IESB.Net talked to Danielle Panabaker about The Crazies and The Ward. Pretty much the same as the last two interviews, but there are a couple of nice extras:

IESB: What made you want to get involved with The Crazies?

Danielle: I became involved with the film because I read the script and really liked it and thought it was really scary. And then, I got the chance to meet Breck and I was really impressed with him. He had a really specific idea of what he wants and he was really able to communicate well with me. Fortunately, I got hired to do the project.

IESB: Does the action kick in right away?

Danielle: One of my favorite things about this film is how quickly it moves. From the minute you sit down and the film opens, you can tell something is not quite right. Everything seems like it should be perfect in this quaint, small town, and it’s just not. People are a little off. There’s a very wholesome baseball game going on, but you understand that things are not quite right in the small town of Ogden Marsh.

IESB: Does this film rely more on all-out gore or does it go for the scares?

Danielle: That’s a great question. This movie is really terrifying. I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in other horror films that I think are certainly scary, but you know the scare is coming and you’re screaming at the characters in the film, “Don’t go there! Don’t do that!” The difference with The Crazies is that you don’t know what’s coming. That’s what makes it such a really enjoyable movie. You don’t know what’s around the corner and you don’t know who’s going to jump out and say, “Boo!”

IESB: Do you enjoy this type of physical work?

Danielle: I do actually enjoy the physical aspect of this kind of work. I think it’s really important for actors to remember to use their whole body. There’s a lot more that happens than just what’s going on in your face. I really enjoy it and I think it also contributes to my performance as an actor. The more I can get into it, the more believable it is.

IESB: When you work on something as intense as this is, do you like to keep things light between takes, or is it difficult for you to shake things off when you’re done?

Danielle: Between takes, I think it’s actually important to maintain the intensity and the integrity of the scene that you’re shooting. For me, it was helpful to stay in the moment and stay present in that, in order to give what was hopefully a very authentic performance. I think it’s better to stay in that head space while filming. During our off hours though, that certainly wasn’t the case. The thing about being in a very remote location is that the people you are working with, you’re working very intimately with, so it’s really fun because you make a lot of new friends.

IESB: You’ve been involved with the horror genre before, with Friday the 13th and Mr. Brooks. Is it something that you’re normally a fan of, or was it just these specific projects that were attractive to you?

Danielle: My parents were really conservative and didn’t let me watch R-rated movies growing up, and mostly not even PG-13, so I wasn’t actually really exposed to the genre until more recently. Particularly with the experience of working on Friday the 13th, I feel like I have such respect for these filmmakers and their ability to make a really good horror film. And, the reason I’ve done so many recently is because they are the kinds of films that people are going to see and that are getting financed. I really love working and I feel like I’ve been fortunate enough just to work, so working in these films has been great.

IESB: What can you say about The Ward and who you play in the film?

Danielle: It’s about six young women in an insane asylum. I play one of the women who is a bit more promiscuous and flirtatious. It’s certainly going to be scary, and it’s going to be really exciting to see what John does.

Read the whole interview here!

More info about The Crazies and Danielle’s character, Becca Darling, can be found here.

The Crazies opens in theaters this Friday, February 26! (US, UK and Canada. To check more release dates go here.)

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