ACTORS/ACTRESSES

TIFF 2019: VICTORIA DUNSMORE

Published

5 years ago

September 3, 2019

Co-presented by AGJR Enterprise Inc. specializing in Financial Services

What is it like to have a premiere at TIFF? We can certainly ask actress Victoria Dunsmore who is set to show the world who she is as she plays the role of Ashley in the film The Last Porno Show. Getting to this point in her career has been a long and challenging road proving that experience goes a long way and being thrown into the fire sometimes just doesn’t cut it. Acting has been a lifelong journey for Victoria Dunsmore. She first started at an elementary school that focused on fine arts in Kamloops, British Columbia and then moved to Toronto where she was taught by the industry’s most notable teachers. Her persistence and patience to become the actress that she wants to be and to keep working up to her full potential is the reason as to why she has made it this far. To note, this is only the beginning for Victoria Dunsmore as you can bet that you will see a lot more of her in the not too distant future on the silver screen. FERNTV had a chance to speak to Victoria Dunsmore about her role as Ashley in The Last Porno Show set to premiere at TIFF and why this role will be unforgettable.

FERNTV: Tell us briefly about your role in the film?

Victoria: Ashley is a young, naive actress who wants to be a star. She wants to be a leading woman, and will do pretty much anything to achieve her goal. She very quickly realizes her limits, however, when she’s cast in an art film where she is expected to perform unstimulated sex on camera. Initially, she commits, her ambition getting the better of her. Soon after, however, she begins to grapple with the dilemma of compromising her integrity for opportunity, and vice versa. Ashley struggles with her fear to speak up, which I believe is a realistic and honest portrayal of how difficult it is to fight for what you deserve. Her role falls very much under the #metoo umbrella.

FERNTV: How did you find out about the role and tell us briefly about the audition process?

Victoria: I submit for the role through Casting Workbook, which is where most actors in Canada find casting breakdowns. The audition process was extremely straight-forward and lovely. I auditioned in person at Armstrong Studios. The sides were from the first half of Ashley’s initial scene with Wayne, so I was an actor in an audition acting like I was an actor in an audition. It was hilariously awkward, and I remember after the fact feeling so uncertain, not knowing how it went. Apparently it went well! Shortly after, Joanna, the casting director, reached out offering me the part. I met Kire for coffee to discuss the demands of the role soon after that, and now here we are.

FERNTV: What did you like most about playing Ashley in this film, The Last Porno Show?

Victoria: I really enjoyed how I could be my awkward, uncertain self, and that in a nutshell, was Ashley. There are a lot of things I come by quite naturally that lent themselves to this role, and that was very comforting to fall back on at the time. Hopefully the performance resonates with audience members, and they see something relatable on screen. It was my goal to remain as truthful and authentic as possible. I didn’t add on anything extra.

FERNTV: Can you discuss how important it was to attend an elementary school that focused on fine arts and how that helped your career?

Victoria: It was essential. It saddens me to know that funding for arts curriculums are being cut from public schools, and younger generations are not receiving the same opportunities and exposure to the fine arts that I did while growing up. I never would have thought this career possible, nor would I have had the extensive creative outlets that I craved so desperately as a young person. My school put on a musical every year, offered acting and visual arts classes, and offered the only French Immersion program in the city, all the while still teaching the usual math, science, humanities and physical education classes that are standard of all public schools. It is so important to be well-rounded and appeal to all personality types and all styles of learning. I don’t know where I would be now, had I not enjoyed that variety in my education.

FERNTV: You have trained with some of the best and most notable teachers, but what was the best advice you ever received that was a turning point?

Victoria: To be honest, I haven’t had a huge turning point in my training yet. I’m still working on breaking through certain barriers I’ve spent my whole life building up, in order to do the work I know I’m capable of. I’ve described my time studying with John Gordon at The Dirt Underneath as a game changer, and it definitely has been, simply because his style of training has allowed me to be up on my feet, working as much as possible. I’m still putting in my hours, so to speak. I see this as a journey that I’ve really only just begun, and I have so many goals left to achieve, hopefully with many turning points and defining moments. The best advice I’ve received so far was to hire a publicist. It was the most sound, the most practical, and 100% correct.

FERNTV: What was it like to work with director Kire Paputts?

Victoria: I have so much respect for Kire and how he works. He is very patient, very kind, insanely hardworking, and obviously very talented. He also happens to be a total freak that let’s his flag fly, which makes me respect him even more. He is very open minded, and the freedom he allows with his material is reflective of that. He encouraged us to go off-script if it meant achieving an authentic moment on camera. If something wasn’t working, he had no problem switching things up on the fly. He isn’t precious with his material, which isn’t to say he doesn’t care about it, but he really understands when to stick to his guns and when to be fluid and accommodating. He is truly collaborative. I think that’s what sets him apart. He gives consideration to everyone, and as a result, everyone defers to his leadership. I really loved working with him.

FERNTV: What are your primary thoughts on method acting?

Victoria: To me, method acting is making the given circumstances of a script as real as possible for yourself, using your personal experiences to empathize, and building a character from that. I will never presume to to tell anyone the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to act, because I think that’s bullshit and that their is no right or wrong way. I do, however, think that the minute your mental or physical health is at risk, you’re not acting any more. Now it’s real. The human imagination is capable of some pretty incredible things, and we can create realities for ourselves without going to such great lengths that we compromise our well-being. Wayne’s character arc in The Last Porno Show is a good example of how things can spiral out of control when you push too far. Everything in moderation.

FERNTV: What does it feel like to be part of TIFF this year?

Victoria: It’s unbelievably exciting, it almost doesn’t feel real. Since moving to Toronto I’ve had a list of goals written out at the end of every journal I’ve kept, changing slightly from year to year. One item that has never changed is ‘Have a movie premiere at TIFF.’ I did not think I would be putting a check mark in that box so early on in my career. I’m very grateful to be experiencing this.

https://youtu.be/u8uFWHgwSzU

THE LAST PORNO SHOW Trailer | TIFF 2019 (https://youtu.be/u8uFWHgwSzU)

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Fernando Fernandez

Fernando Fernandez is a graduate of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto. He became interested in entertainment journalism in the late 2000s writing for online startups. He founded FERNTV in 2009 and focused mainly on the film industry. With over a thousand interviews conducted with all walks of life in film, he is still learning as if every day is day one.