Interview: Reine Swart (The Lullaby)

Actress Reine Swart (“Z Nation”, “Dominion”) took time to speak with me for an exclusive interview with Horrornews.net. Reine stars as Chloe in “The Lullaby”. Reine is originally from South Africa and “The Lullaby” is directed by South African director Darrell Roodt. “The Lullaby” is based on a real lullaby according to Reine and this movie is good. Reine portrays Chloe with everything she has and this film is different and sort of has a modern-day “Rosemary’s Baby” feel mixed with the Supernatural.

“Chloe is overwhelmed by the birth of her first child. The incessant crying of her baby, the growing sense of guilt and paranoia sends her into depression. With a heightened urge to protect her son, Chloe sees danger in every situation. She starts to hear voices, the humming of a childhood lullaby and sees flashes of a strange entity around her child. Convinced that the entity is real, Chloe will do everything in her power to protect her son. Is she haunted by evil or is it just the baby blues?

Reine Swart, Deànré Reiners, Thandi Puren, Brandon Auret, and Dorothy-Ann Gould star in a Darrell James Roodt film, opening in theaters across the U.S and available on VOD 3/2.”

Reine- Hi, is this Janel?  How are you doing? This is Reine.

Hi Reine, I am doing well. Thank you.

Reine- That is good.

Okay, so I watched “The Lullaby” and WOW! You are amazing in this film. I have seen a lot of your work and this movie is just so creepy and I am not sure if I needed to splash holy water around or grab a rosary bead or a fluffy pillow. I loved this film. I felt so bad for you though in this film. How did you become involved and how did you even prepare to play Chloe?

Reine – (Laughter) Thank you. How I got involved was, there was this audition and I read the scene for the audition. I love horror and I was just going to go all out for this. On the day when I went for the audition in the casting room I saw everyone looked really pretty and I was the only one who looked like a train wreck. I had no make-up on and my hair was all greasy and dirty because I was like, I am going to go for this. I was like, did I miss something? I was there and I’ve already prepared and I was just prepared. It was interesting, I did it and they called my agent about two days later and they said they really liked what I did and they are going to change the whole script a bit to fit in with what I did with the whole scene. That was a cool experience for me. The thing is I like horror. I’ve always been intrigued by it and doing the audition a little bit different is always a risk and I took that risk and it helped. When I read the new script I really liked it and I thought it was going to be a great challenge. That is why I got involved with it.

What was it like for you working with the director Darrell Roodt?

Reine- Oh yes, He is one of the biggest directors in South Africa. So it was incredible. I’ve always wanted to work with him. Being on-set on with him, he’s got so much energy. He is all over the place and he is a fun director which helped with this film. He can help you get to the bad places. He is really fun, he’s got a lot of energy and he is an icon in South Africa so I was really grateful to work with him.

Now Chloe goes through a lot. Chloe is strong and going through a lot. Did you face any challenges while filming?

Reine- I absolutely did. Some of the scenes were very uncomfortable for me. I had to really go to bad places in my head. I was uncomfortable but I mean it was necessary to tell the story. But to get there, that is the nice thing about Darrell, you would be there in the scene but when it’s done and he cuts, it is all over and he makes a few jokes and he just carries on. He is very good with that to switch things around quickly. The scenes with the baby and stuff. I know my sister has a baby and I felt uncomfortable with the whole thing of hurting the child and everything because I did a lot of research in postpartum psychosis. It is an actual thing and it is really real and scary. It is something that some women go through so I respected that.

I’ve read quite a few articles about it also and also for psychology classes so I imagine it must be difficult. I did research for psychology class and it can be scary.

Reine- I completely feel terrible because I judged people and I was like how can you hurt your baby? But when I did all the research like you say now, you can’t judge them. They are sick, you know it is a mental illness and they need help. We have to help them so it is really interesting.

I completely understand and agree. You did an amazing job portraying Chloe. I watched “The Lullaby” and was having sort of a horrible day. This movie distracted me as usual and sort of took me out of my bad day as Horror tends to do. Do you ever feel comfort in horror?

Reine- Exactly what you’re saying. Horror takes you out of reality. It takes you to places that is different from realism. That’s what I like about horror and sci-fi. I like everything that is surreal and it takes you places that you can’t go normally. That is what I love about horror.

What was it like working with the cast and especially with Thandi Puren who plays Ruby the mom to Chloe? Some of the scenes are so intense.
Reine- Okay, so I am going to start with Ruby the mom, Thandi Puren, she plays the mom in the film. She is so intense and that really helped me as well to play Chloe a certain way. She is very intense and incredible and she gave so much and that was just incredible to work with her. Deanre Reiners is the young guy, he plays Adam in the story, he is such a sweet person, he is very gentle and it was good to have someone like that playing that character. Timothy Reed, the doctor in the story played by Brandon Auret. He is a very big actor and also very talented. He’s got this very interesting feel. It was great to work with Brandon.

So far you have played so many different characters and you never play the same type of character. Do you have a favorite role so far?

Reine- I would say Chloe from “The Lullaby” is my most challenging role. If I can say a second favorite I am also a fan of zombies stuff and I played in “”Z Nation.” I was this very ditzy and it was complete opposite of “The Lullaby” and I did that after. She gets chased by zombies and that was really fun for me so “The Lullaby” was the most challenging but something like that, playing in a zombie series was a lot of fun.

Yes!!! You played Carly on “Z Nation!”

Reine- Yes! That was like a guest spot but I had so much fun! I had always wanted to play someone that turned into a zombie so playing a zombie too was perfect.

Now, because you are so talented and creative. Do you ever think you will direct?

Reine- Thank you, your very kind. I’d love to! I just directed a short film that is in editing now. It is a horror film. My love for horror is growing and I’d love to take it further. Directing is my number one and that is something I would love to work at and grow into?

Now what are you working on next and will there be a sequel to “The Lullaby”?” And could you possibly return?

Reine- I think so! You watched it! Chloe needs some…. (no spoilers) I am moving from Portland to Southern California and I do not have anything at the moment. “The Empty Man” was a big film I played in. That release is coming out and “The Lullaby” so I have to just audition and see whats coming next.

Did you have anyone that inspired you professionally?

Reine- I think all South Africans, I cannot talk for everyone but Charlize Theron was the first South African to become a Hollywood actress and everything so she was really great. Jack Nicholson who also played so many different characters. Everything is so unique so he was a role model in the way of he chose these characters and he was smart in a way that he chose them and they were very different.

What do you want the fans/audiences to know when watching “The Lullaby?” It is a very unique film.

Reine- I think they should know this is the first South African Horror film. It is the first one. Like you said, it is very unique. The lullaby that we sing in the story is an actual lullaby. It is a South African lullaby that we sing in South Africa so we bring a little bit of South African history in. Specifically it is unique and it is South African Horror and there is going to be plenty more.

So the lullaby in the film is a real lullaby?

Reine- Yes, it is very terrible. It is a real lullaby.

That is crazy and incredible at the same time. It was such an honor to speak with you. You did such an incredible job in “The Lullaby” so thank you for taking the time to talk to me.

Reine – Thank you, I really appreciate it Janel.

Thank you Reine.

REINE SWART IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6868308/?ref_=tt_cl_t2

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/reineswart/?hl=en

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