Phil interviews actress Miranda Robin from the upcoming film B.C. BUTCHER from Troma Entertainment - April 8, 2016

Actress Miranda Robin (Courtesy of Miranda Robin)

Hello again and welcome back to my series of interviews with the actresses from the upcoming Troma Entertainment film B.C. BUTCHER directed by Kansas Bowling. Today's installment I had the esteem pleasure of interviewing actress and film enthusiast Miranda Robin, who plays Dina in the film. Read all about this up and coming actress who not only holds two major degrees, but is also a avid Charlie Chaplin fan. Thoughtful, insightful, intelligent, and passionate about art and life, this is one individual that will be changing the world for the better.

PC: So I see you were born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. When I interviewed your costar Leilani Fideler she said she was one of those rare breeds that was born, raised, and still lives in LA. Your IMDb page says the same thing. Why do you think people are leaving LA and why do you still live there? 

Miranda Robin: I love Los Angeles! It has a bit of everything here and more to explore. Sand, sea, mountains and snow in the same day, can't beat that. I really don't know why people are leaving LA, possibly parts are seeming to get over crowded, but I have a feeling they will be back. I believe it is important to get out and see the world when you can. And along the way you will know where your heart and home are. My heart has a love for the mountains and the city, and my LA life captures both. Raised in Westchester (LAX), in a generational household and I am still living there part time with my mom and grandma. Grandma June is 98 and a fan of B.C. BUTCHER too. The other days I live in Topanga Canyon with my husband William Preston Bowling (caveman #1), and step-daughter Parker Love Bowling (B.C. BUTCHER Poster Girl and character of Po). I will travel and explore with my family, but Los Angeles will always be home for me. 

PC: So tell us about your childhood? What's your family like?

MR: I am an only child and my mom and grandma are two of my best friends. I grew up living with both of them, a generational home is truly magical. In my house growing up, and still, creative freedom is accepted and who you are is loved unconditionally. Childhood is about exploration and play, stories and dancing in the kitchen, I definitely had that. There were hard family dynamics mixed in as well, parents not being together since I was two, tears and sleepless nights, but looking back, my childhood was pretty good. Museums, theater, concerts and art materials always at my fingertips. When I thin about it some of my most fun times involve acting, dancing and singing of some sort. I have always loved to dress up as other characters or different versions of myself. Childhood is precious and I know that from looking back on it and from studying it in school. When you remember parts of your childhood, good and bad, write them down. Creativity will bring them about years later in another form. 

PC: Were you scholastic when you were younger or was school a bit boring? 

MR: I have always enjoyed learning new ideas and concepts, but school was not always easy for me. I preferred the art classes to the textbook ones. Test taking is a nightmare! I know the material and then the test comes in front of me and it looks like it is in another language. I also find it very difficult to read about a subject if I am not interested in it/ It was college that made me fall in love with education. Studying what I am interested in, I took off like a rocket. 

PC: How old were you when you became interested in acting? 

MR: I have always loved acting since kindergarten, even though I has a shy moment during a performance once and hid underneath a table. Acting is freeing. I did a lot of musical theater in elementary school and I was part of the drama conservatory at Crossroads High School. I have see a lot of theater from Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon to the hits on Broadway in New York City. Pure inspiration. Honesty acting is a medium, whether on stage or on screen, is such a gift to the actor. We can step into characters and try on new hats, simultaneously getting to know ourselves better. In the past decade I have really focused on the programming behind the camera. I find producing and creating fascinating. The role of Dina was the first acting role in quite a while and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had so much fun in this film. I got to run in the dirt, wear leopard, play with fake blood and see Kansas in her natural element. 

PC: Were you always a big fan of the cinema?

MR: I LOVE FILM! Give it to me in black and white, silent, with sound, in color-I will take it all. Watching a film is like taking a trip. I am always willing to see something new. What I love about films too is watching the favorites over and over, reciting the lines and tearing up at the same scene. I took several film classes in high school and college, one film insight more intriguing than the next. 

PC: I read that you received you BA at UCLA and your MA at Loyola Marymount. What subjects were you majoring in? 

Robin as Dina from B.C. BUTCHER.

MR: I loved UCLA, what a gorgeous campus and great professors. I received a B.A. in Women's Studies with a minor in Sociology of Sexuality and Gender. The classes made you think about life, our social interaction and why we behave the way we do. It is like a diary entry you didn't know you could write. The next educational adventure was at LMU. I was in a cohort of 20 students and we studied everything together. The leadership skill classes were my favorite. The lessons involved a lot of situational role play interaction, acting skills plus acquired knowledge put to the test. I received my M.A. in Early Childhood Education. I don't think I am done with my educational path. I think I am ready for more. I guess I  would consider myself an education junkie. 

PC: Explain on how you became involved with the Topanga Canyon Film Festival. What is your role in the festival? 

MR: My husband, William, has been working with the festival since the beginning. When I joined the Topanga community five years ago we went to a film screening that was presented in the Chaplin screening room at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. Later that night at an after party in Topanga a discussion of Chaplin came about and all my Chaplin facts started coming out. Someone suggested doing something Chaplin for the festival, and the Chaplin Showcase at the Topanga Film Festival was born. I am a true admiration of Mr. Chaplin, his talents changed cinema forever. I have been producing with the festival ever since. One of my favorite producing experiences was the 45th anniversary of Hair the Musical. The night was a fundraiser for the Topanga Film Festival & Institute held in a beautiful establishment called Rosewood, decorated in Baroque Fashion. We had original Broadway and Los Angeles cast members break into a song flash mob of "Let the Sun Shine In." It was magical and made an imprint on the canyon! 

PC: You made your film debut in B.C. BUTCHER. Tell me the process of how you became involved with the project? 

MR: Kansas Bowling is my step-daughter and I was ready in anyway to help her with her film. I started behind the scenes, helping with make-up, props and craft services type stuff and then the role of Dina fell into my lap. The camera was set up, using 16mm film, the other actors were on set and the woman suppose to play Dina never showed up. With no time at all, Kansas said, "Do you fit in this dress and will you be my Dina?"...and there you go. I am Dina. I am so honored to be a part of the Cave Tribe. 

PC: Fascinating. So what was it like working with Kansas then? 

MR: Seeing her on set is a truly cool experience. She is very professional and meticulous with her craft. She would stand behind the cameraman to see every frame. Her storyboards were easy to follow and she explained her vision from every angle. These types of details made it enjoyable for the cast and crew to work together as a team. I would work with her on any project. She is going places. 

PC: Describe your character Dina for us. How did you prepare for this role?

MR: Getting into the character of Dina was actually really fun! I only had 15 minutes to become this cave woman and Kansas told me that Dina needed to look really messy and dirty like she was running and exploring the wilderness. We didn't have stage make-up on set yet and improvising was the only option. There was a birthday in the house  the day before and there was leftover chocolate cake and chocolate frosting...perfect. I rubbed it all over my face and arms, used a little green and brown eye shadow, stuck some actual dirt to the frosting and then Cave Camera Ready. Dina was born on set, on camera. The other cave tribe really took me in and made it easy. I had a bloody fantastic time! Thank you Kansas for trusting me with his role. 

PC: What did you take away from this experience? 

MR: Always be ready for anything. I feel very lucky to end up in the role of Dina. I just walked the red carpet at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for the B.C. BUTCHER premiere. For the first time in film, I have to say, I think that is really cool. I am also amazed by the talent and drive of both Bowling girls, Kansas and Parker. They are ready for the world and the world is ready for them. 

PC: Are you a fan of horror genre? What are some of your favorite films and genres? 

MR: I am not a huge horror movie fan, but there are some good ones, but this whole experience of being in a slasher movie is changing my mind a bit o the excitement of this genre. I definitely prefer the suspense/thriller films to the blood and guts, but every movie needs a little blood. I like the SCREAM trilogy by Wes Craven or anything Alfred Hitchcock, especially PSYCHO and REBECCA. I'm definitely a Kubrick fan, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and THE SHINING and of course everything by Charlie Chaplin. Check out Chaplin's short film ONE A.M. The rest of my favorite films I am going to list in no particular order or genre: SPACEBALLS, MARY POPPINS, THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE, SERIAL MOM, ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING, CAN'T BUY ME LOVE, THE CRAFT, PUMP UP THE VOLUME, EMPIRE RECORDS, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, GIRL INTERRUPTED HEATHERS and BEETLEJUICE. 

Actress Miranda Robin (courtesy of Miranda Robin)

PC: What are your plans for the film industry? Do you have any projects you are currently working on? 

MR: I will continue producing for the Topanga Film Festival and Institute and there will be some fun events coming up in the future. Currently I am working on an animation/film panel project and co-writing a screenplay. The exciting part of the industry is that there are new projects around every corner. So my plans change all the time, but my focus is getting people together for the Love of Film. 

PC: What advice would you give to all aspiring and upcoming female talents who want to break into the film industry, especially those who wish to bring diversity and a feminine voice to the overpopulated male dominated Hollywood? 

MR: DON'T HESITATE. GO FOR IT! As a woman, we have a voice and a chance to do great things and change the world one step at a time, if we want to. What is a feminine voice? We get a chance to redefine the world or keep it the same, it is a choice. You have talents and desires you don't even know yet, therefore to get the chance you've got to take that chance. Come at the industry from all sides. Get to know in front of the camera and behind the camera, why not even try to work the camera. Take a class, let the Craft of Film embrace you while you take charge of it. I would say, just be yourself. If you want it, you want it for a reason. Tell the world what that reason is. Film it, paint it, sew it, BE IT! 

To learn more about the Toganga Film Festival & Institute, visit their website at www.topangafilminstitute.com.  Also check out their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. To learn more about Troma, their film catologue and their upcoming release of B.C. BUTCHER, visit their website at www.troma.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!