Pop-Culturalist.com

Chantelle Albers is doing double duty in The 6th Friend starring as the narcissistic but driven Melissa White while also making her producing debut. The female-led film is one that Chantelle holds near and dear to her heart, putting her creative stamp on the project. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Chantelle about The 6th Friend.

PC: Tell us about The 6th Friend.
Chantelle: We just opened in theaters and had our Los Angeles premiere on January 13. It’s a female-driven horror film: female-directed, female-written, female-produced, and stars a female main cast. It follows six best friends from college. During the night of their college graduation, they decide to trip on acid. The guy who brought the acid attempts to rape and murder one of the girls, but they actually end up killing him before he does anything. Five years later, he comes back to haunt them.

PC: What’s the preparation like when you’re playing a character who’s gone through such a traumatic life event?
Chantelle: A lot of it is drawing on your past experiences. Then, you need to go into the script and look at what the given circumstances are and, of course, connect with the other actresses in the scene that you’re doing. I always feed off of energy from the other actors. That helps put you right there in the moment.

PC: The 6th Friend finds you reuniting with Dominique Swain and Jessica Morris—who you’ve worked with in the past. How helpful was that in building the bond between the girls?
Chantelle: Building a bond between the six of us was something that was really important. I always feel you can read relationships on-screen and on-stage; it’s very apparent. We spent a lot of time together outside of filming, such as get-togethers over food and lunch, to build that chemistry. While we were filming, we all stayed in a cabin together which also instilled that bond in all of us.

PC: There are a lot of different layers to Melissa. Which was your favorite to explore and why?
Chantelle: There are a couple of different layers that I liked about her. I like how dramatic she is, and I find it funny how detached she is from reality. For instance, in the scene when she’s looking in the mirror doing the different emotions and everything, she doesn’t realize how ridiculous she looks. She’s so focused on what she wants [that] she doesn’t even see her own actions—or how other people may perceive her actions—as being ridiculous. She’s just like, “No, this is going to get me to my end goal. I’m doing it. I don’t care.” She’s quirky, very determined, but also a bit scatterbrained. She slips up every now and then, but I think that makes her relatable.

PC: This is the first time that you’re stepping into the producer’s seat. What was it about this story that really stood out to you?
Chantelle: What I really liked about this story is that it’s female-driven and features strong female characters. They fight and attempt to save themselves. They’re not running into the woods screaming, “Help me! What do I do?” They’re like, “Okay, we got a plan. We’re going to take this guy down and save ourselves.” Adding Letia [Miller] on board as our director only made it better.

PC: How challenging was it for you to have dual roles on this project?
Chantelle: It was a little challenging, but it’s something I want to do again. I’m going to do it again. It’s a lot to juggle the first time. It’s more of a learning curve; you’re still figuring it all out. So, the second time, you know the ropes better.

It’s a lot of responsibility, but when you have a good team around you, it makes everything a lot easier. I really like being able to create a project from the ground up and have some creative say. I can say, “This is my film.” You essentially get to approve every step of what goes into the movie. It’s nice to create something that you can be proud of and put your stamp on.

PC: What would you say is the biggest lesson you learned sitting in the producer’s seat?
Chantelle: There are so many. I think the biggest lesson was to trust your team. Even though I was a producer on this film, I had a lot of people that I was working and making decisions with. It’s really important that everyone can be one unit.

PC: Now that the film is in theaters, what do you hope audiences will take away?
Chantelle: I hope it inspires women—especially those who want to become female filmmakers—to start their own business, or create their own projects and content.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Chantelle: There are so many! This one is old, but Breaking Bad. It was such an addiction for my dad and I. My dad has seen the whole series three times. I think I’ve only seen it two and a half times [laughs]. A more recent one is The Crown. I’m really into royal fiction and all that stuff.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Chantelle: One of my favorite movies is one of Al Pacino’s first films called The Panic in Needle Park. It was so groundbreaking for its time.

PC: Favorite book?
Chantelle: The Other Boleyn Girl

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Chantelle: Well, Hamilton. It was so good. I guess that’s my favorite musical right now. As far as favorite play…I have so many. I like The Children’s Hour. I was in that one years ago, and it’s still one of my favorite plays. I’ve been doing a lot of new, original work at my theatre company. A lot of those are world premieres by new actors.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Chantelle: I have a bit of EDM, Tupac, Biggie, ABBA, Patsy Cline, and Beyoncé. It’s all over the place.

PC: Hidden talent?
Chantelle: I think I’m a good cook.

Keep up with Chantelle by following her on Twitter and Instagram, and catch The 6th Friend in theaters now.