PassionPod
PassionPod is a Passionflix podcast hosted by Tosca Musk, Ali Whitaker and Lauren Olsen. Each week, they discuss Passionflix projects with special guests including authors and actors who have appeared in Passionflix films.
PassionPod
Episode 33 - Kellen Boyle as Havers in The Black Dagger Brotherhood
In this engaging episode of PassionPod, Lauren (Director of Development) and Tosca (Founder and CEO of Passionflix) interview Kellen Boyle, who plays Havers in the upcoming 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' series, releasing on June 5th exclusively on Passionflix. The trio discuss the funny mispronunciation of Havers' name, Kellen's unique experience with audiobook narration, and his journey into acting. They delve into the deep lore of the 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' world, touching on Kellen's character, Havers, and his dynamic with his sister Marissa, played by Victory Van Tuyl. Kellen and Tosca also share insights into the collaborative process of filmmaking and the importance of understanding different roles and departments on set. The episode takes a delightful turn when Kellen’s wife, Jessica Craig, joins the conversation. Jessica, who starred in another Passionflix project, 'The Air He Breathes', shares memories of their wedding dance and how they met. This episode is a perfect blend of laughter, behind-the-scenes insights, and excitement, all building hype for the 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' series premiere.
Lauren: Welcome back to an episode of Passion Pod. Hey. Hey, uh, I'm Lauren, the Director of Development.
Tosca: I'm Tosca the Founder and CEO of Passionflix, and the Director of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
Lauren: We have the lovely Kellen Boyle here with us today who plays Havers. Mm-hmm. On the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Thank you for being here.
Kellen: Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, I'm really excited.
Tosca: Um, so how many times on set did we call you, Hay-vers?
Kellen: I feel like it was until about the last day. Yeah. And then we went, wait a minute.
Tosca: Uh, I think it's Havers.
Kellen: Yeah. Well, right. We,
Lauren: I always thought it was Hay-vers I was reading
Tosca: because it's in the audibles, it says Hay-vers. Right.
Lauren: Okay.
Tosca: On the audibles it says Hay-vers. And then, and then as we were getting closer to the end of the shoot, I was like, actually. I think that JR. Ward told me that it was Havers. And I just forgot this entire shoot. You had one job to ask and then I know, and then I, I sent her a message and I said, is it Hay-vers or Havers?
And she's like, it's Havers. And I was like, ah, God. Damnit,
Kellen: I mean, phonetically, right? Yeah. Like how it's spelled. I'm just, yeah. Mm-hmm. And then hearing it in the audio book, I was like. It's Hay-vers like we're good problem solved. So much other deep lore to learn about. Yeah,
Tosca: absolutely. So I'm, I, I've got my name right. I got my name, I got it.
Kellen: Whoops. Wrong. We just kidding. We were wrong Tripped at the starting line. Yeah.
Tosca: But the entire show is now Havers,
Kellen: yeah. Ah, great. Yes. I was like,
Tosca: we Haver'd it up.
Kellen: We did. We, I was like, I'm well, we're gonna have a lot to do in ADR. And then I was like, well, I don't really say my own name all that much.
No. Everyone else is gonna have a lot of ADR. Yeah. Great. All done.
Lauren: Yeah. Well, in speaking of audio books, we, we briefly got to chatting right before this Yes. And I learned something new about you. Yes. That I don't think anybody else knows if you wanna like to share.
Kellen: Yes. I, I also, uh, narrate audio books. I, I started about five years ago.
Wow. And, uh, uh, it's been something that I've, I've just been kind of constantly doing. A lot of it, you know, a little bit is all over the place, but a lot of it is romance titles,
Tosca: really. Which ones have you done? Uh,
Lauren: so I knew you should be getting excited about this. I,
Kellen: this is gonna sound a bit, uh, uh, Hoy Toy.
I've done so many. Can't remember now at this point. Yeah. And I also, I have a pseudonym for the, uh, spicier ones. Sure.
Tosca: Of course. I'm actually a little, I'm not sure if I want to know, because I probably listen to all of them and I'd be like... I feel really uncomfortable. I know you.
Kellen: That that's where my, my, uh, my mom was just like, oh, I heard, uh, for, I have a library card and I can listen to audio books now.
And I've seen her with some of those like paperbacks before and I was like. Nah, that's too complicated. Just stick to reading, reading the, the paperbacks. Mm-hmm. That's, that's the way to go.
Tosca: That's fun. I do wanna know a list of them though.
Lauren: We gonna have, we'll have to, we'll have to put that up.
Kellen: Yeah. Yeah.
I, I've got some, I'm, I'm actually doing two trilogies right now. One of them is a, uh, uh, romance trilogy. That's which one it's. It's a hockey romance. It's, uh, perfectly wedded. Perfectly faked. And I am forgetting the title of the third one right now.
Lauren: Do you know this? I don't know if I know that one. Yeah.
But I love that. Yeah. So I also wanted to briefly talk about how you got into acting. 'cause we were chatting about that a little bit. And it's very, I think it's cool how you got into acting, if you don't mind sharing.
Kellen: Well, I, I, I started, started with theater in college. Mm-hmm. I, I had played sports, uh, all growing up and.
Um, my, my high school didn't really have like a theater program, so then I went to college and wasn't playing sports and had all this free time, right. And I was like, I'm gonna wanna do a, let's try a play and got bit by the acting bug, like immediately. And, uh, but that had been my experience, uh, solely. I had never been on a set or anything like that.
And, uh, I got a job as a TV reporter that was my major for, uh, so I was a TV reporter for a couple of years, and then when I quit to pursue acting. Uh, I came back and my first job was actually as a stand-in, um, for a Nickelodeon film called Fun Size, uh, with Victoria Justice Thomas Mann, Johnny Knoxville was in it
Lauren: That's hilarious!
Kellen: uh, Chelsea Handler, like it was a mm-hmm.
Randomly, like very star studded cast for, for a Nickelodeon feature film. And, uh, uh. The great thing about that was I wasn't, I wasn't an extra that, you know, you're shuffled away to like holding or something like that. Not that there's anything wrong with being an extra, but yeah. I was a standin, so I was like right there
Tosca: on set the whole time.
Kellen: And it was just such a great learning experience. Mm-hmm. Of like what a film set is. Yeah. What the hours are, the terminology. Mm-hmm. The pace of it. Everything hitting
Tosca: your mark, hitting your mark. Mark is huge. Yeah. Because that's a standin. You have to hit your mark. That's the whole point.
Kellen: They give you sides, like you're, like, you're the actor and you know, you have to be familiar with the dialogue and the movement and stuff for them to, to frame and light everything.
And so, uh, it was great. From there. The next film that was filming in Cleveland was The Avengers way back. Oh yeah. Way back in Cleveland. On Cleveland.
I didn't
Lauren: have no idea they filmed there either, but I'm like, wow,
Kellen: that's awesome. They, you know, with a lot of those like big budget productions, they film a little bit
Lauren: everywhere.
You know? Everywhere. Everywhere. That's true.
Kellen: And so that was, they were there for like two weeks. I think they were shooting that scene with Loki where he tells everyone to like kneel. Oh
Lauren: yeah. Such a good scene.
Kellen: So I'm one of the Kneelers. Kneeler, yeah. They put me in like a $2,500. Like Dolce and Gabanna Suit shut up as an extra What?
Yeah, and the wardrobe guy, when when they're giving the directions, when like the ad is like, okay, he's gonna say kneel, and then you all are gonna kneel and you're gonna stay there, you know, and yada yada. The wardrobe guy literally outta like 200 extras, he's like. And he was like running up to me and he's like, your knee doesn't touch the ground.
Oh no. And I was like, okay, okay. And so I'm like trying to like lunge, you know, like this. And literally one of the times Tom Hiddleston's, like, Loki cape, just like hits me in the face.
Lauren: Oh my God, I need to rewatch it now to see if I see right.
It
Kellen: drags across my face. And I'm like, oh God, this is impossible. But, uh, that's
Lauren: amazing.
Kellen: After that, the, um, the person who had recommended me for it, uh, kept me on as a day player, pa. And I'm just doing crowd, crowd control. And uh, you know, we're filming at night, so it's like two 30, the bars close, big like zombie hoard of shuffler come out and I'm, you know, please walk this way, yada, yada. And then after that it's back to staring at empty streets.
So I'm kind of like, and I see outta the corner of my eye, these two girls walking right through. The background of the shot and I'm like, oh my God. Oh no. And I come like running up and I'm trying to be quiet. So I like just gently put my hand on her shoulder and I'm like, excuse me, miss, you can't be here.
And Scarlet Johanson just turns. And I literally go, hey, never.
And she goes, hey.
And I'm like, you're good.
Tosca: Nevermind.
Kellen: You can't go through. And I was like, oh, we were talking about where. You know, I, I've always had the approach of like, celebrities are people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Too many people. But when you're not ready for it.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. You know, when all of a sudden,
Lauren: and when it shock you, you're just like, like,
Kellen: oh
Tosca: yeah.
Kellen: You go in a default starstruck mode. Yeah. But that, yeah, that was me.
Tosca: Oh, so she probably was allowed to be there.
Kellen: She was definitely, no, she's definitely
Lauren: allowed to be there. She was, but hey, you auto corrected so fast, so good job.
Oh yeah, yeah. The second you saw her face we're like, oh, nevermind. Uh, I take it back. You, you can be here. You can be here. It's allowed.
Kellen: I'm not sure I can be here anymore, but you can be here,
Lauren: but you can be here. There's no worry about that. Um, but I love that. That's such a cool, that is fun. Introduction into doing more film and getting more experience.
Kellen: Yeah, it was, it was, like I said, I, I, uh, I, I teach a little bit as well, and that's something I'll always tell, like new, uh, uh, actors and stuff is like obviously any, like any classes that you can take, anything like that. But in terms of you, because film filming is such a. Collaborative process. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
And it's such this weird mixture of like art and then logistics as I know you guys know. Mm-hmm. That having that, uh, opportunity to experience that logistics aspect mm-hmm. Of what being on set is, was just. Such a leaps and bounds advantage when I started auditioning and then booking for, you know, principal roles.
Mm-hmm. Um, and it not being my first time on a set is helpful. You know what I mean? Helpful. Yeah. It was so helpful.
Tosca: I did that when I started out, so I, I started out in acting as well, and then I went into. Theater and stage management. Mm-hmm. Oh, wow. And I was the, I was the stage manager for a, um, a Shakespearean theater company in Toronto.
Kellen: Oh, cool.
Tosca: There's a lot of blood and swords and stuff when you're doing Shakespeare and when you're stage management, you're like,
Kellen: Any daggers black ones?
Tosca: Well, no black daggers, but I like, just imagine. So you're backstage and you're like, get the blood bags such and be like running and you're trying to keep very, very quiet so that you can have everything, you know, staged at the various parts.
But when I started working on film sets. I did the same thing I worked on in every single position. So I was, uh, an electric, I was a grip. Oh, cool. I worked in props. I worked in set dec, I did scenic painting. Um, because when you learn every single department, then you really understand the struggles that each department has or, or the, the timeframe that they have to work in.
So a lot of art department works through the night in order to be ready for the scene the next day. So art can work. They work very different hours Yes. Than everyone else. And so when you're scenic painting, you're like, I've gotta make this place like we were scenic painting a, um, a, a motel, you know? And, you know, motels have this sort of like, weird, um.
It had like, uh, the wains coating. Oh yes. So we wooden wainscoating around it, like really old seedy motel. And I'm like, scenic painting as the crew are arriving on set. Oh my gosh. And you're like, just straying, which is like all the stuff that I had learned. Oh, no. And I was like, oh my God. And then they walk on and like, the, you're like blowing trying dry, make it's dry.
Oh no. And then you're like, and go ahead. And then you just like walk off and you're like, Ugh. So exhausted. Yeah. But yeah, I think it's so important that you learn. If anybody wants to get into the film world, um, or acting any or stage whatever it is, to learn every position. Yes. Or have the, have the, um, you know, intern in, in a position, work in it, just even a day to understand the, the pressure that everybody has to make the day actually work.
Kellen: Yeah.
Lauren: This actually makes so much sense. 'cause I, I came on in second, second AD'd on the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yeah. On like the busier cast days you were. My favorite at times because he would show up to the hair and makeup trailer fully dressed in his first scene outfit and some, and it's not the other guys or girl's fault.
Yeah. Sometimes they can't get dressed first. Yeah. 'cause of how complicated their, their looks are in makeup. Oh. Or they have the special effects tattoos to put on, but
Kellen: I did not envy like the contact. Yeah, you didn't have to do any of that. No. I got to show up with a bow tie.
Lauren: But I appreciated that you came dressed.
'cause that was one less step that me as a second second had to worry about you going through before I could tell Carlos that you were ready for set. Yeah. And so that was just like, you were like, one of the ones I never really worried about. 'cause I was like, we're gonna be fine on time for him. Yeah. And I appreciate that.
And now I feel like it's because you had that set experience, you're like, I don't wanna waste anybody's time.
Kellen: Well, you know, I, I, I am, uh uh. For lack of a better word, passionate mm-hmm. About filmmaking. And, uh, my reason I, one of the reasons I think because I, I also draw and, and stuff like that, uh, uh, I was a drummer and everything, so I've pursued other, like, art forms.
Yeah. But what I love most, I think about filmmaking, is that it's a collaboration of different art mediums.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Kellen: That, you know, the closest you can probably get to that is, you know, like a mural. You have a bunch of different painters working together on one. Piece of art, but it's still the same medium.
And with this, it's like, like you just mentioned, the, the, the from location managers. Mm-hmm. Like picking the right location to set deck to the lighting, to the cinematography, to the directing, to the acting, to uh, uh, hair and makeup, to I, you know, and on and on and on. It's all of these different mediums of art forms coming together to make one piece of art.
And it's, it's just an incredible process. And so. As much like you just said is I can know about it. And then like you were just saying, as much as I can be prepared and make those other aspects of the big moving machine easier. Right? Yeah. Uh, you know, I'm always gonna be here for that.
Tosca: Yeah. It was super helpful. It's also the faster that talent can get ready, just from my side as a director mm-hmm. The faster the talent can get ready and be on set, the more time we have to work. With the actors on set. Yes, exactly. Because the day does not change. You can only work a certain amount of time and you can try and go over time, but people get very upset and it's very tiring.
That's fair. But, but you have only a certain amount of time during a a film day. And so if actors are spending three hours in hair and makeup. Well, we only have three hours left to work with you in all of your scenes. Yeah. But if you spend two hours, then I have four hours. Yeah. If you spend one hour, then I have five hours.
And that just really, that's what really adds to the, um, the overall, uh, picture. Right. Yeah. We have to have time on set. Absolutely. Everybody's working really tire tirelessly. Yeah. To get everything prepared. Everything prepared so that we can film the actors on set.
Kellen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. That is a, that is a, a, a funny.
Like all of that production is just for that. Like action moment. Yeah. Right. Isn't that crazy?
Tosca: Yeah.
Kellen: Well now I feel pressure absorb. Yeah,
Tosca: exactly. And action. And that's a five minute scene. Okay, we're done. Yeah, everyone's worked like 24 hours to get everybody to And action. And we're done. Okay, great. He it that way, scene, and so all, so let's do it again, but let's.
Do it with, um, a little bit more urgency in Yeah.
Kellen: Confusion. You went that way.
Lauren: Exactly. Well, and so in speaking of pressure, well, hopefully it's not pressure, but what, tell us a bit about your first impressions of like the, the world of Black Dagger Brotherhood. Oh, wow. Like how did you, when you first, I know you first auditioned, but how did you first, what was your first impression of the fandom overall?
Yeah.
Kellen: Well, you know, a lot. Uh, uh, a lot of this industry is, you know, you're auditioning for a film and maybe the film is based off of an, uh, uh, an ip, uh, or a TV show, you know, it's season one of a TV show. Uh, it might be an original idea or, or it might be based off of something, but I would say like, usually there is a lot less, I guess Yeah.
You know, to pull from. Mm-hmm. Where, where with Black Dagger, how many books are there now at this? So for 20 22, 22,
Lauren: probably even more than that. I feel like I've lost count, even though it's my job to keep count.
Kellen: I feel like I remember seeing 22, but like you just said, there might be Yeah. Other additional spinoffs because
Tosca: there has spinoffs and there's like the point fives and things like that.
Yeah. It's
Kellen: such a, a deep world.
Tosca: Yeah.
Kellen: Uh, uh, that, that JR created in the, and the fans have consumed and they're so passionate about it and stuff, so like, you wanna get it right. And, uh, yeah, there was definitely a level of how do I be, how do I do the research and be as informed as possible? Mm-hmm. But then at the same time, also bring something to this, you know what I mean?
So that it's not just like a copy paste. Like what am I bringing to this? How do I see, uh, Havers and this world and this universe and everything.
Tosca: Did you read the book before your audition?
Kellen: Not before the audition. Yeah. I, I did do some research, uh, uh, on like some of the fan sites and, and Wikipedia page and uh, uh, stuff like that and, and try to just research Havers in general.
I. Um, but, uh, between, from audition, when you get it to when it's due, didn't have time to, to read the whole book. Fair. Yeah. So just try to like, find some of those spots. Yeah. I did read the book before we started shooting.
Tosca: That's good. Good. No, because audition was excellent. Oh, thank really? Oh my God. So like, we watched it and we were like, and Havers.
Yeah. That's who we, but actually, and ss that's what we were, that I,
Kellen: I, uh. I, I I, what I love so much about horror, sci-fi, fantasy genres are you can. Play with a little bit more of just being able to lean in, right? Like I, I, I can't at this point, I can't remember every detail from my audition now, but I think I remember, like, I gave myself like a cane and like an ascot and you had glass.
Tosca: You, you had glass, you were just dark and you were like, you're dying. You're like, yeah, you're paying like the, the, the, you know, when, when you. See Marissa? Yeah. Oh, yes. And so I was like, oh, yeah. I mean, it's like he's all lit. Well, he's wearing the outfit, he's got glasses. This is great. Yeah. It, it was just, just take this and put it in the show.
Kellen: Yeah. Well that, that was, it was like with theater, right? You have a little bit more leeway where, you know, you can play someone older or younger or whatever. And with film, usually it's a lot more stringent. But then with vampires it's like, yeah, you can have someone hundreds of years old and a little bit more withered.
Yeah. But they're, yeah. Uh, uh, still looking relatively youthful. Uh, yeah.
And, uh, you know, I, I like those kind of opportunities. Yeah, it was fun. Uh, a hundred percent. So it was a, it was such a fun audition.
Lauren: Yeah. So what drew you to the character of Havers when you first started training for, like, studying for the role?
Kellen: I really loved how tragic. His story is, oh, yeah. Um, I'm a nerd in the purest sense of the word. I, I am curious about everything, so I find everything interesting. But one of the things I nerded out about when I was younger was, um, uh, like mythology.
Lauren: Yeah. Nice
Kellen: Greek mythology, Norse mythology, um, uh, the Ramana Gilgamesh, uh, everything.
So I, um, I mean so many of those characters, it's just these. Horribly like complicated, tragic stories, triumph in spite of it or not. You know, and it, uh, havers really related to those narratives that I fell in love with when I was, was younger. Uh, to me, in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, you have so many strong, confident, capable characters.
And I liked the opportunity to see a character that was none of those things. Mm-hmm. But still existed in that universe and it's Wow. And the entire. Like vampire society.
Lauren: Mm.
Kellen: He's the only doctor.
Lauren: Yeah.
Kellen: He's the only one. And, and he's, and he's nobility. Yeah, too. So I was like, uh, what is, what is driving this person to do?
You know what I mean? Like you talk about you could literally like kick back and. Do whatever you want. And he's choosing to, uh, help people, you know? Yeah. And he, and, and, but then is doing such crazy stuff in, in the book where I'm like, who is this person? You know, like, what is, what is making him tick? And then it was complicated.
I was trying to do as much. Research as I could to be informed of his past. Right. So that I coming into him would've experienced and been knowledgeable on what had happened to him up to that point without getting spoilers for the future. Because I, I'm trying not to have as much of that like, influence or kind of spoiled Right.
My performance as I go. So I'm trying to do,
Lauren: I was gonna ask if you read More Than Dark Lover or if you
Kellen: No, I, I, I have, uh, just. Uh, uh, started the second book and end, yeah. In anticipation of a second season. Nice. And that's kind of gonna be my plan moving forward. I have done research, like I said, where, uh, uh, certain things like his backstory, like, like why is someone like that?
Mm-hmm.
Tosca: Mm-hmm.
Kellen: And so I, I see, like you said, that overprotectiveness, that overbearing that to an extent, cruelty, right? Mm-hmm. Uh, to someone that he's claiming to love. And why would somebody do that? And all I can think then about is his, his tragedy of losing his shellen.
Tosca: Sure.
Kellen: You know? Yeah. And I'm, I'm like, who was Havers before then?
Mm-hmm. You know, and maybe he didn't hold on so tight and he lost her. And maybe that's something that he, uh, um, you know, struggles with now because. Marissa's all he's got left, you know? Yeah.
And so when he sees her doing these things that he might consider reckless or dangerous, that fear of them losing what family he has left overrides, you know, the, let's just say like pleasantries, you know?
Yeah. Or, or like those, those expectations. So again, it's not to excuse the the actions, but just trying to figure out why, like you just said, said, would somebody treat their sister that way? Yeah. You know. And that's, that to me is what I find very interesting about Havers, is I think at his root, he's a, a good person, a good soul Yeah.
Who has experienced terrible loss, uh, tragedy and trauma, and is lost as a result of it. Yeah. Yeah. You know, he's lost as a result of his loss.
Tosca: And everything that he does, he believes it's well spoken about it all. Oh my God. Yeah. Yeah. But everything that he does, he believes he's doing the right thing.
Yeah. Always. And, and you can see it from his perspective, you know? Mm-hmm. And he does sort of get manipulated into certain things because of his constant belief that he's doing the right thing.
Kellen: Yeah, yeah. But that's the, uh, uh, uh, another nerd. Area for me, star Wars. Mm-hmm. Uh, their whole thing is like, the Sith are always so like mutilated and stuff like that.
Right. It's meant to be an outward manifestation of the inner turmoil that they're going through. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And I'm literally, uh, uh, you know, for havers that that inner turmoil does find its way. Mm-hmm. You know what I mean? Out, uh, uh, out into his, uh, physical appearance mm-hmm. As well. So I, I thought that was a really cool, uh, uh, journey for him.
Lauren: Yeah. Yeah. Were there any aspects of, of Havers that you personally resonated with?
Kellen: There are a couple of things. I mean, I, I, you know, even though we're talking about, you know, hundreds of year old vampires, like there's a lot of human relatability.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Kellen: Um, like I mentioned, I, you know, he's someone who's experienced loss and it's affected him.
You know, I, I, I, I myself just am very happy with the person that I am, but I look at the person that I was. You know, decades ago, and they do feel like different people, you know? And the one is a result of the experiences of life that have happened to 'em along the way. Mm-hmm. And it, and it changes you.
Mm-hmm. There is a movie, there's a couple movies I had to stop watching. Uh, and, uh, because I got like physically ill and one of them, oh my gosh, one of them was, uh, Zodiac. Uh, oh, yeah. That's a great film. Yeah. But, but there's one scene intense in particular. No, I can't get past.
Tosca: It's a hard no.
Kellen: And then there's, there's, uh, this movie, 28 weeks later, it's a sequel to 28 days later.
Yeah.
Tosca: It's also, no,
Kellen: it's, it's a no. Right? Yeah. It's the, the opening sequence. Spoilers, if you haven't watched 28 weeks later. Fast forward, I don't know, like 30 seconds. Uh, there's a guy with uh, um, his partner and it seems like, I can't tell if it's like their kid or maybe just like an adopted kid. Mm-hmm.
'cause he has like post apocalyptic sort of thing. Right. And they seem very connected, very close, very much in the love. And uh, uh, I don't know what you call their zombie versions in that film, like, oh, I
Lauren: can't remember. But yeah. Um, yeah.
Kellen: But they, uh, they break in basically. And so chaos ensues and it kind of becomes one of those, like every man for yourself.
Like everyone's kind of running wherever and there's a moment where they're run down a hallway, uh, and I can't remember, like she goes left, he goes right, kind of thing. And she was supposed to go right. Like that was like their escape route. And, and she went left instead. And one of those things like comes up and there's this like split second where they make eye contact with each other and he runs,
Tosca: ah, he has to, he would've died.
Wow.
Kellen: I, I got like physically sick. Jesus. Like I have, I have, yeah. Goosebumps right now still talking about it because I, it was, it was one of those where it would be so easy to just judge, but I, I was like, I would be so certain that I would never do that. But then I think so was he?
Lauren: Yeah.
Kellen: And then he did.
Yeah. And I was like, man, you just, you don't know how your experiences or like when that push come to shove moment happens. Like, you don't know how you're gonna act until it happens and you do.
Tosca: Right, right.
Kellen: The bringing it back ho uh, home part was just for Havers. Yeah. He has experienced, uh, um, you know, incalculable loss and, and trauma and it has affected him.
And where, you know, it could be easy as a, uh, just as an observer to judge him when you have to play him and embody him. You know, I have to think about how that. Changes him. Right. Uh, in the same way like experiences have changed me. So I, I try to empathize and try to understand and, uh, I think that.
Helped connect. And then I mentioned before, like him choosing to be a doctor and like the, the only one in this vampire society. I was like, that's, uh, uh, there, there's something like admirable and like truly noble about him, but it's just, you know, mucked in all of this, uh, experience. And we're not all our best selves every day, all the time.
Right. So I, I, I can relate,
Tosca: speak for yourself.
Kellen: She's Glowing, glowing.
Lauren: But you're, you're completely right that Havers is a really good representation of that. Mm-hmm. Especially in this series. Yeah. Um, and I know, and you talked about this briefly before, just him being part of the society as a whole, even though he is not a brother.
Um, but how does he view the Brotherhood?
Kellen: Hmm. So I, I've. Interpreted it as he sees them as a necessary evil. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You know, in his perfect world, I mean, again, he's, he's dedicated his immortal life to healing. Mm-hmm. You know, so, so the idea of a group of. Badass, kickass, assassins. Yeah. You know? Wow.
Cool. He's, that's probably like everything that he's against. Yeah. You know, I, I think that's kind of more how he views them as, as something that is necessary, but something he is strongly against.
Lauren: And so the relationship with Marissa is pretty central to who Havers is. Yeah. And how he acts. Uh, how did you approach portraying the complicated sibling bond?
Um, and if you could talk a little bit about their connection and what working with Victory was like.
Kellen: Oh, working with Victory was incredible. She's a real life princess, right? She really is. She really is. She's so glamorous and, uh, uh, and effortless, right? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And, and so sweet and kind. And I mentioned before like I, how I'm like.
Curious about everything. She's curious about every one. Yeah. You know? Oh, nice. You know, uh, like, uh, uh, in the best way possible, I would feel like I was being interviewed by Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, she, she was always so interested and then again, so kind and generous and stuff. So, yeah, she, she was fantastic.
And it was, it really did not take much, if any, acting to, you know, play as a, a sibling. A sibling, you know, who's, who cares for his sister there.
Tosca: Protective sibling. Yeah. Yeah. That's really
Kellen: sweet. For, for season one, it was. She's all that he has left, right? Mm-hmm. And, and then he sees her being through his lens, used and abused by again, this assassin, you know?
Mm-hmm. As he would describe him,
Tosca: right?
Kellen: Uh, at some point there are only like so many affronts, I guess, you know? Yeah. He can, he can take absolutely. And he cares so strongly about her and to see her. Treated in such a way. I think just it's a dissent in the madness. Mm-hmm. You know, because the circumstances are maddening
Tosca: in theory.
Like, so she was promised to Wrath, he was supposed to ascend the throne and she was supposed to be queen. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That would've been her life and then that's great. So she, he should have become mm-hmm. Yeah. The king and she would've become the queen and then he never
Kellen: Yeah.
Tosca: Made that happen. So she was,
Kellen: yeah.
But you know, that conflict makes the story interesting, so, yeah. Uh, yeah.
Lauren: Did you feel any, uh, any pressure portraying such a a, a character that's part of such a very passionate fan base
Kellen: from the, the first post with the official announcement? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Uh, uh, from, from there to to, to today, uh, just the outpouring of, uh, you know, support, opinions, uh, uh, you know, excitement.
Um. And, and I, I can't thank, uh, honestly, the fans enough because it's, it's predominantly been such an outpouring of like, love and support and it, it feels super special, you know, to get to. Uh, uh, portray this character, be a part of this world. Help tell this story. I'm excited more than anything.
Tosca: Yeah. That opportunity.
I'm terrified. Terrified. Every single time. I, I have the same, every time we take one of these books and we turn them into a movie Yeah. Or a series I, you, you should, I, I'm literally having panic attacks going, yeah. What if it, what if they don't like it? What if it's not how they pictured it in their heads?
Mm-hmm. And it's, mm-hmm. Not possible. Yeah. Like I had this when we were filming Gabriel's Inferno part one, and on the first day Oh yeah. Of filming. I'm sitting there and I, I was literally, I was so scared the whole time going, oh gosh, you will do this. Right. It'll be, the hand will be here. The, I was like, I was like kindly, of course, with Giulio and Melanie, but I was like in my head going, I have to say these.
Yeah. 'cause the very first thing I shot for the Gabriel's Inferno series was. Julia and Gabriel in, um, in the orchard when she was a teenager. Yeah. And so I had to shoot that first because we had to change their look for the rest of the entire show, even though it's a flashback. Mm-hmm. That happens later on.
Mm-hmm. So I shot that first and I was like, this flashback better be perfect. It's so important. Yeah. The entire series is based on the splashback on. And, um, I was very stressed and then it went out when people like it, so that God, yeah,
Kellen: that's, that's gotta be such a good feeling, you know what I mean?
Yeah. When, uh, I know on the after part,
Tosca: on the after part, it was terrifying me, but the same thing happened to me on the Black Dagger Brotherhood. So I'm watching and everything, like you'll see me, I'm looking at this going. Everything is based on the shot. And I'm looking at the shot, like scrutinizing every hair, going, the whole thing.
If if the shot's not perfect, then they're gonna hate the whole series. Oh, okay. And I'm like so stressed over it. Oh man. Every single one. And so then, and it's very kind, you know, I have. We have an incredible team at Passionflix and Margie, who's our head of Creative Post. And, and so she'll be like, Tosca, I think the shot's fine.
I'm like, it has to be perfect. It has to be perfect. Everything's, my whole company's gonna die. The shot not perfect. And she's like. Okay, well let's have a look at it again then. But I think it's perfect. But let's have a look at it again, and then we'll go through it and she goes, okay, maybe one hair could change and the place here.
Sure. And we'll cut one frame here. And how does that feel? I was like, I don't know. I think it feels good. Yes. Okay. That feels better. Well, and that's, I think, literally so stressed
Kellen: and, and that's, you know, you're talking about that, the, that collaborative artistic process too. Mm-hmm. Right? It's, it's, there's the movie, you shoot, the movie you edit, right?
Yeah. Uh, uh, and the movie
Tosca: that's in your head Yeah. And the movie that's in your head. Yeah, exactly. And,
Kellen: and I, what I find so incredible about Passionflix in, in general, uh uh, is that. Any art is meant to be, you know, interpreted.
Tosca: Right.
Kellen: But the challenge is you have such a passionate fan base that has this interpretation of the book and wants it to be this.
Mm-hmm. And so you're trying to, it's
Lauren: unique to each of them,
Kellen: right? Yeah. And so then you're trying to match your interpretation with the uniqueness of each of their interpretations and come with something that represents as close to the book. As possible while still being now its own thing in its own medium.
Yeah.
Lauren: Right.
Kellen: It's a, it's an incredible challenge. Heavy lays the crown, so I'm happy to just show up with a bow tie and Yeah. Glasses and yeah. Uh, say my lines.
Lauren: But to switch to something a little more lighthearted, do you have a favorite scene that you shot? Shot and, and why it was your favorite?
Kellen: Uh, is it cheating if I say there's two?
Lauren: No, go ahead. That's not cheating. Okay.
Kellen: Alright. Um. Uh, really anything with, with Victory was, was really so much fun. Yeah. There's a scene where we're, uh, both on, uh, different signs of a door Yes. Having a conversation.
Tosca: So, good. So good. And,
Kellen: and, uh, that, that one, I. Uh, I think that was like end of our day and it was such a, I mean, it was all victory and I for like two or three days
Tosca: Yep.
Kellen: Like pumping out all of these scenes and you know, we were jumping all over the timeline, right, yeah. Of the story and stuff. And so I think that was like end of the day and it was a very like. Uh, uh, emotionally demanding scene, a very important scene. And again, like you're dealing with this challenge of, you've got the door in between you, so you're not able to be as connected, but you're, you have to be super connected and again, victory and, and y'all just made it, uh, uh, so easy.
So that, that would be one.
Lauren: That's a good one.
Tosca: I, I actually just have, so you know what, I'm just realizing now because we did ADR with Robert Maaser. Yeah. And he did a scene with, um, victory. Uh, Marissa and Wrath have a scene together and. Um, they weren't facing each other. I had them not facing or he can't see her face.
Oh, yeah. So I, I actually just realized that I did that almost, um, entirely with victory. She never, uh, well, Marissa, she never looks at anybody. Yes. And never acts the, the character Marissa never acts face to face with anybody except for Butch. Yeah.
Kellen: Oh, that's really sweet. Yeah. Well, it's, except for
Tosca: one fight that you guys have, but, well, even then, even then your backs, but even then your backs towards her and then it turns.
Mm-hmm.
Kellen: Yes. So I'm reluctant to look at her. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Tosca: But, but it was very interesting. She, I never have her. Um, she's always her backs towards you. Yeah. Her backs towards wrath. Her, um, their backs towards her. Like there no, there's no, um, no looking at each other. Yeah. Yeah. Until Butch, and then it's only looking at each other.
Kellen: Well, and that it becomes more powerful then. Yeah. Right. As a result that is more powerful. I, I that, and it's so funny too. It just makes me think like we talked. A second ago about like how protective Havers is, uh, of his sister and how much he's doing it out of love and uh, or he thinks right, but to the point that you just made, like outside of when we're fighting, we're not even looking at each other, I.
Uh, how abandoned does Marissa have to feel?
Yeah, right. You know, as a character. Yeah. By everyone then Yeah. Like by wrath, but then even by her own brother who constantly tells her how much he cares for her. Mm-hmm. You see it in the physical manifestation of us not really even looking at each other all that much.
Right. In addition to then the actions that he's taking. And so, you know, that's, it's a good life lesson. Yeah. Uh, for everyone like to, to remove your blinders, you know what I mean? Yeah. Mm-hmm. And try to have as much of an outside perspective as you can on yourself. But it's funny. Look at each other. I know.
Look at that. Connect. Uh, uh, it's funny you mentioned Butch, because I would say that was probably my, my second favorite scene. Um. Uh, the last couple of days we had a filming where pretty much the whole team, like the whole brotherhood Yeah. Everybody was there.
Tosca: Yeah.
Kellen: Um, that was so much fun. It was such a different energy.
Yeah. And obviously those guys, I, by the way, you guys did an amazing job casting, I mean, you know, uh, one guy in particular, uh, you guys, you guys did an amazing job casting. Um, not just people that are great for the part right. And great actors, but also really great people.
Lauren: They're all so wonderful.
We've gotten so lucky with just having amazing people on all of our
Kellen: Yeah, I, I was just constantly blown away.
I've, I've, I've just, the immediacy with which, like warmth, friendliness. Mm-hmm. Acceptance. Everything from, from everyone. It was, it was just incredible. But, uh, so, so those were, those were some fun days of shooting there at the end. Uh, one moment in particular, uh, it's a, uh, a pretty intense scene. It's, it's just come off of a, a pretty intense, uh, uh, moment.
And I have to look at the brothers. I have to look at Marissa. Uh, I have to look at Butch and. Uh, as I'm looking at everyone, uh, Michael, who mm-hmm. Played Butch, uh, such a goofball, uh, is just making the most obscene, ridiculous faces and gestures that make,
Lauren: I didn't know he did that to you.
Kellen: He did it every take.
Tosca: Oh god.
Kellen: And I had to just, but what was brilliant, oh my God, that's amazing. Outside of just Michael trying to have fun. What was brilliant about it was for Havers, he does have such. Either like irrelevance or disdain, you know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Butch, that like. Outside of what, like trying not to laugh, but then like that annoyance and that like, like yeah.
This guy, you know, it just, it came through very naturally. Yeah. Yeah. As a result. So I thought that that was, uh, really funny and fun. Yeah. That is really funny. Ridiculous.
Tosca: Michael has been part of the Passionflix family for years. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He's great.
Lauren: It was, it was nice that we were able to bring him onto this project.
Yeah. 'cause at first we were like, oh, he can help everybody else understand how it all goes. Yeah. Like, because we have set visits with fans who Come on Yeah. And stuff like that. And Yeah.
Tosca: Yeah, yeah. You get to experience all of the fans. Um, at the premiere,
Kellen: that was, well, I, I got to on that. Oh, that one day as well, and that was Oh, okay.
Yeah. Such a cool day. Yeah. It was such a busy day. So I didn't, I never got to say like, as much or, or see them as much, but that. Uh, and obviously they were so excited to see Yeah. The brotherhood. Yeah. Uh, uh, so I, I felt like a plus-one sometimes, but I'm, I'm just confused. That's okay. They were great
Lauren: and, and this episode it's the Brothers plus Havers but, so we we're all excited for the premiere that's happening.
Um, are you, are you looking forward to getting to watch the first episode with, with fans of the show? Like that's gonna be such a unique experience.
Kellen: Oh my, yes. So much. So. I, uh, uh. Had the benefit of already having a version of this experience. Uh, when I was at my wife's premier, uh, for the air he breathes, and we had a room full of Passionista there as well.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. And it was, it was so cool. You could feel the energy in the room.
Lauren: Yeah.
Kellen: Um, so this will be a little different because it will be a project that I'm involved in. Right. But I, I, I imagine it will be just the same, if not even more. Uh, uh, like rampant in terms of that, that energy, that excitement.
Yeah. Um, you know, you can, if you've been to, you know, like live sporting events or mm-hmm. Music concerts, you know, you can, that energy is palpable and that's, uh, what, what, uh, the, the, the theater feels like. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Uh, with everyone in there. So yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm super excited and, and just based off of what I've seen from the trailer.
I, I know this first episode's gonna be incredible. Yeah. And
Tosca: so should we, so this is like an excellent, uh, opportunity and a segue maybe to invite your wife to join us on this podcast. That's true.
Kellen: That's perfect to me.
Jess: Ah,
you can never, ever leave me again. Well, actually, I, I just came in to see if you were hiring. Of course we are. Hey, you, Sam. You're fired. Faye, you're not fired.
We always have room for you. It just might be part-time or
we could fire Sam. He already has another job. Plus he's creepy. We are
not firing Sam.
You are no fun. But do you know what is breakfast break?
30 minutes
back in an hour. Sam will cover me. Hey you, Sam. You're no longer fired.
Lauren: So we have the lovely Jessica Craig with us. People may recognize you from The Air He Breathes, where you played Faye, the amazing bestie Yay on that in that movie. And um, and for people who don't know. Uh, you guys are married in real life.
Kellen: We are. I
Tosca: know that. I think it's so awesome. By the way, you had the best wedding.
Oh, I saw everything on Instagram. I was like, this looks amazing.
Kellen: Ah, it was so incredible. Yeah, it was an incredible day.
Tosca: You know that I love your dance.
Kellen: Thank you.
Tosca: Dancing. I watched all the dancing Did This is amazing. I was going, is like really awesome. I'm what a brilliant way to like, prepare for your, we're gonna dance.
Lauren: I follow both of you. So I was going through all your stories that you were reposting around that time and it was a lot of people shared your dance. And it was like, it was so good. Yeah.
Kellen: We could have an a Havers dance scene. Yeah, there you
Tosca: go. So this is, so we were at The Air He Breathes premiere, um, last year, and we hadn't announced any of the cast for Black Dagger Brotherhood yet.
I don't, I think that we'd actually even just pinned you. We hadn't, yes, we'd pinned everybody, but we hadn't, like, officially we hadn't announced anything. Everything's so hush hush. And we're at the premiere. And Kellen walks in and I was like, oh God. Oh God, what happened? How, how? And I was like,
Kellen: how does he know?
And we
Tosca: hadn't even actually met. Yeah. And so it's like, hello.
Lauren: Well, so, and now I wanna pause real quick. Yeah. Kellen, why don't you tell your version of how you guys met?
Kellen: Well, so we're, we're, we're out for the premiere and, uh, you know, it's, it's Jessica's day. Yeah, yeah. You know, and I, it's so good. I, I had been, uh, I had been pinned, like you said.
And my agent had even said that, you know, production wanted to, to communicate that like, they really like you for this role, but yeah. There's like logistic things. Yeah. But I've also been in the business long enough where pins have fallen through, productions have fallen through, you know, so I also like not getting my hopes up kind of thing.
And like you said, we'd never met. Uh, so I was like, I'm, I'm just the plus one today. Like, uh, uh. And my intention was to just be like, hi, I am Kellen and it's nice to meet you. Right? And I, I walk up and shake your hand and I go, hi, I am Kellen. And you go, you're our havers. And I go, oh, awesome. That's great news.
I was like, I was like, wait, do I tell Jess I don't wanna, I don't wanna like detract from her day right now. And I was like, but this is really exciting. That's really good news. And then the, with the Passionistas. Afterwards. Yeah. Too. Uh, you know, so many of 'em were like, oh, do you, are you an actor? And I was like, yeah, I am.
And they're like, are you, are you in anything? And I was like, I'm, I'm in a couple stuff. They're like, do you have, do you have anything coming up that you're doing? And I'm like, uh, uh, some things you might maybe have heard of or enjoyed, but Yeah. Um, you'll find out. You'll find out. Yeah. Just like having to keep that quiet.
Yeah. All night was,
Tosca: I think I was like. Oh my God, Havers just walked in. Like my worlds are colliding. Yeah. Ew. But, um, but yes, let's talk about the air he breathes. What a fantastic movie. Tell us about that experience. That was so fun.
Jess: Oh my gosh. It's hard to believe it was already a year ago. Yeah, it wasn't, it was a year ago.
I know. It was so fun. I mean, and, and, and, um, you know, I, I don't think we met until, no. The premiere either. So it was great. You know, it's one of those, it's one of those, um, experiences where. You go to work on a film and you do your job to prepare, do the work, that's a priority. Right? And I think I walked onto set and I just wasn't expecting to have everything else that came with it.
It was such a beautiful experience with working with our cast, our crew. There were tons of things going on in, um. On the scene. And then even behind the scenes, you know what it's like, filmmaking? Yeah. Yeah. There's hurdles you come across. Mm-hmm. And it was just really wonderful to see how many talented people were working on that and making it all come together.
And I didn't expect to become such good friends with, I'm still friends with Kelsey. Oh, that's amazing. I love that we hang out.
Yeah. She was in Atlanta recently. I've been out to LA Yeah. Um, I love, I really like her. Obviously we all love Brittany. The author. Yeah. I didn't expect Brittany become close with her and we're still very connected.
Tosca: Oh, that's so nice.
Jess: Which is really wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Really love that. I mean, how many times she's wonderful. You get so wonderful. She's such a gem.
And then obviously, um, we all remember Charlotte. I know Charlotte. She was so cute. So cute. Yeah. She was so sweet. Stole the show. Yeah, stole the show.
Actually, it's funny enough, um, uh, I was going through my. Drawer getting ready. Oh, and, and I found this little bracelet that she made for a lot of people. On set. It says,
Kellen: show the camera
Jess: Fa. Okay. Well it's a little bit tarnished. It's been since last year, but it says, Faye loves Emma. Oh, and I do. I do love Emma a lot.
Yeah, she was awesome. It was so cute.
Lauren: She was adorable. She was. She was, um. I am gonna jump into talking more about you guys as a couple though, because we would love to have you on as a guest solo on the podcast. That would be fun. So fun. We can dive even deeper into the air you breathe. Cool. Yeah. But, um, I just love that you, I, my favorite part about the two of you is the fact that you're now both in different Passionflix content, but you're together in real life, like you're our first couple.
I love it In the Passionflix family. It's kind of fun. Yeah. It's so cool. That so crazy. How did you, how did you guys meet?
Jess: I feel like you should take it. We
Kellen: met. We met. I've talked so much. All right. I know you're a great talker though. People wanna hear you.
Jess: Is it? It's, I feel like it's not as exciting of a story as I to us. You know what I mean? I think it's, I think it, we met an acting class.
Yeah. We met an class.
Tosca: Do a scene together.
Kellen: We did. We did. So many.
Lauren: Oh my God. Stop
Kellen: so many. We did so many scenes together and exercises and what's funny is. You know, some of, some romances, right? It's like love at first sight and not that we didn't care about each other, but we saw each other as, uh, um, like talented individuals.
Mm-hmm. Right? And, and in a way like coworkers, definitely classmates. And, uh, it was, the respect was there from the start. And then it was something that like, as we got to know each other more and it, it was actually, I had had a, uh, commercial opportunity where the actress fell through and production randomly reached out to me and was like, do you know of any talented actresses?
And I'm like, oh, heck yeah, I do. Yeah, I can think of one in particular. Oh. And so I, I asked her to, uh, join me on that project and it was. We, we had to drive to and from, uh, uh, set, which was, it was like an hour and a half drive or something. Uh, and so we got to like talking and stuff a little bit more, uh, on those drives.
And
Lauren: That's so sweet.
Kellen: And it was, it, our birthdays are relatively close together, so I would say the two big tent pole moments for us were our birthdays. Yeah. Aw, Jess, uh, finished up class on her birthday and. Uh, I asked her what she was doing and she said, well, some of my friends that were up here, like plans fell through.
Jess: I don't love my birthday.
Lauren: Not a lot of people. Not everybody does. Yeah. I love my birthday. I like it.
Kellen: But yeah, I love my birthday. Yeah. It's so much fun. All of my friends I know hanging out and doing something with me. That's great. Special days. Yay.
Lauren: Yay.
Kellen: Can this be every day?
Lauren: Yeah.
Kellen: Uh, but so Jess was like, some of my plans with my friends fell through, so I, I think I'm just gonna go home.
And I was like, what? It's your birthday. Like, no, we gotta, we gotta go out, we gotta do something. And she's like, well, I have a friend down in, uh, this is up in Cleveland, Ohio. I have a friend down in Akron. It's like a 45 minute hour drive. Uh, uh, that said, you know, we could hit up some spots or something.
And I'm like, we're going, you know? And so, kind of like that, that was a little moment where I would say we started to become more than classmates. And then not long after my birthday. Uh, we finished up shooting on that project. Mm-hmm. And I remember we went to a little, uh, bar afterwards to celebrate and, uh, uh, while we were talking, uh, I just remember feeling like this connection,
Jess: um, like something's different.
Yeah. Like, not feeling like, just like class. Oh my God, I'm dying. Yeah.
Kellen: And, uh. I kissed you by the Keno machine. Oh my. Oh my God.
Tosca: It's like a little romance stop. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. It's so cute. Adorable. I, I wanted to, we couldn't,
Kellen: we couldn't logistically make it happen, but I wanted a keno machine at our wedding.
Jess: Aw, that would've been really cute.
Kellen: I thought about
Jess: homage. Good old fashioned gambling one. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Love it. Oh my gosh. I will say, it's so funny, I'm, I'm gonna connect this too, 'cause I, I didn't, I don't think I realized this till just recently. Um, with your character, you're playing now, not avers, hovers, um, Kellen, I didn't realize.
I do know this now, but I didn't realize at the time because you know, he's a part of this big series. It's a very fantasy, there's vampires, there's Dragon involved, and I'm, and I know Kellen was playing a vampire, so I was like, okay, great, great, great. And then I get to see some of his photos and he's wearing these glasses, you know, big wide glasses and he's a doctor and he's kind of like nerdy.
And I was like. I don't think many people know this, but when I first met Kellen, he was, he wore these wide rimmed glasses. No way. He's kind of nerdy, like, had longer curly hair.
Kellen: Yep.
Jess: That's hilarious. I was like, is this kinda like a callback to Kellen 2015? Oh my gosh.
Kellen: That was, I, I got lasik, but before lasik I had, uh, astigmatism.
I was actually legally blind, so I had some, oh my gosh. Big old. Uh, horri bottle glasses on me there. Oh, oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. As little. I
Jess: loved it. That's you. Yeah. She
Kellen: was like, okay. It's do it.
Jess: Did you wear your old glasses for the show? It kind of looks like
Kellen: that we did for the audition. That was I Oh, oh, you did? I couldn't see anything because, you know, my eyes have changed. Yeah. So then now I've got these things on and I just, I couldn't see anything for him. Yeah, no, you,
Jess: he was, he was legally. I don't wanna be insensitive to people who are actually legally blind, but he You were very close to legally blind. Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, I put on your glasses and I would have an instant headache. Like, oh no. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Lauren: Yeah. Damn dude. Good thing you got lasik. I, yeah. I'm glad it worked well, and we touched briefly on your writing, but I wanna hear more about it mostly because I saw amongst all the posts about it, I saw.
Really cute posters of you guys where you were the couples in like classic rom-coms. Yes. And I can't get over how cute that was. Yes. That was such
Jess: a good idea. And I will give that credit to Kellen. Oh, nice. Good job. Kellen. I,
Kellen: she had like 900 great ideas. That one was mine. Mine.
Jess: There you go. He stood his ground and I'm very glad he did.
Um, that was so fun. Yeah. We just got to work with a friend with a camera green screen. And we decided like, let's not like reinvent the wheel too much. We're gonna come in one outfit, but we have these five different movies we wanna
Kellen: Yeah, yeah. We, we just broke it up to like genres mm-hmm. That we wanted to do.
Tosca: Yeah. 'cause there was an action one. Yeah. Oh yeah. There was an action one. Oh yeah. I love that. Like, everything was like explosion in the background. That was
Jess: fabulous. That was so good. He called it First dance. Yeah. Yes. That was so, because it was lit. Our first dance.
Kellen: Exactly.
Lauren: Your first dance was so good.
Kellen: Well, that, and that, that was her. She, we, we, again, it was, that was probably one of my favorite parts about our wedding was that the only way it was possible was by our community coming together. Yeah. Aw, I love that. And so it just made like the love that we felt on that day, even more impactful. Yeah. And special because, uh, uh, the, the proof was, was physical, you know, the, the, the love everyone had for us.
Jess: Yeah. From the dance. From the food. Mm-hmm. You know, we had. Friends who are in the film community who contributed to making our grazing board Aw,
Kellen: bartending to the Fire Dance bar. Bartending,
Jess: choreograph, helping choreo
Kellen: choreograph our dance. Choreographing our dance was Oh my gosh. Uh, Mary and, and
Jess: our fire dancers.
The
Kellen: fire dancers.
Tosca: Yeah. That's amazing.
Kellen: Set up every, I mean, yeah. Yeah. In incredible.
Tosca: Yeah. Um, your Instagram reels were really, really, I was like, basically like, what happened next? And then I was like watching them all. But your, your dance was. Fantastic. Stunning. And I studied ballroom dance when I was younger, and so just watching it, I was like, this is so great.
And I wish that more couples would, would, um, do that. Yeah. Because it's, it, it's like not just your first dance of like, and we're here and we're just listening to our song and we're having that dance, and then other people join, which is great. It's traditional and I think it's fun, but, um, it, it's, it's very beautiful 'cause you have an intimate, um.
Moment together. Yeah. Mm-hmm. With everyone watching you, having that intimate moment. But the fact that you actually rehearsed over and over, there's no way that that dance was not rehearsed and choreographed a lot. It was like up until the week of Yeah, we, we finished
Kellen: the choreography on Tuesday. The wedding was on Friday. Oh my gosh. Goodness. So we were like.
Jess: Rehearse again and again. Yeah. Hats off to our choreographer. Yeah. Uh, Mary Tabor, she, she's a, she's an actor, but also does wedding dance choreography. Oh, that's amazing. And so we came to her with like, the ideas and the concept we're like, we know we wanna do this, but help us execute that.
Please. Yeah. And she's great. Yeah. That's amazing.
Kellen: So it, it was, it was fun and it was, uh, uh, we, what we said was. We're performers we wanna put on a performance. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And so that was, and that
Tosca: was it. That fits so well. It's so perfect.
Lauren: It was really beautifully done. Thank you. Thank you. I'm just obsessed with the both of you guys.
Yeah. And I'm so glad you guys are part of the passion for family. Oh, that, oh. But, but, so to start to wrap it up just a little bit, Tosca actually has a rapid fire question game for Kellen specifically. Yeah. But I thought it'd be fun if, uh, I think Jessica should do it too. Jessica. Yes. Yeah. Jump in.
Sabotage
Tosca: with, um. I'm gonna go with your character first, and then I'm gonna go with your character. Oh, good. Okay.
Kellen: Oh, the character clock. Okay. Lemme lock in. Lemme lock
Tosca: in. Okay. Ready. Lock into your characters. Guys
Kellen: locked in.
Tosca: One word to describe Haver slash Faye. Go.
Jess: Chaotic.
Kellen: Complicated. Mm
Tosca: oh, very nice. Few words.
Very nice. One word to describe you.
Jess: Awkward.
Kellen: Complicated.
Tosca: Oh my God, I love you guys. Um, who has the best style in the brotherhood?
Jess: Ooh, victory.
Tosca: Oh yeah. Okay. I'll take that. All
Kellen: right. Uh, Zadist. Oh yeah.
Tosca: Okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. Both of you guys, what's your go-to snack in between takes.
Jess: Flaming hot Cheetos.
Oh my God,
Tosca: you're my favorite person in the world. So good. That's so amazing. My son. And is that yours? Yes. Love him.
Kellen: Oh my God. I love
Tosca: it with lime as well. Yes. Oh, those so good.
Kellen: Our, our place is a graveyard of flaming hot Cheeto bags. My
Jess: bridesmaids actually got me a bag of Flaming Hots for, it was a bride tote bag. Oh my god. Stuff. That's amazing.
Lauren: Know me well, they do know you well.
Tosca: Good one.
Jess: All
Lauren: right.
Kellen: Uh, Reese's. Okay. Everyth. Think peanut butter and chocolate. Yeah. Buckeye. Doesn't matter.
Tosca: Yeah, good one. Alright. If your characters. Had a secret playlist, what artist would appear most?
Jess: Ooh, Dua Lippa.
Oh yeah,
Kellen: I could see it.
Yeah. Okay. All uh, Havers. I feel like it would be like a composer. Sure. You know, I agree. Beethoven, maybe the cop out like a Mozart or a Beethoven or something like that. I think
Tosca: If you could turn into a vampire tonight, what's the first thing you'd do? Oh, Hmm. Oh, sorry.
Kellen: What was that devious smile that just popped outta your face?
Jess: I would. Steal somebody's, um, oh God, I'm so uncreative. Steal somebody's car. Oh,
Tosca: steal a car. Interesting. Really? You don't
Kellen: have to be a vampire, did you? Just weird land. Wait, there's three cars outside right now and steal one. Uh, I would move to New Orleans.
Tosca: Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. It's a
Kellen: good you blend in with and it's a good vibe.
Tosca: It is. It is. Good vampire town. If you could give Havers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Kellen: Let go of what you love and learn to trust.
Tosca: Alright. Very nice.
Kellen: Yeah.
Tosca: Okay. Great. Well thank you so much guys for being on the PassionPod with us.
Lauren: Thank you so much for joining us. It was great to have you guys.
And, uh, don't forget to subscribe and watch and listen wherever podcasts are available and we're also on YouTube and, um, if you have any questions or comments, leave them on the video, uh, or on the podcast sites as well. And we have an info email info@passionflix.com and also our phone number will be on screen and we'd love to hear any of your feedback or comments and questions.
See more. See next time. More, more, more. And see you next time. Thank you guys again. It was so great.
Kellen: Thank you guys so much for having us. This was so much fun. It was so much fun. So exciting to get to see you guys. Uh uh again. Yeah, that was great.
Tosca: I get to see you for many, many, many years. It's biggest cross guys to these faces.
Right? Exactly. I can't wait. Bye. Bye.