I am, this is a very satisfying line of work for me 🙂
Tell me about your career as an actor? Why did you decide to become an actor?
I’ve always been fascinated by our ability to relate to others, and I love exploring the wide spectrum of the human experience. Being an actor has allowed me to delve into understanding our shared fears, joys, triumphs, motivations, circumstances, and other things that move us through our varied journeys in this life. I truly enjoy stepping in and out of the character to tell their story. I feel a lot of new sensations when I’m finding the voice, mannerisms, and justifications for my characters. It’s the world of make-believe, and I love letting my inner child run free in making these imaginary worlds come to life!
Is it difficult to perform stunts in a movie you’re starring in?
Sometimes it can be difficult… it depends on what the stunt is. In this case, doing the stunts in Pimpkillah had certain challenges due to the limited space we had to work in. It makes you have to find ways to move differently and still deliver the action well. But at least for me, it’s been easier to do both the stunts and acting because it keeps me flowing (literally) through the scene.
What was your favorite scene in Pimpkillah? I think one of my favorite scenes is actually when I’m in the office with Detective Daniels. Sloane experiences so many emotions in that scene: shock, grief, anger, defiance. It’s written with such a nice arc where she starts off the scene kind of soft and vulnerable, and leaves with a fuming defiance against the ineptitude of the police department. I applaud Sarah Bitely for writing such a great scene for this character that literally causes her to shift her perspective on the situation.
What are some of the highlights of your career?
Some of my highlights most recently include playing an incredibly badass warrior by the name of Serqet on Stargate: Origins — you can catch the full mini-series at stargatecommand.co (not com, it’s co 😉 ), I also had the great fun of working stunts on the latest Fast & Furious movie (F8 of the Furious), Agents of SHIELD, Various episodes of Season 2 for Fear The Walking Dead, and one of my FUNNEST jobs was on the season finale of Westworld where I got to fight with one my best friends, who happens to be a phenomenally multi-talented woman and former Artemis-nominee, Peipei Alena Yuan. We put together an improvised fight and had such a blast working together!
Was there any part of this movie that was difficult? If so, what?
I think every movie has its challenges, and this was no different. Making this work with a limited budget, limited time and space, and limited everything is difficult. However, when people are on board and bringing their best energy because they believe in the project, truly amazing things can happen. I think this project is proof of how powerful we are when we work together as a team. It was a very fun experience for me.
Tell me about the rest of the cast.
I love how colorful our cast is. Everyone brought their unique voices and talents, and were all very nice to work with.
Anything you’d like to add?
Just gratitude… Thank you for including PIMPKILLAH in such a badass and fiercely supportive film festival and for taking the time to interview me (smiles). Everyone from the Pimpkillah cast & crew is thrilled to be included in this festival – so THANK YOU!!!
Visit Artemis Women In Action Film Festival for Screening Information. The film festival runs through April 26-29, 2018! Get your tickets for Pimpkillah
Jaw-dropping “wow” stunt reel of Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez
And . . . I found this video very motivating. Obviously Pimkillah was made; but the crowdfunding campaign really revealed the backstory of this important and timely film.
