The March issue of Late Afternoon of the Living Dead Magazine hits newsstands tomorrow and it features an in-depth interview with Los Angeles actor Andy Steadman. Below are some excerpts from the story.
As everyone knows, you played Taste Tester, the zombie who bit Travis Huls’ character, Kurt. How did you land the role and who’s decision was it to have you do the actual biting?
As I remember, there was a rather involved audition process. I think that I called Paul Brooks and said, “I’m going to be in Blo-No (Bloomington-Normal) in August,” and he said, “we’re shooting J’s zombie movie…want to be in it?” I drove down to Decatur on one of my days off from an acting job that I was doing in Rhode Island, and made myself up pale and bloody. I had some experience with fight choreography, and Travis and I started working on some fight moves. While we were working on that fight, I believe J suggested that I bite him since they knew Kurt was going to be turned at about that point in the story.
A lot of fans were upset that Kurt was killed. Has it been difficult for you knowing that you caused his eventual demise? Do you ever get harassed because of it?
I am a classically trained actor, and when you are playing a villain, you really have to get in their head and think like a bad guy. Zombies don’t necessarily think, but I remain proud to have taken out a human. I think I might have encountered more devastated Kurt fans had I stayed in the Midwest, but I moved to Los Angeles about 6 months after my time on the LAOTLD set.
What was it like to be on the set of Late Afternoon of the Living Dead? What was the atmosphere like for you?
The set itself was pretty chaotic. I really like the building we were shooting in; it was one of those buildings with pretty glass tiles in the hardwood floors and solid, ornate bannisters on the staircase. It was also old and run-down, so it had lots of good spaces to film. It was a set with a lot of people playing a lot of different roles in front of and behind the camera.
When I arrived, I saw at least ten friends and at least ten more people that I had not met. Everyone was getting into Zombie makeup, and I had taken a makeup class in college. I pitched in and helped some other zombies after getting myself ready.
Once my scenes were shooting, it was clear that everyone had been working hard on the production and that everyone was really pitching in to do their part. There was a lot of that kind of anarchic energy that you have when you’re playing around in the backyard as a kid, but more focused.
It’s been almost 5 years since the movie came out… What have you been up to lately?
I have continued acting, appearing on TV series like General Hospital and as the Prince in the Cinderella episode of the new 3net series Scary Tales. I perform at comedy theaters in Los Angeles like The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and iO West, doing improv and stand up. I worked with Paul Brooks again on my 2009 short film The Great Date Rape Escape, and continue to write comedy shorts and features that I hope to produce in the near future.
Also, Paul Brooks and I have revived The World’s Most Dangerous Rock Show as The World’s Most Dangerous Podcast. The Rock Show was a really fun outlet for music, interviews, and general silliness on WESN 88.1 back in the days leading up to LAOTLD; the new podcast will have interviews, advice, games, and more amusement.
We know you’re pretty good friends with J and Paul. What have they told you about the status of the sequel, Tomorrow Afternoon of the Living Dead?
Well, Paul has remained tight-lipped. I spoke with J about Citizen in the Temple, but I guess there was not a role in that production for me. So I don’t know the status of the sequel, but I’d be interested in playing a larger part in another episode in the Afternoon of the Living Dead saga.
You can read the full article absolutely nowhere.