Brit Morgan and Tania Raymonde (credit: Monica Keena)
True Blood’s Brit Morgan will be in the upcoming film, Manson Girls. In the film Brit will play Patricia Krenwinkel, one of the eight women in the infamous “Manson Family.” Also in the film with Brit are Tania Raymonde, who plays Leslie Van Houten.
The film is told from the perspective of eight of the girls in the infamous family, starting from their teenage years, before they met Charles Manson, and ending just before the Tate/LaBianca murders are committed.
Susanna Lo sat down with Tania and Brit, after Monica Keena, who plays Lynette “Squeaky” and they talked “Manson Girls”.
Below is a portion of that interview:
Susanna Lo: In Manson Girls, you play Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel, people who are currently serving life sentences for the most vicious and notorious murders in American History. What attracted you to play such people?
Tania Raymonde: I’m attracted to deviant, off-kilter behavior. Idiosyncratic characters are the most challenging and fun to play. I get a chance to portray a real person, which I’ve never done before. And although she was massively scrutinized and examined by the media, she still remains a kind of mystery to this day. I’m fascinated by her, but a part of me is horrified. I think that’s where the attraction lays.
Brit Morgan: I think it’s always interesting to portray women who have committed a crime that seems inhuman and find the humanity within that. The crimes were vicious and it’s a challenge because, on many levels, it seems unimaginable putting yourself in a place where that was the right thing to do. Finding understanding for Patricia and compassion for who she was, rather than judgment, is really fulfilling for me as an actor and as a person.
Susanna Lo: This is a film that is more about sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll, and less about murder. Were you surprised or disappointed that the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders were not depicted in the film?
Tania Raymonde: The fact that the movie ends before the murders take place was the reason I wanted to be in the film in the first place. I think it’s a very smart way to make the audience shift their focus away from Manson and the murders, and instead, consider who the girls were as people. Everyone thinks these women were monsters, but they didn’t look behind the madness to figure out what happened to them to drive them to do the horrible things they did. This movie gives us an opportunity to show that.
Brit Morgan: I was surprised, but not at all disappointed. Before I read the script, that’s all I knew about Manson and the girls. I knew about the murders. I was intrigued because this script gives a little bit more insight as to who they were and the circumstances surrounding them before those few days occurred. If the Tate/La Bianca murders were depicted, it would become about how horrific the crimes were and the heart of the movie would be lost.
Susanna Lo is an award-winning director and screenwriter. Her upcoming film, Manson Girls, is scheduled to begin shooting in 2011. Her novel, Alma Of My Heart, was released by Stay Thirsty Press in November, 2010.
Read the entire interview at the site by clicking here
