Interview - Robin Mcleavy

Robin Mcleavy is currently the toast of the horror circuit with her breakthrough performance in Australian horror The Loved Ones. She plays unhinged, torture loving Lola – the schoolgirl you don't want to say no too. Unhinged and sexy all in one, I managed to get 10 minutes with her to discuss nailing penises and the best way to approach a love scene with your Dad...

I loved it. Watched it on a sunny Sunday afternoon in my flat and it scared the shit out of me – especially your performance. You’re probably getting lots of plaudits for what you’ve done with the role...

It was one of those roles that’s so much fun to play. Lola is such a great character that I had a great time working on it.

How did you get the part? Did you have to audition?

Yeah, I originally auditioned for the part of Mia (Goth sister of one of Lola’s victims) and then they asked me to come back in and read for Lola, which I was really happy about because I really related...hold up...not related...

You better keep that to yourself. You don’t want to tell people that!

I don’t want to be typecast!

You didn’t go all “method” did you?

(laughs) I definitely did not go method! I was terrified and thought to myself “if I go method on this I would need to be institutionalised”. I did read a book called “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” by Neurologist Oliver Sacks and he described all his patient's mental disabilities in a really poetic way rather than clinically. It really was great source for me to draw from. He describes his patients feeling dangerously well when entering a period of violent instability. They feel colourful and ecstatic...

That comes across in the film with the use of vibrant colours in Lola’s room, the bright pinks for example...

Yeah, I really wanted to give Lola a sense of fun instead of making it...you know - too horrific.

It’s usually the case that characters like Lola have been pushed over the edge, bullied at school and suddenly just snap but you don’t really see her in that environment and that’s what I liked about her – she’s never been told “No” she’s not the victim...

Well certainly not by her father, who’s given her everything her heart has ever desired - including young, male victims. But I would have loved to have seen more of Lola’s school life, you know how someone like that would function in that environment is interesting.

I would loved to have seen her dropped into Mean Girls, you are slightly like an unhinged Lindsey Lohan, which is pretty much what Lindsey Lohan is most of the time anyway, but in the fictional sense...

Yeah! (laughs)

You mentioned briefly the relationship with her father (played by John Brompton) how did you two go about getting the right mix between perverted and loving father?

We spent time together trying to figure out what their dynamic was and how much they would touch and that was the key. We never touch in the movie except for just before we start torturing Brent. We wanted to keep a distance because the feelings we had for each other were taboo. It was a very strange process attempting to get the knowingness and tension between them.

The scene when you demand Brent urinates otherwise you'll put a nail through his penis, I was on the edge of my seat clutching my testicles. Luckily my other half didn't walk in otherwise I would have to have done some explaining...

(laughs) I know! My boyfriend was very disturbed by it and he looked at me very differently – it was weird for a few hours.

How do you think it will play overseas? Because it's not so Australian that it would be inaccessible to other countries

Horror always has the ability, especially comedy horror, to transcend national boundaries. There's a formula that fans can relate to and the dialogue is quite sparse in The Loved Ones. Also, I wouldn't say it was a quintessentially Australian film either and the characters – apart from Lola – are extremely down to earth and just regular teenagers.

There seems to be a real appetite for Australian film at the moment, especially horror, do you think Australia lends itself to this genre?

Definitely, its just the fact that we're quite isolated and that comes across in our films. The characters are in the middle of nowhere and against the elements. Lola and Brent obviously live out of town and there is definitely the sense that if you run, you don't know where you'll be running to.

The Loved Ones is out in the UK in October and it's native Australia in November.