Cast & Crew Interviews - Kim Breeding (Astrid)
1. What were your first thoughts when you read The House Between pilot, "Arrived," and how did you feel about being cast as Astrid? Did you know what the series was about before you read the script?
I was excited, intrigued, and nervous. Astrid is a bit more of a confrontational tomboy than I am so I was looking forward to being a little rough and tumble, it sounded fun. I thought I knew what the series was about, until we began filming...
2. How would you describe Astrid as a character?
Astrid is reactionary and unsure of herself, she covers up her insecurities with bravado (not unlike Travis), though as the series progresses, we see her begin to trust her gut more, use her head more, and actually care about other people. When we first meet her, though, she's really just a bitch.
3. How much of Astrid is Kim Breeding, and how are are Kim Breeding and Astrid different?
She is how I would be if I had more of my mother's Irish temper in me. (I love you, mom!) The things about Astrid that I was easily able to identify with were her singing/songwriting, her religious background, her curiosity and her hard-headedness. However, unlike me, Astrid is violent, self-destructive, and self-loathing.
4. What was the most difficult part about playing Astrid in the first season? The most difficult episode?
Honestly the hardest thing about being Astrid is that she's not very bright. When clues and hints are being dropped all around her, she has to remain blind to them. Not to the extent of a dumb blonde in a horror film going into the basement alone, but she has moments akin to that.
The most difficult episode in terms of acting, or shooting? Acting, I'd say "Arrived" since I spent half the day by myself; shooting, "Visited" because of the sticky 'blood' and the physically demanding scene on the stairs.
5. What was it like filming the action sequences (like the fight scene with Sange in "Trashed" or the final battle in "Mirrored"), and did you ever think it interesting that you were essentially the "action hero" of the program?
John told me from day one I was going to be his "Buffy" - which I took as a challenge, since I don't really like that show. I've never been a fighter (though I did study Kendo for a couple years, and loved it) so I tried to get in shape a bit before the shoot. I was walking 3/4 mile every morning and doing Pilates. I lost about 10 pounds during the actual filming! Astrid wears 4" platform boots, so doing multiple takes of every fight, running up and down those stairs a few dozen times a day, really was grueling. It was important to me that I didn't look like I couldn't really be doing what I was doing - Astrid is a tough cookie, not a cheerleader! (BIG THANKS to Rob for the choreography and guidance, and for covering up all the bruises every morning.)
6. What was your favorite season one episode of The House Between, and why?
"Favorite" is too subjective and open-ended. I love them all for this or that reason; why must you make me choose?! I'm a Gemini for crying out loud! (THB Factoid: four of the five original cast members are Geminis; two share the same birthday.)
7. In "Mirrored" Astrid has a rather surprising sexual tryst with Travis; and throughout the first season there are hints of a romantic attraction between Bill and Astrid. In the end, who do you think Astrid would choose to be with? Are we going to see more of the romance angle in the second season?
In a perfect universe, Astrid would rather be with Bill, but would probably resign herself to being with Travis because she doesn't feel she deserves a man like Bill. Arlo is more like her little brother, and Theresa...well, let's keep this G-rated.
I don't want to give anything away about season two, but 'romance' isn't really the word I would use.
8. What was the funniest thing that happened to you while filming the first season?
21-take Hansen. A scene at the top of the stairs in "Trashed" took a long time to film because Lee kept making us laugh. I was in tears, my face was red, and I couldn't catch my breath. We all suffered from the giggles once in a while but this one was off the chart.
9. Was there ever a point during season one when you felt that Astrid was acting out of character, and if so, what did you do about it? How flexible are the producers and the creator when it comes to adjusting character moments?
There were actually several places where I questioned the script or the direction - and John was always very gracious about taking my suggestions, when he felt I was right. Sometimes he put his foot down, but at least we were able to talk it through and I got a better grip on the character through those talks. It was a very rewarding experience.
10. Do you feel when you receive new scripts now that you "know" who Astrid is? As an actress, how do you go about "finding" Astrid?
I know who Astrid thinks she is, but John has hinted at the shape of things to come, and I think even I am in for a surprise before this is over with! To "find" Astrid, I basically channel my anger, forget that I ever went to college or held a day job, and try to remember what it was like to believe in the teachings of the Christian church. Astrid has rebelled against her upbringing but still on some level believes in God. As things happen in the house to either validate or disprove that belief, she freaks out. Those scenes are the most challenging.
11. You composed and performed your own song in "Settled." Describe your process, please. Were you composing in character?
From the 'secret' background information I'd been given on Astrid, I was able to put myself in her place and compose using her emotions and experiences, though the style she would have used proved harder than the lyrics. I tried to emulate a little bit of Karen Carpenter; Astrid is definitely a husky alto. The song took on a double meaning for me, though, as it brought out something I was repressing in my own life, which I have since dealt with. Funny how art imitates life.
12. What do you think is the underlying meaning in The House Between, and how do you think Astrid fits into the larger puzzle box that the series has created?
I think each viewer will come away with their own interpretation of what the show means, but for me and my character I think it's trust. Trust in a higher power (supernatural or scientific?), trust in your fellow man, trusting what you see even when it conflicts with what you believe, or conversely, trusting what you believe in spite of what you see...
Astrid is the battering ram of the group. Her role is to force the other characters (and herself) into conversations and situations that they might otherwise try to avoid. She asks the hard questions, takes impetuous actions, and rains death and destruction upon the UNIVERSE! Oh, sorry. Ahem.
13. When you received the scripts for The House Between, did you know where the story was going, or were you always surprised? How much do the actors know about the larger story arc at the beginning of the show and now?
Each script had a new twist, and John kept the last one from us all until the day of the shoot. (Note: this only works if your cast is adept at short-term memorization, and loves you enough to put up with such sick torture.) Episodes six and seven threw us all for a loop, and the ending of season two was just as mindblowing. I don't think anyone knows what's happening now.
14. How do you think Astrid has changed between season one and season two (without revealing any secrets...)?
She's matured a little, and is slightly less selfish. Mostly though, she's shell-shocked. Season two was awfully hard on our poor Astrid. The horror, the horror!
15. Finally, what episode are you most looking forward to in the second season in terms of Astrid's development as a character?
If I'm not getting my days mixed up, since we shot out of order this year, "Ruined" is the episode that pushes Astrid to her breaking point, forcing her to look into some very dark places and make some heartbreaking choices. It was the very last set of scenes we filmed, and we were all pretty raw in real life already, so I hope what I was able to give the camera will be as difficult to watch as it was to perform.