Has anyone seen Blood? By which, I mean the movie that came out January 27th and is currently available on Amazon Prime, Youtube, and Apple TV? I’m sure some have and they have interesting opinions on it. I haven’t had a chance to see it because these past few weeks have been hectic for me. But once in a great while, I get to talk to someone who’s acted on a film like this. Like veteran actor June B. Wilde, who has done acting for years and years, and shows no sign of stopping. She’s been in Corner Office, The Butterfly Effect, Batwoman, Riverdale, FOX’s The Exorcist, and UPN’s The Twilight Zone. And those aren’t all of them, there’s plenty more, not to mention her other abilities, like running, live performing in both theatre and at events, and mentoring aspiring actors. Admittedly as an actor myself, I got inspired just by listening to her. She most likely has been inspired and still gets inspired by the many actors she has worked with, like Colin Firth, Greg Kinnear, and John Hamm. Now let’s get inspiration (whether you’re an aspiring actor or not) by June as she tells us both about this film and herself. Here we go.
HNMAG: Tell us a little more about your role as Helen in Blood. How does she impact the story?
June B. Wilde: Helen is integral to the story because it’s all about Michelle Monaghan’s character Jess. It’s her struggle to keep her son alive so she will go to any lengths to keep him alive and when Helen shows up in the picture, it’s about Jess using Helen to help keep her son alive and the things that she’ll do, the lengths that she’ll go to do that. Helen just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
HNMAG: You’ve appeared in a lot of shows and movies. Have you ever had a role like this one?
June B. Wilde: That’s a really good question, I don’t know that I’ve ever had anything quite as dark as this. I have certainly played some characters that have had horrible drug problems and they treat their children horribly and I always tend to book those kinds of roles that are a little edgy, a little dark, a little twisted. She’s actually not a villain, so actually the answer is no.
HNMAG: And how was the experience on set?
June B. Wilde: It was wonderful, I have nothing but good things to say. I love talking about my experience on set. Brad Anderson is an amazing director. He’s one of those guys who just gets down and gets right in there, does the work and has all this energy almost as much as Bjorn Charpentier who is the cinematographer. That guy is nothing but energy and enthusiasm. Everybody else, the Winnipeg crews are really tight because they really don’t have a huge industry there so these people work with each other all the time.
June explained that because of working together often, the Winnipeg crews have a real cohesiveness to what they do. From the drivers to June’s assistant, everyone was spectacular in her eyes. She also happened to be in Winnipeg at the right time of year, specifically from September til November 1st before the dread of Winnipeg Winter and just after a hot humid Summer in the middle of nowhere.
HNMAG: It must’ve been an interesting experience being out in Winnipeg.
June B. Wilde: Yeah, the prairies. There’s nothing but land, it’s so intriguing. I loved it.
HNMAG: Have you worked with Michelle Monaghan and Skeet Ulrich before? If not, what were they like?
June B. Wilde: Michelle has everyone’s back, not just mine. She was amazing to work with. I’m really sad that I didn’t have involvement with Skeet. He was shooting something else as well, but I didn’t actually get to meet him. But he and Michelle, there are scenes that they did, My my my. They were awesome! They’re all great actors.
HNMAG: Do you hope for Blood to have a sequel and if it does, would you be happy to get involved again?
June B. Wilde: That’s an interesting question because there’s an ending so that there could be. I would be all over that.
HNMAG: Maybe even get a similar role like this one too?
June B. Wilde: Absolutely, One-hundred and fifty thousand percent! I would love to.
HNMAG: Now to focus a little more on you. What do you enjoy most about acting?
June B. Wilde: I love acting, for me I started when I was 8 and haven’t really stopped. I love everything about it, I love the audition, putting the role together, I love booking the job. Getting the script, getting right into the character, going to wardrobe, I’m one of those people that loves going to costumes. Then showing up on set and meeting all the people. Working with them and creating. I love creating. Acting is such a creative form, it’s an opportunity to dig in and really know myself too. In order to bring these characters alive I have to know what’s up for me. I have to bring part of myself to the character, I think it’s very therapeutic.
HNMAG: You also do a lot of running. Have you done it for any roles before?
June B. Wilde: I had a commercial once where I had to run. It was a very cold day and they had rain machines and it was very slippery. I was told I looked like the only person that was a real runner because I was. But no roles, I’ve just been doing it my whole life. And competing which I don’t do anymore.
HNMAG: Would you ever like one of your live entertainment characters to have a movie all about them starring you?
June B. Wilde: Wow, what a great question. I’m thinking about my characters. One of them was a clown, Mocha the Clown who was European so she had lots of energy like the coffee, that was the deal there. She could have her own show, it could be a kid’s show. She’s for the kids, I think that would be a really great idea because the other characters are more of a takeoff on Carol Channing and those kinds of things, but Mocha was really my go-to character. Yeah.
June’s character Mocha has gone to many live events, especially children’s hospitals. She sings, plays the guitar, is very bright, and has lots of energy, like the coffee she’s named after.
HNMAG: Do you find live entertainment more engaging than working on set or do you feel they’re both even?
June B. Wilde: They are certainly both not even at all in any way, shape or form. They’re a completely different art form. The kind of live entertaining I was doing with my characters was completely different because I could be indoors or outdoors, or on a Ferris wheel. Then on set, it’s much different. You rarely get to meet the other characters, maybe at a table read, maybe a couple rehearsals, and then you go. Then there’s a lot of cutting, so you cut, and then you go again, and then you cut, and then there’s a lot of time waiting on set. Whereas live entertaining there’s no waiting time. Every single piece and part of live entertainment is completely different than film and TV. Film is about hitting marks.
HNMAG: You’ve also got a movie of your own you plan to produce and star in. How has that process been going?
June B. Wilde: It’s been going great. Took me 3 1/2 years to write my movie, based loosely on my mother’s life. I started to write it the day after my father died. I did it between jobs, that’s why it took so long, and then I got a director and I have a producer. It’s just really about plugging in with the right people, and knowing that the right people will come. I will do this movie, I just don’t know exactly when. They always say it takes 10 years to do a movie, right? (laughs) I may do a short version of it, and then pitch that to sell the longer version.
HNMAG: What would your dream role for a production be?
June B. Wilde: I want my role to be quirky, but I also need it to have serious undertones. Dramatic moments that are really real and raw. So I think for me it’s important that it has that element or it wouldn’t be that fulfilling. That’s ultimately what I would like.
That’s the end of the interview, but not the end of June’s career in acting, or film in general. She’s got lots more roles that could be coming, a possible film that I would love to cover myself, and many more opportunities that nobody knows of yet, but I feel they will come.