Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Brian Jones
Ava Rose Kinard has been passionate about performing since childhood. So it is not surprising that acting is her creative outlet of choice. Kinard talked to NYOTA about her film Pollen, staying in character while filming, and her advice for aspiring actors.
Growing up did you always feel drawn to activities that put you in front of people and let you perform?
I did. One of my earliest childhood memories is performing Carrie Underwood songs for my parents in our living room at 5 years old. Little did I know that was just the start of my desire to perform.
Tell our readers about Pollen. What drew you to the film?
Pollen is a physiological thriller/horror film that follows my character Hera’s journey after an assault. New opportunities for Hera to excel in the workplace soon get overshadowed by her mind as she begins to be tormented by a mysterious tree monster.
What drew me to the film, firstly, was the incredible writing. D.W. Medoff, the writer and director, told the story of an assault in a way that was so unique. I remember reading the script for the first time and being blown away with the metaphors and symbolism he used. One scene that stuck out to me was when Hera is eating in her home and the tree monster is simply sitting next to her. In my opinion, what amazing filmmaking.
Was it a very collaborative atmosphere on set working with diretor D.W. Medoff?
It was and I was so grateful. I came in with ideas for my character and he of course had his own. On set he allowed me to do it my way then he would give me a redirect with great notes when needed. He trusted me with my own understanding of the role and I trusted him. It was nothing short of an amazing collaboration.
How did you go about getting into your character Hera’s headspace when filming?
During filming I had asked the director if I could take a few minutes after blocking to get into Hera’s headspace. I would go somewhere quiet and be present with only my character’s thoughts. I would say I went mostly method with this role. I did not need time to re-get into character so to speak, but to reset with the tone of the scene we were about to film. Something that had helped with that was being called Hera on set even when I wasn’t filming.
Pollen is not a run-of-the-mill horror film, as it deals with topics of assault, workplace toxicity, and more. What do you hope viewers take away after watching?
I hope viewers take away encouragement to use their voice and to engage in talking about hard topics. Things like this happen all of the time and we often like to pretend they don’t if it’s not happening directly to us. Pollen does an amazing job of showing Hera’s mindset and how challenging it can be to open up about such an awful circumstance. Be kinder to people and use your voice if you have one. You never know what someone may be going through.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
Confidence is key. Believe in yourself and your work. Trust your instincts; you never know what tools you might discover.