I always enjoy hosting these fun Spending Time With…conversations, whilst they are of course more fun doing them face to face, The past year or two has played havoc with a lot of that (or most of that really) but thankfully with modern technology and a little bit of time. the Spending Time With…conversations live in and here is a fun one that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Currently appearing on screens all over the world in the crime drama Nemesis (directed by James Crow), and Written by Adam Stephen Kelly & Jonathan Sothcott is Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott who made her screen debut in 2016’s short film Flawless (directed by Oliver Efesopoulos) and has since appeared in many films including The Krays Dead Man Walking, and The Exorcism of Karen Walker and has just completed filming on crime thriller Renegades, alongside Danny Trejo and Michael Pare.
Jeanine took some time out to accept the pre prepared Spending Time With…questions, and you can check out her answers (and of course my questions) right here. Thanks Jeanine .
What was the most recent book you read?
Frank Langella’s autobiography – it is really different to the usual showbiz biographies – for a start there are no pictures! But it is a delicious, acerbic read and he’s such a wonderful actor. I recently rewatched Frost/Nixon – what an amazing film.
What film do you love that you feel most people might not be aware of?
The Kid, directed by Nick Moran. When I first met Jonathan it wasn’t long before I encountered Nick as they are very best friends but I didn’t immediately make the connection between this very famous British actor and one of my absolute favourite dramas. When I did I became completely awe-struck – Nick is such a talented director. The Kid is an absolutely heartbreaking film, exceptionally made and acted, but it has almost slipped through the cracks a bit over the years – I think the distributor was going under around the time it was released – but it is one of my favourite British movies and I can’t recommend it strongly enough.
What is one of your most favourite locations you have filmed or performed in?
On the film I just wrapped, Renegades, I filmed a scene on this amazing bridge in docklands near the Excel centre. I am on the phone to Michael Paré – amazing American actor, whose character is in Marina del Ray in LA – and it just looks absolutely epic. Phone call scenes are never the most exciting to film or watch but this one has two absolutely stunning locations, both on the water, which really brought it to life.
Do you have any props or keepsakes from any of your films?
We have one of the masks from Nemesis hanging on the fridge in our back room! I thought they were really cool and frightening – that was a great souvenir. What you really take from these films though are the memories – when we wrapped Renegades, Jonathan and I took Lee Majors and Billy Murray out to dinner – they’d become fast friends during filming – and it was just the most magical evening – to be in the company of two such legendary actors really was a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll always treasure.
Do you remember who got your first autograph?
I think it was at a premiere – people just appear with eight by tens and the first thing I always think it “I wonder where they got that picture from!” To be honest in this digital age people normally want selfies now, which is lovely – I’m a great believer that you always have to try to make time for the people who buy your movies and support your work.
Have you ever gotten someone’s autograph? Which is the most memorable for you?
I have an autograph book from the ages of 7 until I was about 13… Larry Grayson the host of the Generation Game back then was probably my favourite! But the best one is more recent – I absolutely adore Fawlty Towers, I quote it endlessly it is just my favourite comedy. Jonathan introduced me to a lovely actor called Nick Henson who is sadly no longer with us. Nicky, of course, was in the Fawlty Towers episode ‘The Psychiatrist’ – I told him how much I love the show and basically enthused at him – with Jonathan chiming in that I’m always quoting the show. A week later a signed photo of John Cleese as Basil Fawlty arrived at our house inscribed ‘to Jeanine – please stop quoting me!’
What is one film that gives you the creeps?
I’m not someone who loves horror movies, they genuinely scare me. I left the cinema when we went to see the remake of It. Two really resonated from my childhood though. The first was a TV movie called Don’t Go To Sleep (1982) starring Dennis Weaver. That absolutely haunted me, a ghost child sinisterly whispering “Marrrrrry”… and there’s a scene with a pizza cutter that still haunts me. Jonathan is very good at working out what a movie is when I tell him a very vague plot outline and he tracked this down and rewatched it. Still terrifying.
The other one is a British film called And Now The Screaming Starts, a full blown gothic horror with Peter Cushing. The imagery of the man with no eyes and the disembodied hand absolutely terrified me. But the stars of the film were Ian Ogilvy and Stephanie Beacham and I just got to work with both of them on Renegades which was a massive thrill.
Do you prefer day shoots or night shoots?
Day shoots … I can’t imagine many actors prefer filming at night, as great as it looks on screen. Some years back I was making a film called Aura (aka The Exorcism of Karen Walker) on location in Leicester and we came back to the hotel in the small hours… unwittingly interrupting a drug deal that was going down in the car park… one of the guys flashed a gun and Jonathan literally picked me up and ran me up the steps into the hotel. So no, night are best for staying indoors in the warm thank you!
When you are being interviewed do you prefer interviews face to face, over the phone/podcast or by email?
Face to face every time – I’m a real technophobe and I just think you lose that human contact. Billy Murray, Nick Moran and I just did a load of interviews by zoom for the US release of Nemesis and while it was lovely it just isn’t the same.. and we didn’t get to go to America!
If you had to make a bucket list of people you’d love to work with tell me one name who would be on it?
Stephanie Powers. Hart to Hart was my favourite show growing up and I just absolutely adore her. She did a TV special called Deceptions in 1985 which I was obsessed with in my teens too. I think she’s just the perfect combination of old school Hollywood glamour and solid acting. I’d love to work with her.
With regards to your own projects what are you working on that you can tell me about?
We’ve just wrapped on Renegades, which is described as a cross between Harry Brown and The Wild Geese with an amazing cast including Lee Majors, Ian Ogilvy, Patsy Kensit, Danny Trejo, Michael Pare and so many more. That was an amazing experience, the director Daniel Zirilli was absolutely brilliant, a super pro at the top of his game, and all the cast and crew really pulled it out of the bag to make something really special.
After that I am doing a movie called Eyewitness, in which I play an informer in witness protection whose testimony put her ex husband – a psychotic mafia don – away. He gets out early and tracks me down at which point all hell breaks loose. There’s a lot of action and an amazing cast coming together, most notably Michael Paré, who I can’t wait to work with properly. I’m so excited for this one.
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