Skylan Brooks is a prolific actor who has finished filming his newest movie, Archenemy. We caught up with him to discuss the movie and the mindset of his character, Hamster.
The Knockturnal: What was your experience like making this movie?
Skylan Brooks: I enjoy what I do immensely, and have been blessed to continuously work on great projects. I’m proud to be a part of, and Archenemy was one of those projects! Hamster was a cool character and a little challenging to play (which I’m always up for) and under Adam’s direction, whom I appreciate, I hope I did Hamster justice.
The Knockturnal: How did you feel working alongside Zolee Griggs and Joe Manganiello?
Skylan Brooks: Zolee is so cool, down to earth, fun, and funny! I truly enjoyed working with her. It’s always good to work side by side with someone who can stay focused and be a pleasure to work with.
The Knockturnal: Can you describe how Hamster sees the world in contrast to the other characters?
Skylan Brooks: I think Hamster is the kind of guy who likes to see the good first in those around him but isn’t always in touch with reality. He just might think organic struggles are the most interesting story pieces to tell. So, since he’s sort of recklessly headstrong in his desire to create such stories, he needs a consistent reminder from someone like his sister Indigo, who sees the world for how unpredictable and dangerous it can really be.
The Knockturnal: What was the audition for Archenemy like?
Skylan Brooks: It was a fun audition. I say that because it didn’t really seem like I was auditioning. It was great energy!
The Knockturnal: What are some of your favorite memories working on shows like “The Get Down” and “Empire”?
Skylan Brooks: Oh man, there were lots of memories. With “The Get Down,” I made some valuable friendships, definitely the music. Also being lucky enough to work with the most incredibly & meticulously talented Baz Lurhmann with recording the on-stage performances along with Academy Award-winning, Catherine Martin’s fab fits, will always be memorable to me. Similarly, with “Empire”, I made some amazing friends. It was a pleasure to work on “Empire”. The show’s music and performances were all inspiring. All of it is memorable.
The Knockturnal: How do you compare your time on those shows to Archenemy?
Skylan Brooks: Well those were TV shows and I spent a lot more time on those shows than on filming Archenemy. However with movies, in this case, you don’t spend as much time filming as an ongoing TV show. Initially, I had to split my time flying between Chicago, filming Empire and Los Angeles, filming Archenemy, so my filming time on Archenemy was short in comparison, but productive.
The Knockturnal: You have a new short film coming out named Reveille. Could you tell us a little bit about the movie?
Skylan Brooks: This was shot a while ago by a friend of mine. Haven’t received any updates yet on it, but I did star and help produce a multiple award-winning short in 2020, called Bloom.
The Knockturnal: You also have a new project, No Running, in post-production. What can we look out for when it’s finally released?
Skylan Brooks: Oh man, some good stuff I think! Another sci-fi, however, expect to be suspensefully surprised by the character I play in the film. I get to do some fighting and crazy stunts. There’s a love interest and mysterious edge all going on as well.
The Knockturnal: Would you be willing to return to the superhero genre?
Skylan Brooks: Most definitely. I look forward to returning to the superhero genre, even as a superhero.
The Knockturnal: Are there any more projects in the works?
Skylan Brooks: There are a few. Some I can’t speak on right now, but I’ll be working on a teenage mystery film next year. I am writing a movie right now and I’m an Executive Producer on a project called “Dope Dealer”. It’s a real reach on the opioid epidemic that’s at hand. We are preparing to shoot the pilot soon, just to name a few things in the pipeline.
ARCHENEMY will be in theaters, VOD and Digital on December 11th.
