Movies & TV / Columns

Zoey Walker On Starring in House of Quarantine, COVID Shifting Their Focus to Producing

July 31, 2021 | Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz

The 411 Interview: Zoey Walker

Zoey Walker is a writer, director, producer, and actor who, according to imdb, has been making and appearing in short films, feature films, and on television since at least 2018. They have acted in the short film The Regulars and the feature film The Storm, and directed and acted in the short films The Postwoman, Something’s Missing, and Betrayal. Walker’s latest feature film is the thriller House of Quarantine, which is now available on all major Video on Demand platforms as well as DVD and Blu-ray. In this interview, Walker talks with this writer about making House of Quarantine, their character Brenna, working with the cast, directing short films, and more.

Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with House of Quarantine?
Zoey Walker: I happened to see a casting call on a website I stumbled upon and put the audition notice in my calendar. Fun fact – I was actually participating in a 48 hour film challenge the weekend of the audition and I almost didn’t go in favor of having time to finish the film I was working on because it was due that same afternoon (it was Mediocre at Best). At the last second I decided to go down to the audition and, for obvious reasons, I’m glad I did!

BK: How did you approach your character Brenna?
ZW: When I read Brenna’s character I could tell that she was deeper than she lets on. She is a little bit of a misfit in terms of her style and attitude compared with the rest of the group and that is readily apparent from the beginning. Brenna may come off as…a lot…but she’s actually just expressing her inner hurt through anger and aggression. Her soft spots shine through every once in a while throughout the film.

BK: What was it like working with the cast?
ZW: The cast was really great to work with and I feel very grateful to have met and worked with each and every one of them. It’s nice being in a room full of talented actors because it makes it easy to feel the need to step up my own game. Plus, it’s much easier to get into character when I have solid partners in various scenes.

BK: What was it like working in that house?
ZW: The house was beautiful. It was a little hectic because everything (cast, crew, holding, wardrobe, HMU) was all inside the house and it was the middle of summer in Phoenix so we pretty much always had to be inside except for the outside scenes. But, yeah, the house was incredible and I definitely took a nap or two in our holding room.

BK: How difficult was the pool fight sequence?
ZW: The pool scene was surprisingly not particularly difficult. I talked extensively beforehand with the actor who plays Vince (Philip Carlisle) to create trust around the scene. He checked in with me on where it was okay and not okay to grab me and we discussed a code tap that would indicate if I actually felt unsafe. We had to plan out the initial shot where he tackles me into the pool because that was one of those “one and done” situations, but once we were in the pool and already wet we had all the freedom we needed to adjust and readjust as needed to get various takes and angles and that was the easier part. I will add that there was no outside bathroom and we worked on that scene for about 5 hours…needless to say I was anxious to get out of the wet clothes and inside by the time we were done! That was also my last scene of the whole shoot, so I was absolutely exhausted after that.

BK: What was the hardest part of making House of Quarantine for you as an actor? What was the easiest?
ZW: Filming so much content in such a short amount of time was very difficult. It didn’t always allow for the time that is often needed before a scene to really prep and get into character. The easiest part was working with the cast and discussing some sub-plot lines that we wanted to try to get through to the audience without it being scripted. That was very fun (wink wink at the relationship between Brenna and Alicia).

BK: Is House of Quarantine a horror movie or is it more of a thriller?
ZW: I would say it is more of a thriller.

BK: You’ve directed several short films. Is directing something you want to pursue alongside acting or do you intend, at some point, to focus on one or the other? Is it difficult to act and direct a movie at the same time?
ZW: The COVID pandemic has really shifted my focus in the film world. I have been acting for years, with little to no interest in writing, directing, or producing. Since COVID first hit, I’ve written and directed several films. I am now producing a feature film and another episodic series, and I have established my own production company. I do love acting and I don’t intend to give it up, but I definitely have a fire lit inside me for the producing side of film. I have a pretty intense passion for bringing more queer voices to film, casting queer characters authentically, and telling more stories that involve queerness without it being what the story is about. I don’t know where my career will go – whether it be with acting or directing – but I intend to keep pursuing both and seeing what happens. And yes, it is very difficult to act and direct a movie at the same time. The necessary prep that goes into getting into character is stunted somewhat by paying attention to all the other details of the story and various scenes, so when I do both I definitely have to be on my “A” game.

BK: Any moviemaking heroes?
ZW: I admire everyone in film and television. The more I learn about what goes into production, the more I am humbled by my involvement in it. At the end of the day, we are all artists and that is a beautiful thing.

BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
ZW: Yes! I just wrapped production on a short film that I wrote, directed, and acted in titled Trivia Night – it is currently in post-production but should be releasing at some point in the next couple of months, so definitely keep an eye out for that! (For updates, check out www.zocostudios.com or follow the Trivia Night Instagram page).
The film I’m producing in New York is titled The Angel of My Life and it is the story of two queer Latino men who are dealing with the trials and tribulations of coming out in the Latino culture and the impact it has on their relationship.
The Fighter is a short film that I am also planning to produce while in New York and it is about a gender non-conforming boxer and the struggles they face competing in a league that isn’t built for them.

BK: Brenna’s “sarcasm” shirt is fantastic. Who came up with the idea for it? Did you get to keep the shirt?

ZW: Our costume designer bought the shirt and, to be honest with you, I originally didn’t like it! I didn’t think Brenna would be the type to wear something like that because she is often a little “too cool for school.” However, I realized after thinking about it that she showed up to work on the film set that day wearing a button up shirt with a black layering shirt underneath and didn’t expect to get stuck in a house for days or weeks. I certainly have some shirts that I wouldn’t necessarily wear out in public but that make for good layering pieces. Once I realized that, I realized that it would be a pretty funny shirt for her to wear and I’m glad that I got on board because I ended up really liking how it played. I, sadly, did not get to keep the shirt.