The Horror Revolution: First off, what’s your favorite horror movie? What movie scared you the most?
Michael Emery: Thank you so much for taking the time to watch Birder, it truly means a lot to me. My favorite horror movie is the original Scream. It culminates multiple genres in one film, horror, drama, comedy, and romance. I watch the original Scream at least once every year, if not more. -The movie that scared me the most was Silence of the Lambs. It was terrifying watching that movie as a kid.. Anthony Hopkins’ choices in mannerisms, speech, and stillness that invoked the essence of Hannibal Lecter was chilling. Anthony Hopkins' stillness was grounded and focused. Reiterating the foundations that signifies so many influential serial killers and how calculated they are in fulfilling their desires.
THR: The role of Kristian in Birder was super intense. What inspired the way that you performed the role? What drew you to the role as an actor?
ME: Thank you! There were many things that inspired me to play Kristian. Kristian was a loner and an outsider, no one really knew too much about him. When I first read the ‘breakdown’ of Kristian in the auditioning process, I saw someone who was afraid to be alone and was abandoned by his family at a young age. Kristian craved love and the ‘need’ for human affection and interaction. Director Nate Dushku and writer Ami Lourie gave me full freedom to develop Kristian in the way I saw him. I was given a ‘blank canvas’ to ‘paint’ on and each stroke of color was an element of Kristian and his persona. What drew me to the role was the darkness that Kristian carried. I connected with Kristian and felt for him because he had no father-figure in his life and his mother left him at a young age. The abandonment element ensued, which in turn, I was able to create ‘layers’, of anger and deep seeded rage, along with the beautiful words writer, Ami Lourie wrote in the script. Kristian was able to manipulate and seduce anyone he sought after, it was a blast to play someone with so many emotional ‘layers.’ The role was challenging and really pushed me as an artist, that also drew me to Kristian as well. Not only was the role emotional, the physical aspect of Kristian was essential. Kristian was an outdoorsman, he swam, ran, biked, hiked, climbed mountains, a lot of physical prep was done in the pre-production phase.
THR: I thought the film really pulled off that psychosexual aspect of horror in a way that so many films fail to achieve. Was it difficult to embody the character with so much depth required to make him an effective character?
ME: I completely agree with you in your assessment that Birder pulled off the psychosexual aspect of horror. In my preparation process, I really researched Freud’s theory of psychosexual theory. Freud's theory of psychosexual development is important because it helps us understand how issues in childhood development can affect adult lives. I used that theory in my prep process for Kristian, I saw Kristian being abused sexually and emotionally in his early childhood development. This abuse, in turn, led him to have trauma, leading to sociopathic behavior and the need for sexual dominance. I was driven to give Kristian as much prep and background as possible, plus the words Ami Lourie wrote, allowed me to ‘breathe’ life into Kristian.
THR: The premise of the film, of a queer serial killer run amok in a nudist camp, is an incredibly brave one, especially with today’s climate. How challenging was it to perform a role that required frequent nudity, a rarity for men in the film industry?
ME: That’s a great question, after reading the initial synopsis of Birder, and reading the script, I knew going into this journey what was required of Kristian. Nate Dushku and Ami Lourie did a thorough job on disclosing what their vision was for Birder. The nudity and intimacy aspect was a significant part of the film and was never an issue for me. Intimacy Coordinators were used on Birder and I am so thankful for Brooke Haney, Chelsea Pace, and Leo Mock. During the pre-production process, Brooke and Chelsea Pace and I went on a zoom call and went over every scene that required Kristian to be nude and or have any intimacy with other characters in the story. Brooke and Chelsea wanted to make sure I felt safe and comfortable with each one of those scenes. Brooke and Leo were on set everyday and there to assist all scenes that required any type of intimacy with all actors on set. Brooke was the ‘angel on my shoulder’, helping me through whatever I had questions on regarding the intimate moments Kristian was involved with. Brooke choreographed the intimate scenes like a ‘dance’, which made the intimacy scenes in Birder visually stunning and exciting to watch.
THR: Speaking of, why is it that you think that is such a rarity, especially in a genre that has long prided itself on its dedication to nude scenes?
ME: Women have traditionally been the sex that has been the nude and topless victims in the horror/slasher type in film history. Birder has broken that ‘mold’ with male nudity being the main focus in this story. This is a groundbreaking element to film and has not been done too often. In Birder, the men are the victims, the ones being controlled and seduced. Another innovative design that should intrigue audiences.
THR: Horror has always been transgressive, giving voices to the voiceless since its very inception as a genre. How important do you think it is to use media to help increase acceptance for queer people and marginalized communities?
ME: The media plays a crucial role in raising awareness of LGBTQ+ rights around the world. With the growing visibility of LGBTQ+ people in some Western countries across the press, film, television, radio, and other media platforms, more opportunities are created to highlight the global progress on advancing the LGBTQ+ rights. This visibility also impacts perceptions of LGBTQ+ communities and can foster greater understanding of the issues they face day to day. supporting and upholding the rights of marginalized communities such as LGBTQ+ people - who are often subjected to harmful narratives and misinformation is fundamental to achieving this.
THR: If you could work with anyone in the industry, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
ME: The first person that ‘pops’ into my mind that I would have been honored and loved to have worked with is the late/great Robin Williams. Robin Williams was an artist who could play any role, in any genre, he could play the bad guy or the sweet, kind character. One Hour Photo is such an inspiring and heartbreaking performance, one of his best in my opinion. Mrs. Doubtfire is hilarious and ridiculously creative on all fronts. Artists like Robin Williams inspire me to do any and all genres and most importantly to be fearless, dive ‘head first’ into what art piece is called upon.
THR: Is horror your preferred genre to work within, or are there other genres in which you’d rather perform?
ME: I love a good story and if I am lucky enough to be asked to help tell that particular story that ‘lights my fire’, I'm in full force. It honestly doesn't matter the genre. My love and passion as an artist are layered characters that live in beautiful and complex stories.
THR: What’s next for you? Do you have any other exciting projects that you can talk about?
ME: On Ten, a TV series I was a regular on, has now been released on TUBI. The whole first season (6 episodes) is streaming to enjoy. I also am prepping for a few new films that are going into production this Summer/Fall, one in which is a riveting true story that I am very excited about. -
THR: Finally, if you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
ME: One superpower I’d love to have is healing people who are sick or injured. There are too many people in the world who don’t have the ability to get the treatment or care they need. I’d love to have the superpower of healing those who need it.
