Wes Robinson is an actor most known for his roles in films like Blair Witch (2016) and The House Among the Trees. Recently, we had him on the Talk Horror Podcast to discuss his latest offering in the horror genre, along with his fellow filmmakers. It was an absolutely incredible episode, and if you haven’t listened to it yet, make that happen now:

So, why the hell would you read this interview, if you can just go listen to one? Trust me, I understand the temptation, but hold your horses, HorrorFam, and let me sell you on this.

#1: Wes is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the performing arts.

#2: With his move behind the camera and getting into the producing side of things, he’s knowledgeable in filmmaking itself.

#3: He’s a pretty cool guy, okay? And you know how we like our cool peeps over here on Talk Horror.

Seriously, though, this is more of a one-on-one interview with Wes, where I ask more personalized questions geared towards him, his life, and personal experiences. I really enjoyed this interview, and I hope you’ll enjoy the outcome, HorrorFam. So, without further ado, this is my interview with actor, filmmaker, Wes Robinson.

Question #1: Country Boy

I know you’re from Kentucky. Being your Appalachian neighbor out here in West Virginia, I know that it can be hard to find an artistic community, and foster those artistic ambitions. How were you able to overcome those challenges?

Answer:

It kind of fell into my lap, honestly. I was appearing at a horror con, and somehow through that convention, someone found out I was living in Kentucky and approached me to read a script. It was on that project that I met a lot of new people and started fostering those friendships. That led to a couple more projects where we worked together in some capacity or another, and slowly, I found a community. Through those experiences, new opportunities were offered and new relationships started, and that continues to repeat itself. I’ve loved the collaborative aspect of working on this level. It’s honestly shown me how much I’ve learned over the years, and being able to share that feels really good.

Question #2: Challenge Accepted

What were some of the challenges you faced early on in your acting career that people may not even think about?

Answer:

Oh man. When I first moved to LA, I didn’t have a car. I actually took buses and trains to every audition for a couple of years. If I had an audition at 4PM, I would figure out my route the night before and often start my day by taking the bus to a train station, to two or more buses, and then back again. One audition would take the entire day. I did that until I couldn’t mentally do it anymore, got a car, and simplified my life a bit.

The business is so different now. I was always physically in the room for every audition. Generally, in that scenario, you get one shot. That’s the crazy part about auditions today, people can shoot them from home and do it as many times as they want. It’s a crime not to submit your best take.

Question #3: Support Local

What did your family and friends think when you decided that you were going to pursue an acting career?

Answer:

I can remember some tough conversations, conversations where I basically had to pitch my plans, explain how I would make money, why it was something I had to do, and why I believed I’d be successful. Not because they didn’t believe in me, but because they cared. It’s a tough business, and I didn’t have any connections to help the process along. All of my successes I’ve earned by working hard, identifying what wasn’t working in myself, and adjusting accordingly. I’m so blessed to have experienced what I have. I think they’re proud of what I’ve done, and even more proud of who I am.

Question #4: Back… to the Past

If you could go back in time when you were just starting off on your filmmaking journey, and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

Answer:

Honestly, and this probably sounds cliché, but to enjoy it more. I was fortunate enough to spend many, many years where my only focus was my career. No day job, no side hustle, just pure, uninterrupted focus on what I wanted to achieve. That’s a blessing not everyone has, and I definitely got too comfortable.

Question #5: Too Blessed to be Stressed

What were some surprising things that happened along the way that you’d consider to be blessings?

Answer: 

A lot of tough life experiences, honestly, not even just industry-related. I learned really quickly, and in some uncomfortable ways, what it looks like when people expect you to be successful and try to latch onto that. I’m still learning how to set proper boundaries and never allow myself to be disrespected. I don’t always know what that looks like, but I’m getting better.

The industry is so tough. You put yourself out there day after day, hoping to be wanted, or to be “the one,” or to be special or different. I learned early on that people are extremely opinionated, and they’ll have no problem finding you at Bubba Gump Shrimp to tell you how much you sucked in Blair Witch. But on the flip side, there are always people who dig it too. It’s a constant flurry of opinions.

All of these experiences have helped me learn to love myself no matter what. That’s been an important, and ongoing lesson. And Ashton, my fiancée, I wasn’t expecting to find someone to do life with. She’s always in my corner, reminding me of what I bring and all that I offer.

Question #6: Wes “Hollywood” Robinson

Are you able to keep your projects a little more local, or do you find yourself flying out to filmmaking hubs?

Answer:

In LA, it was pretty common, but in Kentucky, I’ve definitely been traveling a LOT, which I love. Ashton and I make road trips out of it, and in the last six months, we’ve been to Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, and Nebraska, to name a few. These are experiences I haven’t had before, sharing a project with different audiences in different states and seeing how it’s received by different groups of people. It’s been really, really fun.

Question #7: Keeping Your Options Open

You’ve worked in both television and film. Do you prefer one over the other?

Answer:

Not particularly, there are fun elements to both. Things are different now. Streaming has changed the way I’d normally answer this question. A lot of my TV jobs were during a time when we had to wait to see new episodes once a week at a specific time. That was always fun to me, the suspense of waiting.

Now, we can all just binge and see things instantly. Back then, building stories and characters over time and waiting for that next episode felt similar to how it felt for us making it. I’d receive the script in the mail and get to discover where my character was going next.

For films, I guess it feels more adventurous in certain ways. You often have to travel, consistently see a new set, and usually have more takes to work with. On the more independent sets I’ve worked on lately, the crews are much smaller, so you get to know people better. There’s also a lot less pressure on those jobs.

Question #8: The Many Faces of Wes Robinson

What are the hardest types of roles to prepare for?

Answer:

Hmm, that’s tough. I’d say, mentally, portraying an actual person from real-life events is daunting, for many reasons. But also, some of the more intense work I’ve done was tricky too.

Imagine being alone in a room, studying what it would be like to be a serial killer. It’s weird.

For Watchdog, I made a binder of some notorious serial killers that the character was based on, and there were definitely moments where I thought, “This is strange. This is very, very strange.” I found it helpful to look at those pictures before a take, it jolted an unsettling energy through my body that, hopefully, translated on screen into a strange uneasiness.

Question #9: Get Hard

Sort of piggy-backing off of the last question: What’s the hardest film or television genre to work in?

Answer:

Speaking from my experience, I’d say any very successful project with very successful people attached, regardless of genre. I’ve worked on sets where my sole mission was just to make it out alive. Of course, not literally, but to hit my mark, do good work, and go to bed feeling proud of myself.

Question #10: Horror is Home

You’ve worked on projects like Blair Witch (2016), The House Among the Trees, and The Constellation. What is it that keeps drawing you back to the horror genre?

Answer:

I absolutely love horror. It’s one of the most fun genres to work in, in my opinion. I’m all about being physical, getting bloody, and doing those intense scenes. It also has such a die-hard fanbase, really passionate people who are very honest and will absolutely speak their minds, which I’ve learned to appreciate.

After Blair Witch was released, and some fans weren’t happy with our film, it was tough because I knew how hard we worked and how much we wanted to respect and honor the original. But when I started to compare those reactions to how I’ve reacted to sequel’s to films I love, I had a better understanding. Sometimes, you just can’t please people, it’s literally impossible. There will always be a missing piece for someone. People hold the films they love very close to their hearts.

I’m about to start two new projects, neither of which are horror. I’m ready for a new adventure, but I’ll always be down for a fun horror project.

Question #11: Bloody Days

In The House Among the Trees, you’re covered in blood, discovering dark secrets, and simply trying to survive the worst night of your life. I know the film took 14 days to shoot. What was it like being in that headspace for so long?

Answer:

It was definitely tricky to keep the right energy and know when to place that energy in the right moments. There are a lot of intense scenes, especially in the beginning for Jack, and putting all of that emotion into my voice was really straining. It’s a weird balance, too, figuring out how to portray a criminal who can remove the mask and almost become a different person, morally. I wanted to seem credible when I needed to, and softer when I needed to.

Question #12: Removing the Mask

How do you decompress after something like that?

Answer:

Food and sleep, haha! I get myself so amped up during shooting. I listen to music, jump around, grunt, yell, run, whatever it takes to keep that energy up and consistent take after take. As soon as we wrap for the day, I’m down for the count.

Question #13: Jack of All Trades

Speaking of The House Among the Trees, you both Produced the film, and acted in it. I also see that you’re doing the same for The Constellation—an upcoming short film. Do you have a preference between working behind the camera, and being in front of it?

Answer: 

Acting has always been my first love, so I’ll always prefer being in front of the camera. However, there’s been a lot of growth over the last few years that wouldn’t be obvious to anyone but me. I credit that growth solely to my producing experiences so far, learning how to make the right calls with your team and fight for what’s best for the project and everyone involved. It’s hard and sometimes feels impossible to please so many people. It’s about finding a balance between your own happiness and theirs. Compromise, I suppose.

Question #14: Wes Robinson, Director

With acting credits and now producing credits under your belt, are we ever going to see Wes Robinson, Director?

Answer: 

Hell yeah! I’m working on that as we speak. We have a script, and I already know who I want to work with. It’s just about finding the right time for everyone’s schedules.

Question #15: First Timer

With The House Among the Trees being your latest feature, I’ve to know: What was it like the first time you read the script? Knowing that this time you’re not only acting in the film, but also producing?

Answer: 

I actually joined the project as talent only, at first. I slowly became a part of the bigger picture and was doing so much work for the project that it made sense to become a producer. In a lot of ways, that was the best way to have this experience initially, because we had quite a lot of setbacks. It taught me how not to freak out. I’m very good at freaking out.

Question #16: Bring It!

What do you think this film will bring to the horror genre?

Answer:

Fun. When I think about some of my favorites, they always incorporate intensity, comedy, and witty dialogue, all blended with sleek cinematography. In a lot of ways, I feel like we’ve done all of that. I just want people to have fun with it. If they find something funny, laugh!

Our film has excellent pacing, too. It’s not bogged down with too much exposition or filler. It moves.

Question #17: Honor Among Thieves

Was there anything in the script that allowed you to relate to your character, Jack?

Answer:

I wear my heart on my sleeve, just like Jack. Jack’s in a very vulnerable position, trying to do the right thing and, without spoiling anything, save the situation. He’s balancing his morals with the opinions of his friends being thrown at him. I think we’ve all been there.

Question #18: Up & Comers

Is there something about this movie that you really hope viewers pick up on?

Answer:

I want viewers to feel the talent behind this project, the cinematography, the script, the special effects. It was a team of great people with big futures. We made this movie on an absurdly small budget, with many locations, actors, effects, and scheduling limitations. When I look at what we created, and especially when I consider everything we went through during production, I’m so proud of us and what we accomplished.

Question #19: Recommend Us a Movie

This is the last question, so let’s make it a fun one. After reading this interview, what is a Wes Robinson film the HorrorFam should go watch right now, and why?

Answer: 

I’ve always been a big fan of my episode of Moonlight, which I think is available to stream on Tubi. Wrapped up in one show, I got to experience prosthetics, contacts, stunts, fight choreography, and it was my first time being the antagonist of the week. A teenage vampire stuck in adolescence and navigating puberty, acne, and a craving for blood.

The finale of the episode takes my character, Mineo, and Alex O’Loughlin’s character, Mick, high above the Santa Monica Pier in a vampiric fight to the death on a roller coaster. To top it off, I had “The Bird and the Worm” by The Used playing behind me. I had the time of my life on that one.

Wes’ Final Parting Message:

Oh! And also, The House Among the Trees. We’re celebrating our Kentucky premiere on July 17th at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky. Break open that piggy bank and come join us. I’ll give you a sticker. Literally.

Pick up your tickets for the premiere by going to KentuckyTheatre.org or Fandango.com.

Thank you once again to Wes Robinson for taking part in this interview. I can’t wait to see that Director title pop up by your name, and I hope we can line up another interview when it does.