The Return of Asami and Mr. Painter

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THE RETURN

OF MR. PAINTER…

During Cast Week, we had the pleasure of hopping online with Russell Salazar and Darbi Robbins, the talented actors who portrayed the leading characters in the film, to catch a glimpse into their memories of their time spent working on the DEATH’S VISAGE.

Upon his introduction as Mr. Painter, Russell Salazar got us started with his fondest memory while filming, which was the first scene they filmed. They went right for it—special effects, and a great icebreaker scene overall with just the right amount of creepiness, and not to mention getting to spend the day dressed up as his character! To help him get into the headspace of his character, all he had to do was “put on the overalls.” Talk about a power costume!

Whenever you see Mr. Painter walk across the screen, just think: Russell originally wanted to be a Disney kid; the famous wannabe at 16, taking part in acting contests, trips to LA, and having a love of musical theater… All of it helped mold him into the actor he is today, an actor who fell in love with the craft of acting right when he got on stage. The best advice he remembers receiving is “Always overdo it. You can never underdo it. Give it your all, go for it, take risks. Go full out.” Additionally, for our aspiring actors out there, if you are having trouble with memorizing your lines, try this: memorize them in monotone. Get them in your head and then add the emotion. Find the reason because, as Russell said, “whatever happens in the moment, build off of it. Let it go naturally (and let the director tell you what he needs).” Above all, just do not overthink it. “Take the process.”

If you want to connect with Russell (and Mr. Painter), be sure to follow him on Instagram (iam.leisure), TikTok (@musicbyrussell), and under Russell Salazar on Facebook.

AND ASAMI.

Swapping over to our lead actress, Darbi Robbins, she really enjoyed learning on-set and meeting the cast and crew. In between takes were some of the highlights as that was when they goofed off and had a lot of fun. As someone who loves film and dreams of being a screenwriter and actress, she loves getting into the minds of the character she is playing, and for Asami, the makeup and “inner angst” really helped her achieve that. As her acting coach told her during the development of Asami, “play as a person instead of a character.”

When we asked what methods she uses to help her memorize her lines, Darbi replied by saying, “Practicing, reading over and over again, and making sense of them in the context of why she is saying them” helps a lot. “Put them in context. You are saying them for a reason.” After reflecting on her experience playing Asami, she told us that the lessons she learned often came from the emotional scenes; she learned to cry on demand multiple times and how to almost reset her emotions after multiple run-throughs.

If you want to follow Darbi on social media, you can find her on Instagram at @DarbiRobbins.

To close us out, the actors left us with one last piece of advice: Know your lines and work as a team if you want to help ensure a positive filming experience!

Catch you next week!

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