Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Nita-Josee Hanna About PG: Psycho Goreman

Nita-Josee Hanna nabbed the role of a lifetime when she landed the coveted part as Mimi in PG: Psycho Goreman. Similar to her character, Nita-Josee is a commanding force and the future of Hollywood. We had the pleasure of speaking with her about all things PG: Psycho Goreman.

PC: Tell us about PG: Psycho Goreman and your character in the film.
Nita-Josee: Psycho Goreman is a horror/comedy film. It’s a very funny film, but there’s also a lot of gore and some scary parts in there. I play the role of Mimi in the film. Mimi is the younger sibling between Luke and Mimi. She’s eight years old.

She’s a very sassy, sometimes pushy, smart little girl. She likes to have her way. During the film, her and her brother play a game called crazy ball that they have invented. They come across this gem, and this gem controls this big, scary monster. Throughout the film, Mimi and her brother make this big, scary monster named PG do all these crazy things. They go on fun adventures with him.

I’m very proud of the film, and I’m excited that it’s finally coming out and everyone can see it. It’s going to be a huge hit, and people are going to like it.

PC: What was it about this script that stood out to you?
Nita-Josee: The script was a very interesting mix of horror and comedy. I’ve never seen anything like it. I was very excited to embark on this project. When I read the lines for Mimi, I realized that she reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger because I could be very tough.

When I was going through the script with my mom, she was like, “Doesn’t this sound like someone you know?” [laughs] We shortly realized that I wasn’t playing the role of Mimi, but Mimi was playing the role of me. Steven [Kostanski], our director and writer, let me add my own touch to Mimi.

At times, Mimi would say some things that Nita would say. I feel like it just made the role of Mimi a lot more personal to me and made acting it out a lot more simple.

PC: How did you prepare yourself to get into the role of Mimi and the journey that we see unfold throughout the movie?
Nita-Josee: I knew that she was a very high energy, enthusiastic, sassy character. When I got on set, I feel like that’s when it clicked the most. I didn’t do too much preparing because I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been doing musical theater my entire life. I’ve never done anything in front of the camera.

I’ve always been in front of a live crowd. Being in front of the camera and having several takes to get it perfect was very different. It was more different than I could have ever imagined. There was no preparation for this, but I did work very hard, memorizing the script.

PC: Steven has said that the concept behind the film is that he’s always wondered what he would do if he had his own monster. If you had your own monster, what would you do?
Nita-Josee: I’d definitely make good use out of him. I don’t think I’d use him exactly how Mimi used him. But I think it’d be very good. He could do my homework and clean my room, and I feel like he’d be a very good bodyguard. We wouldn’t even need security alarms. You could just put PG on your doorstep and he’d do the work for us.

PC: You did a fantastic job in the film. Did you feel any pressure heading to set knowing that you were the lead?
Nita-Josee: Thank you! I didn’t feel any pressure because I love doing this. It’s a passion of mine. It came naturally. There were some moments that were a bit stressful, especially during the last few days. You need to get everything done. The cast is starting to feel it. The crew is starting to feel it. But I never felt any pressure because Mimi is such a strong character. She says the most hilarious things. There’s no wrong way to say it. The crew was so supportive. If you were ever stressed, they knew how to make you feel comfortable.

PC: With this being a comedy-horror film, was there any room for improv? What was it like collaborating with Steven?
Nita-Josee: Steven let us do a lot of improv throughout the film. It was really great coming from my musical theater background. It made it a much easier transition than I thought it would be. There’s one particular scene where the family is looking at the hole that Mimi and Luke dig up, and that was entirely improv. It made the scene so much better because you see the actors shine through the characters they’re playing.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences take away?
Nita-Josee: I hope they take away and they can see how hard we worked on it. It was a very hardworking month. I hope they can laugh at the jokes that are in it and they can realize that the people in the film love what they do. I think that really shines through our performance, especially, me and Owen. When we’re together, you can just tell that our bond is so strong that it comes off as if we’re just brother and sister. I really hope they like it, and we’ve worked so hard on this film, and I think it’s going to be great.

To keep up with Nita-Josee, follow her on Instagram. PG: Psycho Goreman is out in theaters, On Demand, and Digital.

Photo Credit: RLJE Films