Nikki Moore took the time to answer a few questions, via email, about Occupy, Texas. Occupy, Texas will be premiering at the Dallas Film Festival on April 15th.
You play a high school guidance counselor in Occupy, Texas. What can you say about the film and your character?
Occupy, Texas is a story about coming of age after the point at which you should have come of age. The lead (Beau) character starts off as a washed-up Occupier who returns home after the news of his parents’ death to find himself responsible for his two teenage sisters and, as he struggles to overhaul his life, he realizes that the future of his family depends on healing his past.
I play Sherry, the ex-girlfriend of Beau and also the school guidance counselor to his two younger sisters. Sherry has moved on since Beau disappeared and is shocked to see him back in town. She represents something Beau will never get back; the dynamic of their relationship was permanently changed by his actions.
Can you talk about going back to your roots, since you grew up in Texas?
Shooting a film in my home state was pretty cool. Everyone was so excited and wanted to be involved in some way; the stereotype of Texans being friendly is true! That’s something I had forgotten along the way and it was refreshing to experience such strong support from the community.
What was your experience like working on the film and with the cast?
Working on Occupy, Texas was one of the best experiences I’ve had on a set. It was a collaborative effort and the team felt more like a family than colleagues.
Since you have a background in psychology, do you find yourself really examining all of the characters that you play?
The psychology background helps me better understand what may motivate a character to do what they do. I gather as much information as possible from the script in order to come up with a perspective for the character. Then it’s all about living in that point of view.
What other projects are you working on?
I recently recorded a song and shot the music video for it which should be out within a couple of weeks… I’m also in talks about a short film but can’t discuss it just yet. You can keep up with me on Twitter and Instagram @nikkisuemoore.
Occupy, Texas will be premiering at the Dallas Film Festival on April 15th.
Photo: David Heisler