Acting since the age of seventeen is the talented Hans Hernke. Since graduating from the New York Film Academy, Hans has been a fixture in the horror genre. Recently his performances can be seen in the films: “Bermuda Island,” “Bridge of the Doomed,” and “Night of the Tommyknockers.” This in demand performer takes the time to speak with Horror Nation about his upcoming role in WOLF HOLLOW.
HN: What is your favorite Werewolf film?
HH: There’s a couple I really enjoyed. Howlers, with Sean Patrick Flanery and Werewolf Cabal, with Vernon Wells. Both of those films I worked on and had a lot of fun filming, but they are also really good werewolf films. Of course you have your classics like, An American Werewolf in London, which I saw when I was younger. Also, who could forget Michael Jackson’s bit in Thriller. But honestly, I have not seen a lot of werewolf films other than those. I am really excited to see the final cut of Wolf Hollow, I think Mark Cantu has a really great werewolf film on his hands.
HN: If you could play any role, from any horror film, from anytime. Which role would you love to play?
HH: I would love to play Dracula, from the classic Universal monster movie era. There’s something about those films the way they were shot, they seem so creepy and surreal. The eerie performances from the great Bela Lugosi kept the audience glued to the screen. The closest I got to playing something like that was in the film called The Howling. I played the villainous role of Shelley, who was a sidekick to Dr. Frankenstein Rathbone (portrayed by the wonderful British actor Jon Paul Gates). The film paid homage to all the classic Universal monster pictures of that era.
HN: Any funny stories from the set you would like to share?
HH: I had a blast filming with Mark Cantu and the other characters on set. Mark gave us room to improvise our scenes. As long as we stuck with what was written in context, he was open to improv dialogue in regard to whatever felt natural for us in the moment. I think that is really important for an actor/actress to have that sort of flexibility. It helped with all of our performances, and we had a few moments of laughing in between takes as well because of some funny things that were improvised on the day. I filmed all my scenes in two days, and it went by very quickly. Mark had a plan, he knew exactly what he wanted every day, it just went by so fast that by the end of the shoot, I was like oh man it’s over already, I wanna film more! I loved working with Mark Cantu, his entire team, and I hope to work with him again on their next film. After filming, some of us would go out for dinner and reminisce about our filming day. I always ended my day with a nice cigar and drink in my hotel room.
HN: Any personal encounters that helped you portray Sheriff Thompson, or do you use a certain method to get into your roles?
HH: I’ve played a few cops and detectives here and there in previous films. One of the things I’ve always learned since the film Hidden Agenda, was trigger discipline where your finger is placed on a gun. Sheriff Gary Calhoun in Madison, Florida, where we shot that film years ago, always taught me the proper way to hold a gun with trigger discipline. So anytime I post a photo with me on set holding a gun, he always compliments me on my trigger discipline. Other than that, I grew up watching cop films like the Lethal Weapon series and Police Academy. In regards to Sheriff Thompson, I wanted to add a little bit of seriousness and sarcasm to his character. There is a really nice moment in Wolf Hollow that I had with the lead, Christina Krakowski, that just felt very natural just talking to her. She is a really great actress. I also tried to visualize myself in this situation, with a werewolf on the prowl. How would I react to a massive beast being around you where you don’t know where it is, and it could come out at any time to take a swipe at you or a fellow cop. Those moments will have the audience on the edge of their seats. Buckle up, grab your popcorn, enjoy a wild ride in Wolf Hollow.
HN: What is a film that you could watch every day for the rest of your life?
HH: The Big Lebowski. What can I say? The Dude abides.