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RadioFree.com: Even though you obviously filmed all the possible endings and knew about the different outcomes, did you still play the video game?
MICHELLE: Yes! I've played it once. I'm one of those people [who gets] kind of awkward watching myself, I don't know why. That sounds a bit self-indulgent, but just my own nerves, I suppose...Especially in something like this, where there's not much of a "break [from] me" in it. But I played it all the way through. Obviously, I'm coming at this interactive feature from a weird perspective of knowing all of the choices, [so] I wanted to see the worst possible outcome, just because I wanted to see those scenes. [laughs] So I chose everything to get myself where I thought [it] would take me to the brutal [ending]...I got there, which was fun!
A lot of fans know you as Katy from Letterkenny. How did you feel about switching gears and playing a character so different from one that has been with you for years?
It was really nice. I mean, it's always nice to switch it up, right? Like I love Katy more than words, but when I first got into the acting world, I started out in the sci-fi/horror, more dramatic side of things. And even though comedy is my background (I grew up doing improv, and so that was my comfort zone), when I started working, I started working in horror. And I've been on Letterkenny now for almost five years, so it's always nice to kind of take yourself out of something that you're so immersed with and go, "Oh yeah, there's a whole other world, there's a whole other crew of people that you get to work with!" And this character was the first "professional" that I've ever played. I've never played a doctor or anything close to it. [laughs] So it was definitely a different challenge trying to make her as authentic as I possibly could in what this woman brings to the table, because she's an incredibly impressive person. I just wanted to take her as seriously as possible. And it was a challenge for sure, but it was a really, really great challenge.
 
I think the way she pulls a knife from her colleague Rees' leg was reminiscent of something Katy might do: she tells a dirty joke, slaps him, and then jerks the knife out all in one motion...
[laughs] True! That was kind of this funny thing, because when reading Amy...You know, her job is her whole life. She's incredibly focused on her career aspirations, and so she was written as this very serious person. And I kind of think that moment with Rees, because he [has] this very charismatic, funny, highly confident "guy in a leather jacket" vibe, it was fun to play almost like she's not so great at jokes--she's not so great at being light-hearted, and she's a little bit awkward. And so that scene was like her moment to try, but it came across really dark and not fully pulled off, which was fun to play around with.
How do you think Katy would handle things if she were in Amy's situation? WWKD?
I feel Katy would be like, "This is a nightmare, I'm gonna go have a smoke. Is there whiskey around?" You know, I think she would have probably just been like, "This is too much and I'm out." Or she would have become very, very bossy--even more so than Amy was, I think.
The Complex has a very modern aesthetic to its look. Where did you film it?
We shot, actually, in this abandoned old, like, pharmaceutical lab. And it's this huge space in a town called Sandwich, which is in Kent, England. And it's where the sandwich was invented by the Earl of Sandwich, I found out. (Kinda cool, some trivia for you!) [laughs] And it was, to be totally honest, a very creepy building. It was pristine, and it was almost like something really bad had happened and everybody just dropped their pens and put down their papers and walked out. And then the basement was where they did animal testing, back when this place was operating. And so the vibes in there were just, as you can imagine, pretty dark. And it was a great place to film this movie because, first of all, we had all of this space, and it's quite impactful on camera. And then the vibe of it was a little bit strange, so we got to get into that. And that's where World War Z filmed the very last scene with Brad Pitt running through the corridor with those zombies. (You know the scene!) It was really cool, and our set dec created this lab that was so well done...It was just beautiful. As soon as we got on set, we were in this new world.
How was your experience of working overseas in England?
It was so cool. It was my first time. I had been to London before on a vacation, but I had never worked in Europe, so I was incredibly excited. I actually had a four-day weekend kind of in the middle, and it was recommended to me to just hop on the bullet train that they have and go to Paris for the weekend. So that's kind of a luxe thing about filming in Europe--everywhere is so close, and so if you are able and you've got a little bit of time, you can explore a bit. And everyone was so nice, and very funny. It was a great experience.
I can't ignore your Earl of Sandwich trivia: if a restaurant were to name a sandwich after you, what ingredients would be in it?
[laughs] Okay, hmmm...It's going to be boring, I feel, but roast chicken on a really good sourdough loaf. Like, a proper sourdough. And a lot of mustard. A little bit of hot sauce. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pickle, salt and pepper.
That tells me you want something healthy, but with a little bit of kick to it...
Yeah. Healthy but yummy. And mustard's the most important condiment. By far.
You mentioned getting your start in science fiction and horror. Were those genres you had always loved growing up?
I love scary movies, always. And I've been watching them kind of against my parents' wishes since I was little. It was great. And I would love to do more horror movies, because I think they're so much fun, and I love watching them, especially when they're really good. Or even when they're terrible! Like, that's the great thing about horror--it's such a fun genre to play around in. And then science fiction as well. I grew up watching Star Trek with my older brother, and I love dystopian novels. Again, it's this really great, free, creative space, and it also tends to be quite poignant. So I'm a big fan of both genres.
What were some of those scary movies you were watching at an inappropriately young age?
Well, because I grew up on the West Coast, my dad's house was pretty much right on the beach, which was incredible, and I was swimming all the time. And I was probably 6 when I watched Jaws. And it basically kept me out of the water for like a year and a half, to the point of not wanting to take baths. And my granny was so mad at my dad for letting that one happen. But yeah, Jaws was the first one that I was like, "I really shouldn't be watching this, but I can't look away." Just the music, and sharks are terrifying! And then Silence of the Lambs, which is more thriller...That's maybe one of my most favorite movies of all time in general, actually.
You're credited as the voice of miniature Katy in Letterkenny's animated spinoff Littlekenny even though she doesn't speak. Did you sneak in some lines that I'm not noticing?
No! [laughs] And it's funny that I have a voice credit. So I think the idea behind it is that I'm "in it," it's just she's too little to talk yet, she's too young to speak. So she's there, and she will talk, and when Littlekenny continues and as she grows up, I'll start to voice her. But that's sweet of them for giving me the credit anyway.
Does that mean we can expect future episodes of Littlekenny?
I think so. People really liked it, and it's very cute. Jared Keeso, who plays Wayne and is the creator of the show...He's a very silly man, and he has, obviously, a wicked sense of humor. And I think for him, it's just fun to have your buddies go and do our baby kid voices and say inappropriate things. [laughs] It's just, like, him wanting to have a good time and be silly and have some laughs. And so any opportunity Jared has to do that more, he will take that opportunity. So I would assume Littlekenny will continue.
Have you had the opportunity to do voiceover work elsewhere?
No, never. And I would love to!
What would you look forward to about that type of acting?
I like the idea of going to work in your pajamas and no makeup, no hair, and no one can see you and it doesn't matter. I love that idea. I mean, I'm not a voice actor. I would love to learn how to hone that skill more, because I think it's amazing playing really young, playing really old, male, female, whatever...It doesn't matter. And there's just so many funny animated series right now. Like, I want to be on Rick and Morty more than anything on the planet. Or Big Mouth. There [are] such good animated comedies at the moment, and it'd be very fun. Anything on Adult Swim would be great. [laughs]
How has the current pandemic impacted your work schedule? Will we see you back on Letterkenny soon?
It's definitely slowed a lot of things down, as we all know. Letterkenny...There's a new season coming up this year ("dropping this year!"), which is exciting. And then we're going back to film more seasons. I think we're hopefully going to film two back to back--well, basically one season, it's 14 episodes, back to back, but we kind of split them up. And that will be in May, unless, you know...Nobody has a crystal ball right now, so we just don't know what we're really in for. But that's the plan, to go back in May and film. And before the world really shut down, we were actually--myself and eight of the boys--on a tour bus doing a North American live tour. We had [about] 41 shows to do over the span of two months, and we did nine shows. Our last show was in Detroit, and then we drove overnight to New York, and then we woke up the next day, and that was the day that the NBA stopped the season and the whole internet just kind of changed in that moment. So we had to unfortunately cancel or postpone the tour. And so the hope is that we'll be able to pick up the tour, but I'm not sure when that is. Hopefully next year, but again, nobody knows for sure.
Fingers crossed that things return to normal sooner rather than later. Michelle, thanks so much for your time today...
Thanks so much for having me. I really, really appreciate your time and interest in The Complex, as well as Letterkenny. So thanks!
Stay safe and stay healthy...Until next time!
All right, I'll see you soon...Bye!
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