Exclusive: Charting a Post-Apocalyptic Landscape: Alfie Stewart, Jennie Eggleton and Frazer Alexander discuss TEAR ME APART
Living in a cave in a barren part of the Cornish landscape, two brothers turn to cannibalism to survive. Although the eldest (played by Frazer Alexander) clings to the notion that their father will reappear, bringing with him the return of the ‘old world’, the younger brother (Alfie Stewart) has no such moral compass and relishes the meat he can get from the bodies of nomadic wanderers who stray into his sights. Then one day, a different kind of prey appears, in the form of a beautiful teenager (played by Jennie Eggleton). She is possibly the last girl alive and her powerful presence ignites a sexual maelstrom. A dangerous game is about to be played. Animalism versus humanity. Love versus survival. Love. Kill. Eat.
As this year’s meatiest post-apocalyptic cannibal horror romance TEAR ME APART gears up for its UK Theatrical Premiere and worldwide VOD release, the three young leads, Alfie Stewart, Jennie Eggleton and Frazer Alexander, discuss their roles...
For all of you this is your first lead role in a feature film. Describe your feelings when you were told you’d won the role?
Alfie: I was quite surprised because my audition was one of those ones where you can’t really gauge how well you’ve done. I wasn’t expecting to get the part, which made it even sweeter! I was ecstatic when I got the news. I couldn’t wait to bring the story to life.
Jennie: Overwhelming joy and excitement - and shock! At the final recall everyone was so good that I was certain I hadn’t got the role so when I got the call from my agent I was speechless! As well as being my first lead it was also one of my first professional jobs so I was thrilled to be given the chance to be part of such an amazing project.
Frazer: This was not just my first lead role, it was my first professional audition, and saying I was surprised would be a complete understatement. Completely over the moon and mildly/embarrassingly emotional would probably be the best way to describe it.
The film deals with some pretty (forgive the pun) ‘meaty’ issues. How did you process the challenges presented?
Alfie: With a vivid imagination. I really tried to immerse myself in the character and the world, exploring the depths of his psyche and his place within the story. I think that once I understood the character, the ‘meaty issues’ were processed easily because they are necessary to the story. I think challenges are fun - they keep you on your toes!
Jennie: Whilst the film deals with issues that I hope we will never have to deal with, at its core there are issues that are pretty universal and relevant to us now - love, sex, growing up, the need to survive. I found that there was a lot of myself in Molly so when dealing with the difficult issues there were already routes that I could use to approach the character and what she has to deal with. She can change between being innocent and manipulative very quickly, and will do almost anything to survive. I find that complexity in such a young character fascinating.
Frazer: I highly doubt that I will ever get to play a character I like everything about, but it’s important as an actor to never judge the character’s flaws and their behaviour, it is part of who they are and therefore part of me whilst I am in front of the camera. Dealing with the ‘meaty’ issue was really as simple as that, plus my character is not as open to the cannibalism side of things anyway so I’m sure this was probably slightly more of a challenge for Alfie than myself.
The film really depends on the chemistry between the three of you, which is pretty electric. Tell us what it was like to work with each other.
Alife: I feel very lucky to have worked with such talented and easy-going co-stars. We had an amazing time, on and off set. There were points where it felt like Frazer was actually my brother, we bonded brilliantly. The crew were equally as amazing, and the experience of making this film was very special.
Jennie: Well, it is very rare that you are on set with the same people day in day out for a month, living together in tiny rooms, without getting on each other’s nerves, but the boys were so supportive, kind and funny that the whole process was a dream. They both have a wicked sense of humour so I never stopped laughing. I’m glad that a fraction of our relationship has been captured on screen and that we get to share it with audiences, as it’s pretty special.
Frazer: It was a complete dream. The chemistry was exactly the same off set as well. I learned a massive amount about the industry from Alfie, as he has worked on a vast array of projects. Jennie is elegant by nature and the most beautiful actress. She sees things others don’t and has a wonderful grasp of the language, two traits that I would happily have worn off on me.
Alfie, your character, although only 16 years-old, carries a highly complex mix of instincts and emotions. How much of an acting challenge was this, particularly the cannibalism scenes?
Alfie: It was a challenge upon which I thrived. The character fascinates me, his animalistic and boyish nature allowed for a lot of freedom and expression. Delving into the complexity of his mind was intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't actually like the meat they used in place of human flesh though. I remember spitting it out quite repulsed after each take. I think it was Parma ham from M&S. The art department were slightly annoyed that I didn't like it because it was relatively expensive!
Jennie, you play a young woman who could be the last female on the planet. Daunting or what? Did you bring any personal feelings about such an extreme situation to the role?
Jennie: HA - yeah, no pressure there! That was one of the themes that attracted me about the script early on. She is dealing with the weight of that, what she has seen done to other women in her past, how men treat her, and also how her sexuality can be powerful. It’s an incredibly complex situation to be in. I’m a feminist and I definitely brought my own feelings on equality and the treatment of women to Molly.
TEAR ME APART IS RELEASED ONLINE ON JUNE 17, FOLLOWING ITS UK THEATRICAL PREMIERE AT THE GENESIS, WHITECHAPEL, ON JUNE 16
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