Bleeding

Eric has lost his brother to drugs. Now, he is at risk of watching his best friend and older cousin go down the same path. He may be a soft-spoken kid, but he’s not going to loose the last person in his life without it a fight.

For my feature film debut, I spent weeks in the woods sleeping in a log cabin and filming in a series of rental houses. The Upstate NY surroundings were quaint, idyllic, and serene. Not so was the script.

This movie is a bonafide tragedy, a painfully real portrayal of addiction, violence, and dysfunction. It was my first really dramatic role and, perhaps for that reason, Eric was a tough character to live with for such an extended period.

There were, however, wonderful moments of levity; like when my co-star Jasper and I visited the local piano museum and played antique pianos for an afternoon, or when I fell asleep on set and Mike, the sound mixer, recorded my syncopated snoring and played it for the team. The cast and crew was awesome and fiercely talented.

I am very proud that this is my first feature, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Our first stop was the UK! I went to the premiere at Grimmfest and the whole thing was a dream — Q&A, autographs, big screen, the whole deal. Plus, it was my first time out of the States! I’m so glad that my first big trip was with my cast. As we always do, we had such a wonderful time. I’m excited for the next festival :)