Exactly what does a Rogue Warrior do? And just how many robots were harmed during the creation of such a position? Rogue Warrior : Robot Fighter star Tracey Birdsall gives us the 411!
What does a Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter do, and how does one apply?
Exactly what the script says and so much more J It all starts with what we are told to do, and then bringing it to life. If I knew how to apply, I would have done it a couple of decades ago! I can only say that hard work and meticulous preparation does pay off…
What are the requirements? Tough? Sassy? Intelligent? Anything else that got you the gig?
Sienna is a role that 99% of all actors would turn down. It was very difficult, excruciating, exhausting, powerful yet brutal. On top of that, the vulnerability and emotional range of the character would chase most away. I’m not sure how I got it, but I’m pretty sure the audition room (if they had full disclosure) would have been pretty empty. Scratch that, nobody would have been there but me. Some things were just meant to be.
And on this particular mission, what was the goal?
I, as an actor didn’t have a goal. My only goal was to bring this character to life. Sienna’s goal, on the other hand, was to save humanity from the over-taking by artificial intelligence against all odds.
In all seriousness, how cool was it to be play this part?
Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and also the coolest!
Were you a big science-fiction fan as a kid?
I was the complete and total science-fiction nerd. I adored science fiction. I adore it exponentially even more now.
How empowered did you feel when you peeled on Sienna’s costume?
You could call it empowered, but moreover, I felt her life. Although she was empowered, she also had her realizations and her demons. She had a lot to deal with, and a lot to overcome. It was not an easy journey – as she was representing humanity… under the worst circumstances.
Some of those locations you shot at looked pretty cool too. Where did you largely shoot?
We, of course, had the spaceship and shuttle sets built… Most of the film was shot on location in Salton Sea, California – Malibu, CA – Mojave Desert, CA – Yuma, AZ – Red Rock Canyon, CA – Melbourne and Bribie Island, Australia – and the list goes on…
What do you think your film offers that so many other female-centric science-fiction movies (Tank Girl and Cherry 2000 come to mind) didn’t?
Although this film has a female lead, it’s not at all about being female. It’s about a human journey and the challenges that she faces. This film could have been played by an actor of a different gender – that’s not the focus. The focus is on the artificial intelligence taking over humanity, relationships, identity, and self-discovery.
Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter is now available on Blu-Ray and VOD. A special Thank You goes to October Coast and Tracey Birdsall for making this interview possible. For more on Tracey, go to her official Twitter page.
WorldFilmGeek 