With several films due out in the remaining months of 2025, I wanted to have a catch up with actress Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott and see how things have been since the last time we swapped questions and answers. (You can read the previous article HERE)  What has Jeanine been up to? What has she been working on? (the answer is lots!) so without any further from me- lets hand the rest of the article over to the super talented Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott

It’s been nearly four years ago since you did the previous ‘interview’ article for FromPage2Screen.Com, you had just finished filming Renegades (from Director Daniel Zirilli)  where you starred alongside some movie legends such as Lee Majors, Ian Ogilvy, Michael Pare and Danny Trejo (to name a few of that amazing cast) When you think back to Renegades from the year 2025, what was your memories of shooting that film? 

Renegades was a strange experience because it was shot towards the end of the lockdown (I’ll never forget the ‘covid police’ knocking on Lee Majors’ hotel room door to make sure he was isolating… !) and the world was a different place then. The highlight for me was working with Stephanie Beacham, who I suggested for the role – I have been a fan of hers all my life and she was so lovely and so much fun. It was an honour to work with her. I also loved working with Louis Mandylor, he’s a real class act and I wish we had more scenes together. It was also the first time I worked with Michael Pare although our scenes were shot completely separately. I had a great time with Patsy Kensit but our actual scenes together were very brief. And I didn’t have any scenes with Lee Majors which is a real shame as he and his wife are good friends of ours and, let’s be honest, the man’s an icon. I think the film was OK but is more of a tantalising ‘what if’ on many levels. I’m a lot more proud of the action thriller Knightfall we made more recently – it was a very very tough production but I think it has turned out really well. 

Now in 2025, you have been super busy since Renegades with several films coming out this year (including Helloween (which is out now on US Digital), Harbinger, Knightfall, Doctor Plague, and Peter Rabid) to say you’ve been busy is a huge understatement. How do you relax between projects?

We live a very quiet life these days – I go to the gym religiously – I’m very lucky to have an amazing group of friends who encourage and support my fitness regime –  Keeley Pope, Jade Concannon, Maria Collier and especially Claire Johnson who has been very inspirational to me – I’m nearly 54 and still doing all my own stunts and wouldn’t be without their motivation and support.

Jonathan and I walk our dog Barney. I’m a mum too and family is very important to me: we’ve still got two at home. I play the piano every day, I’m very musical – I’ll play and Jonathan will read or write. We watch a lot of movies on Blu Ray, often older, favourite films and series but interesting new things too. I’m always reading scripts, at every stage, and I love that. On a rare day off we’ll go get some lunch somewhere quiet but I usually cook because Jonathan works such long hours – it isn’t unusual for him to be in the office from 7am till 11pm… thank God normally from home!

This year we see you as Dr Ellen Marks in the killer clown movie Helloween (Directed & Written by Phil Claydon). In Helloween you have some extremely tense scenes. How do you prepare for scenes such as those which I can imagine are very draining on the energy, both physically and mentally.

Ellen was such an amazing role to play, I really, really enjoyed it – but there’s no glamour to it I’m pretty fit so physically it isn’t a problem but the scenes where I’m chained up in Cane’s cell were pretty tough – it was a freezing, damp vault in London during a cold, rainy October … and there were mice which I am NOT a fan of! I was chained up and the night before I’d had a pretty full on fight scene on another film. It all looked great in the film, but I suffered for my art! But Phil is so talented and passionate about realising his vision that he really motivates you – I’d have moved mountains if playing Ellen required it.

Is it true that on horror film sets, that humour is at a higher level between takes? If so, Who was the go to person for much needed laughs on set?

Jonathan obviously! He’s always popping up with a quip or a dad joke to lighten the mood and keep everyone motivated. I remember doing a scene with Gary Webster on Doctor Plague, a very dramatic scene in a newspaper office and suddenly Jonathan appeared wearing Doctor Plague’s top hat and had everyone in stitches. People don’t really see that side of him because he’s so calm and professional but he’s very very funny. It was really nice watching him on set with his old friends last year – people like Martin Kemp and Geoffrey Moore who he has so many years of shared history with so he can just be himself with them. 

Ronan Summers plays the main villain in Helloween and you and he share some great scenes. What was it like filming those scenes?

Ronan is a very intense actor and became completely immersed in the character – watching him on set reminded me of how people talked about Heath Ledger when he played the Joker. After he screams at me to wake me up in the scene, I could hear his voice ringing in my ears for days. But I just admire people who take it seriously.

I think Helloween should be in future lists of ‘go to Halloween’ films. What are a couple of films that are tradition for you to watch during the scary season?

We watch a lot of horror movies in our house, it isn’t a seasonal thing! I love movies that blur the lines of genre – I’m absolutely besotted with John Carpenter’s They Live… Miracle Mile is a favourite, and I recently watched Enemy Mine. If I had to pick three out and out horrors though, probably The Lost Boys, And Now The Screaming Starts and Dog Soldiers.

You’ve also reunited with Nemesis director James Crow for Harbinger in which you are in the world of paranormal investigators and also fortune telling machines, what can you tell me about working with James again on Harbinger? And about the character you play ( Julia) 

Harbinger was a really lovely experience: the shoot was probably the most enjoyable I’ve been on – despite filming in a real haunted house! James is such a nice guy, he’s very enthusiastic about the horror material, he doesn’t look down on it.

My character in Harbinger is the only survivor of serial killer Henry Decker (Peter Woodward) who is convinced to go back to his house for a TV ghost show. She and the crew find Decker’s prized possession – a ‘Zoltar’ style fortune telling machine called The Harbinger – which of course they activate with terrifying results. It’s a real fun horror movie, almost like a feature length episode of the old Hammer House of Horror TV series – gore and scares in the home counties. I had a lot of scenes with Gary Webster in this one who was a real pleasure to work with – I’ve admired him since he was in Minder and really pushed for him after working with him on Doctor Plague (we had only one day’s filming on that but, again, it was a wonderful experience). Gary is a very giving, generous actor and approaches a B movie like it’s Ibsen. All the actors on that shoot were lovely – Johnny Palmiero, Tony Sands, all of them.

 

Since we first spoke in 2021 what do you feel is the biggest change you’ve seen in the world of filmmaking and especially independent film?

I think in tough times – which the country and the world are definitely enduring – people look for escapism and entertainment, simple, fun – dare I say ‘old fashioned’ genre movies definitely scratch that itch and that’s what we do at Shogun. We’re having a great run at the moment – as you say, 5 movies releasing in 6 months – and long may it continue. We’re not making Hollywood movies, these films are produced on tiny, tiny budgets. But we love making these films and take them very seriously and hopefully the audience takes them for what they are – the modern equivalent of a Blockbuster video hire.

This is the final question of the previous interview we did but whilst the question is the same, the answer will be different so here goes ‘With regards to your own projects, what are you working on that you can tell me about?

I’m currently filming a secret project that I’m having a ball on. We’ll announce it in very soon once it’s in the can. I’m playing a psychic, which is great fun, and working with a wonderful, talented cast and crew. Brilliant director and DOP. We’re also in pre-production on Werewolf Hunt which is the most ambitious Shogun production to date, with stunning animatronic practical creature suits and a razor sharp script. Dog Soldiers meets Predator meets The Beast Must Die. Then I have a period thriller on the horizon and a vigilante movie which I’m really looking forward to, that has a brilliant writer/director I can’t wait to work with him.

Helloween is being released in the UK on Digital September 29th 2025 and on UK bluray from October 13th

Helloween was released digitally in the US by Vertical on  September 5th and will receive a limited cinema release in the USA.

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