Chiara Aurelia On Hysteria!, Band Camp, Supernatural Occurrences, & More
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00:00All right, well, Ciara, welcome to Us Weekly.
00:02Thank you so much for having me.
00:03Of course.
00:03I'm so excited to chat with you about the show.
00:05I absolutely loved it.
00:07Oh, I'm so glad.
00:08I know.
00:08I feel like Fear Street, now Hysteria.
00:10I feel like you are well on the way
00:12to being like our next big scream queen.
00:15What is it about this genre that you love so much?
00:17I mean, there's so much to love.
00:19I think there's so many sub-genres within horror,
00:22and there's, I mean, I've done a lot in the horror space,
00:24but I think each character I've done
00:26is so drastically different.
00:27So it's such an honor that they keep welcoming me back
00:30and letting me do more horror stuff, so it's super fun.
00:33What was it about this character,
00:34Geordi, that you love so much?
00:35Geordi's special.
00:36Geordi's fun.
00:37I think that there's kind of an exterior that's
00:39really different than the interior.
00:42And I think that she uses her style
00:45and the way she presents herself as a form of self-expression.
00:48But I think that it was kind of an exciting task
00:50over the course of the season to be
00:52able to allow people a little bit more into her mind
00:55and how she works and thinks.
00:56And you kind of realize, I mean, I
00:58won't say she's a good person.
00:59You've got to watch and decide that for yourself.
01:01But there's definitely a little bit more going on
01:04than what first meets the eye.
01:05Sure, yeah.
01:06What was it like getting into that character?
01:08Did you like the makeup?
01:09Yeah, it was so fun.
01:11I mean, I'd arrive at work every day, and I was Kiara.
01:13And then there was such a huge transformation
01:15that went into creating Geordi.
01:17I mean, I had these gorgeous hair extensions
01:19in that were super long and tons of makeup.
01:22And I was wearing a ton of vintage, 80s, insane fashion.
01:26Our costume designer was spectacular.
01:29Deborah McGuire, we love you.
01:30Did it make you want to be in a band?
01:32Oh, 100%.
01:34Who doesn't dream of being in a high school metal band?
01:36It was perfect.
01:37Yes.
01:38And it seems like the three of you
01:40really have a great connection on screen.
01:43Did you build that off screen as well?
01:44Yeah, totally.
01:46Working with the boys is amazing, because I and MJ,
01:48they're lovely.
01:49And we did eight weeks of band camp
01:51before we started filming.
01:53Yeah, so we were spending like five hours a day.
01:55Or maybe it was in eight weeks.
01:56I think I may be exaggerating, but like a couple weeks
01:59of band camp together.
02:01And we were spending all day together every day.
02:04And we also did improv classes together.
02:06So we were like building our kind of off screen relationship
02:09and then also our on screen relationship.
02:11And I have a lot of guy friends in my life,
02:13which I can relate to Geordi for.
02:14And I think the little trio is really sweet.
02:17I loved working with them.
02:18Tell me all about band camp.
02:19What goes down at band camp?
02:21What happens at band camp stays at band camp.
02:23No, I'm kidding.
02:26So I was learning to play the bass, which I'd never
02:29played an instrument before.
02:30I played piano when I was young, but I
02:32don't think that really counts.
02:34And then singing as well.
02:35So we were recording the soundtrack
02:37that's used in the show.
02:39And then also just developing our skills.
02:40And by the end, we were able to play together
02:42without a back track, which was really exciting.
02:45And because I and MJ were spectacular.
02:47MJ learned the guitar, because I learned the drums.
02:49But he was already a killer on the drums.
02:53He was like, I don't know anything.
02:54And then he was like, brrrrrrrrr.
02:56I was like, oh, OK.
02:56Cool.
02:57What was it like singing?
02:58Is it something like a passion of yours?
03:00I love singing.
03:01But this is definitely different.
03:03It's different.
03:03It has its own.
03:04It has a life to it.
03:05So it's metal.
03:06And who doesn't love metal?
03:08But honestly, I didn't know much about metal music
03:11when I signed on to the show.
03:13And I did like a big heavy metal deep dive.
03:15Actually, a very close friend of mine is a bassist in a metal
03:18band and he kind of walked me through we called it like the history of metal okay
03:22so he took me through all of like the famous bass players throughout history
03:25through Metallica and then Def Leppard and Slayer and kind of all of it yeah
03:32that was great what's your favorite heavy metal band now okay well my
03:34walk-screen on my phone is ride the lightning Metallica nice so I've
03:38definitely been turned maybe I didn't start out as a huge metal head but like
03:42over time over time yeah it's this show completely changed you and oh for sure
03:47what was it like cuz you were filming this and then the strike happened yeah
03:51and then you had to kind of come back and revisit this character what was it
03:54like having that break in between it was nice yeah I mean it was a nice change of
03:58perspective I think you know the strike was a really difficult and challenging
04:02time for everyone but in terms of like the character arc for me I think it was
04:07an interesting experience you know I was was 20 when I signed on to the show
04:13and then kind of came back at 21 after you know experiencing six months of life
04:17and was able to get even more insight with Jordi and have time to marinate in
04:23the character which is a gift that you don't always get and listen to more Metallica
04:26and listen to more Metallica totally what it kind of seems like your
04:31character is kind of the voice of reason in this group too as this course as the
04:35season kind of progresses was it like like you said before was it nice to kind
04:39of see her character develop and have this character arc because she really
04:42has such a pivotal moment at the end of the season one yeah I think that there
04:46was a there's a huge arc for Jordi there's a lot of different layers to her
04:50just like a human being we're complex and multifaceted and I think maybe I
04:56don't always succeed at it but my intention is always to try and bring
04:59like a you know a person to life so our incredible showrunner Matt Scott Kane
05:04wrote me plenty of layers and things to play with there's a lot of fun scenes
05:08and I got to have a lot of fun filming the show for sure what were those what
05:11were those conversations like with the showrunner about Jordi and how he kind
05:15of envisioned her as well well he has said to me that Jordi like was kind of a
05:19little bit the most based off of him in high school he was the bass player in a
05:23metal band in his high school so and he kind of has a very sarcastic dry sense
05:29of humor and he told me which was like such a huge honor that it was like the
05:35first time that he envisioned Jordi's deadpan face and then saw me looking
05:39across at him while we were on set and he said it was a moment that really meant
05:43something and sank in for him so it was it was such an honor honestly when I
05:47first read the character I was like oh this is I'm like very bubbly I was like
05:50oh this is so different from me I don't know I don't know if it's it's right
05:53with me I don't know if I can do it and I I love her by the end she's she's my
05:58favorite she's your favorite yeah I love that so much well you nailed it why
06:03do you think that why do you think that she saved Anna Camp's character at the
06:07end and you know because she tried to frame you for the murder so why go back
06:13in and save her I think you know it's open to open to interpretation I think
06:18Jordi and Tracy have a really interesting relationship that kind of
06:22exists throughout the season and there's a kind of a lot of ups and downs and
06:27ebbs and flows but I think maybe Jordi sees some humanity in Tracy and and I
06:33don't know you have to watch him and decide for yourself and maybe we'll
06:35explore it more in season three right can you kind of walk me through the
06:38face-off between you and Tracy at the end of you know season one what was it
06:44like filming for you or those conversations like with you and Anna I
06:47mean Anna is brilliant and amazing I absolutely adore her and and she brought
06:52Tracy to life in the most magical way so honestly any scenes that I was
06:57able to do with her were were an honor and acting opposite someone who's so
07:01talented is it's a great privilege so we were able to kind of talk through some
07:07of the ups and downs in their relationship and the kind of you know
07:09big you know finale of what happens between them in the final episode you
07:16know there's some rehearsing and some chatting involved but you know I think
07:19it hopefully it came together definitely did any creepy things happen on set
07:24because obviously you're dealing with a very dark subject yeah you know you
07:28have exorcisms and things actually our set was a little haunted really there
07:34was there was definitely we've kind of talked about this so the night before we
07:38started filming I had a black cat that arrived at my door and I'm not super
07:42superstitious but it was definitely like an interesting like okay we're starting
07:45to film tomorrow and there's a black cat at my door and over the course of the
07:49season every single one of our series regulars had a black cat arrive at their
07:52house we all lived in different areas yeah so there's a black cat at MG's
07:56backdoor Anna's house mine I can't remember if Julie had one okay maybe she
08:02did but there were there were kind of like there was a little witchy energy
08:05everywhere and our one of our picture cars the night before we started filming
08:10also got hit by a train yeah but look all of the picture cars we were supposed
08:14to use to film on the first day got stuck on a on the on a train track on a
08:20truck no one was injured or harmed at all but they they couldn't get the cars
08:25off and I got hit by a train so there's there was a couple like spooky things
08:29that happened like that over the course of the season so there's there's some
08:33definitely some through lines we were like oh okay this is interesting which
08:37you hear stories about from horror movies where kind of the weirdness is
08:41brought to life but nothing too bad nothing definitely was weird the black
08:46house we are weird it was a little strange and there was a couple other
08:49things yeah yeah what was like seeing Julie get into that and like watching
08:54that like America's mom yeah she's like the most iconic modern family like
09:02fabulous hilarious like light you know airy beautiful lady so it definitely was
09:09interesting to see her in a character like this which I had never seen her do
09:12anything quite like that no scene so it was it was a big transformation for her
09:16I have some very like gremlin II like photos of her my phone I'm sure I must
09:21have been fun for her yeah a total departure I think I think she had a
09:24great time I mean obviously it's emotionally taxing and yeah then
09:28challenging but but ultimately I think we were all just having a lot of fun
09:31yeah you know there's so many different kind of subplots to this show as well is
09:35there one that you really wish that you were immersed in a little bit more hmm
09:40I'm trying to think I mean there's so the nice thing about watching it back is
09:44that there's like six different stories going on at the same time and I was only
09:47really involved in in band world and you know saw the world from Jordi's eyes so
09:53being able to see the show I'm like oh my god that's how that looks there's you
09:56know getting to see you know Nikki Nikki Han's universe for faith which is super
10:02cool and her relationship with Tracy and then the Campbell home and I mean Bruce
10:07Campbell who is insane as well I think I would have loved to work with you know
10:12chief Dandridge a little so being able to talk to him and learn from him those
10:16are precious gifts that I don't think you get granted very often now it's so
10:20true you know this does leave to because it doesn't seem like the evil is gone
10:25from this town so it's definitely seems to open for season 2 if you were writing
10:30it what would you hope to see happen to Jordi in season 2 hmm I think that we
10:35love there's a couple questions that were left definitely there's some
10:39complexities to some of her relationships in the show so I think I'd
10:42I'd love to see a little bit more of where where all that goes and also like
10:46let's see what happens with Tracy yes you know she needs to she needs to get
10:51her payback for all the bad choices she does and she seems to have swayed a lot
10:54of people's opinion about her so they all seem to be a team Tracy right yeah
10:59it's definitely gonna be interesting I'm really curious where they're gonna take
11:02it yeah definitely do you have a favorite scene I think there's a really
11:06fun scene in episode 3 which I just got to do something that you wouldn't you
11:11know I don't spoil too much but you wouldn't really normally get to do in
11:14any other setting in your life and that's the fun thing of going to say
11:17you're like oh I like dress up as this and I was in a metal band and I got to
11:22watch episode 3 do some other things that are you know it's bizarre but yeah
11:27super fun in one scene you spit something yeah we won't spoil anything
11:34we're gonna wait a little bit but what was that it was it was me I honestly I
11:40don't know but I will say that we did it in one take oh you did okay I was
11:43yesterday we were we were on set we were like running a little bit late that day
11:47and I remember the director came up to me and was like hey I thought we were
11:50gonna be able to do two or three takes of this but it takes so long to reset so
11:55we're only gonna be able to do one you really have to go for it and me and
11:58Eileen who's the incredible actress so I did that scene with when once we kind of
12:03completed the take we were we're supposed to continue on with the scene
12:05after that but we were so shocked we both were like oh my god that just
12:10happened yeah yeah did it taste was it a terrible taste in your mouth it was it
12:15was definitely interesting I think it was maybe more like that the texture
12:20I love that so much yeah you know you you've played so many complex characters
12:25you know between this and cool summer where do you kind of want to explore
12:29next are you looking for a little bit more humor great I'm like can I be in a
12:34rom-com guys they're like no maybe a little bit yeah I'd love to do I mean
12:39there's so many different things I want to do and I'm so grateful to act it's
12:43what I love and what I feel so passionately about so I think there's a
12:47lot of different characters and minds and stories and people I'd love to work
12:51with that hopefully over the course of my career I can I can do it all but for
12:55now I'm enjoying the horse yeah no it's awesome and what was like looking back
12:59what was your favorite moment on set I'm trying to think I think the band
13:05performances were really really sure on because we got to combine the acting the
13:08characters and the music and there was so much training that went into that so
13:12it was really it was really there was a lot of satisfaction involved with kind
13:15of getting through those scenes those are probably one of my favorite moments
13:18also the whole cast was there so everyone was there together and we were
13:22all able to work together and I think that it was kind of nice to have
13:26everyone around because usually we were all in our own little universes well I
13:29absolutely love the show it was fantastic and I can't wait for everybody
13:32to see it to binge it and it's gonna be great