Interview by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor for RadioFree.com
November 28, 2023

A seemingly mild-mannered citizen takes matters into his own hands when the legal system fails to hold the guilty accountable in the crime thriller Walden.

As a courtroom stenographer, Walden Dean (Emile Hirsch) gets a front row seat to the myriad cases in his small town world of Alexandria, Virginia. But when a series of particularly heinous crimes involving children goes unpunished, the outwardly demure civil servant--who harbors emotional baggage from his own troubled past--takes it upon himself to enact a homemade brand of unyielding justice. His newfound streak of vigilantism entangles his relationships with a number of acquaintances, including an intrigued colleague (Kelli Garner), a well-connected judge (David Keith), and a pair of local detectives (Shane West and Tania Raymonde).

In this exclusive interview, Tania Raymonde talks about working on Walden, from establishing chemistry on day one to shooting on location in the South, and reflects on portraying characters on both sides of the law. She also shares an endearing aside about traveling with her dog Haku, who bonded closely with her onscreen partner Shane West.

Walden is available on VOD and digital platforms including Amazon and Google Play.

RadioFree.com: As someone who has played both law enforcers and law breakers, how would you characterize your own mystery-solving skills? Are you pretty good at figuring out the killer before the reveal when reading scripts or watching film and television?

TANIA: I think I'm conditioned to reading scripts and seeing beats, and I love storytelling in the written form, [so] when I'm reading, I'm usually pretty good at figuring it out, relatively. But when I'm watching something, I revert to being a child again, like watching movies for the first time, and I'm just so absorbed in the acting that I don't even see the story unfolding and I'm terrible at guessing who did it. Awful, awful. I'm the worst, everyone's so much better than me. I'm always surprised at the end. But for this script, I was actually genuinely surprised as I was reading, because I do believe that it sort of unfolds kind of like a puzzle piece, as any good thriller does, I suppose. But there are some twists in here I did not see coming in terms of who "the real baddie" was. So yeah, that was good, I was surprised.

What do you enjoy about playing a detective?

You get to wear cool outfits and belts and carry a gun and stuff like that, and talk with authority and people are scared of you. [laughs] What I like most about playing a detective was that I had a partner. So the fun part about that was the rapport and the relationship with Shane West's character. That just felt like the dynamics with any kind of partnership, and I love that. He and I got on really well together, so it was quite easy in that regard. And that was the biggest question mark for me, because we just showed up and started shooting the next day. I'd never met him before. And that's typically how it is with actors--you know, you have to develop a friendship in a day. But it worked out. So once that was settled, I was like, "Okay, this is going to work, I can play this role."

Conversely, what are the uniquely fun aspects of playing an antagonist?

Oh my God! Like, the list is endless. You're rewarded for bad behavior. I get to do all the kind of stuff on film that I would never do in my real life, and get away with it. There's a particular kind of glee in playing a murderer that I will admit is quite fun. Which is sick and weird to say, because I'm a pacifist, basically. So obviously I would never do these things and I'm not a violent person. [laughs] But I could see how playing a character like Walden was so fun for Emile. I get it, you know? You get to exorcise those demons, so to speak.

The movie is specifically set in Alexandria, Virginia but filmed in Georgia. To what extent did being on a location in the South inform your character's small town police officer vibe?

Oh, so much! Conyers is basically one little strip of town. It's tiny. And we were also in Madison. Those parts of the country in and around Georgia, especially on the fringe...The Southern accent runs thick like honey over everything. There's a way slower pace in these towns, everything takes longer, it's oppressively hot in the summer. And these are not all bad things. These are good things when you're making a movie like this because it does inform the way you move, the way you talk. It's almost impossible to not have a Southern accent when you're shooting a movie in the South. Which sucked for me because I wasn't playing a character who was from the South. So it was very hard to not talk that way. [laughs] But it informs everything, yeah. I love shooting on location. If there's ever an option, I prefer that to almost anything because you live in a space, you know?

What was there to do on location during your downtime? I have yet to check off Georgia from my list of visited states.

Well, it's a great state. There's a million things to do. Atlanta is a vibrant, booming city. It's awesome. We also were in Decatur for a little while, which is also very cool. But where we mainly shot, there wasn't much around. There was a pool hall and a bar and a couple thrift stores, but that was pretty much it. So we did a lot of Netflix watching, and talking, and walking around town. And that was pretty much it. Which is really nice in its own way.

The small town life really comes through in the details, like how your character knows everyone by their first name. Clearly that's not prevalent in a metropolis like Los Angeles or New York.

Yeah, and that's really how it was there. I mean, coming from LA, having lived here my entire life, it's refreshing. It feels exotic.

Your character speaks a bit of Spanish in one scene. Did you bring that to the story because you're fluent, or was it something that was always a part of the role?

I can't remember when it was, or if it was added at some point. We were trying to think about where she was actually from or what her ethnic background was. I speak Spanish pretty well. I speak French fluently because I am French, my mom's from France and my whole family's over there. So it's very similar linguistically. But it's just one little detail that shows that you can be of Latin descent or be Spanish or be Mexican or whatever, and still be a small town cop in a small place in America--like the demographics of what people think Small Town USA is are completely different, and changing, and have changed since a long time. So that's cool. It just adds a little flavor, a little something to it.

Do you have examples of past instances in which you've been able to bring a personal quality into a particular role?

[ponders] Yes. I shot a show called Death Valley, which was a horror comedy about cops that have to kill zombies and werewolves in the [San Fernando] Valley. It was very funny, it was like a Reno 911! type thing. And I think my character was originally scripted as being Latina, but we made a big joke that everyone thought she was Latina when she was actually French. And so there was a lot of French in it, telling the racist, stupid captain, "You know I'm not actually Mexican, right? I'm from France, both my parents are French." So I've used it a couple times. But I'd love to work over there, too...you know, make a movie in France at some point.

You recently shared a post about Walden on social media, to which Shane West replied, "Haku misses me" with a dog emoji. Can we assume Haku is your dog, and that he might have bonded with the film's cast and crew?

[laughs] Yes, yes! So Haku is my dog. He's a grumpy miniature Schnauzer that growls a lot and has a huge personality, but he's tiny. He's about this big. [gestures the size of a breadbox] I brought him to Georgia because he was quite young, so I couldn't leave him at home with the other dogs. So he came with me, and oftentimes had to be in the trailer because we got these crazy thunderstorms, so I couldn't leave him anywhere else. He couldn't come on set, so he's in the trailer. And Shane and I shared a couple trailers on different locations. Now, Haku is really ornery. Very particular. Doesn't like anybody. Loved Shane! Just obsessed with him--like, would immediately sit on his lap or sit on his chest, or be anywhere near him. They really did bond. So he's right. Haku does miss him, and Haku wishes to see him, and he's Haku's favorite. Out of everyone Haku has ever met on any set, Shane West is number one, I must admit. It's crazy.

How did you come up with his name?

Haku is the dragon spirit in Miyazaki's Spirited Away. That's where his name comes from.

I had some theories, but as an anime fan, I really should have thought of that first.

My other dog's name is Ponyo. [laughs] I actually have three [dogs], but the third one doesn't have an anime name.

Given that your work frequently takes you away from home, do you find it comforting to have a dog with you on the road?

Yeah. You know, sometimes it's a pain in the ass, to be honest, because it's an animal, so you have to take care of them. [laughs] But no, I kid. It's nice. It's like bringing a little piece of home with you. And also, it kind of gets you out of your head of freaking out over the lines or the work, or getting stressed over what you did or didn't do. Because at the end of the day, you gotta take Haku for a walk, and you gotta feed him, and you gotta play with him. It's a nice de-stressor. And he's so easy. And he loves Shane. So maybe Shane wants to take him on his next movie. But yeah, I think it adds some familiarity, especially if you're living for months on end in a hotel by yourself, you know?

Have you ever shared a scene with any of your four-legged companions? Are any of them ready for a life of acting?

No, I don't know if they would. I'm telling you, Haku has an attitude problem. I don't think he would take direction well. I love my dogs, I don't need to act with them. They can just stay in the trailer. [laughs]

Thanks for your time, Tania, and have a great rest of your day.

Awesome, you too...I appreciate it...Thank you!

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