KEATON MCLACHLAN TALKS NAILS
"I couldn’t have asked for a better character"
Daniel John
Three ambitious podcast hosts see a chance for their biggest episode yet, but this killer-guest has vengeance on the agenda. What was it like taking on Paige and the bone piercing horror of 'Nails'?
I had just moved to Los Angeles one month prior to booking 'Nails' and I couldn’t have asked for a better character and genre to start my LA career with. Paige is a loyal and power-hungry woman in a male dominated space, and balancing that with the humor only lifelong friends can have with each other made every scene so fresh and fun to play with, even when we were soaked to the bone with corn syrup blood.
What was the attraction around a life in theatre for you, telling stories through film and on stage?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian, then I found out I would potentially have to end the lives of animals, so I went to the next best option, acting. I grew up in the classic after-school musical theatre programs, with parents that love SNL and 80’s movies and from there, acting quickly grew into an obsession for me. The attraction came from the need to connect with people, to expound on the human experience through different circumstances, and having the opportunity to do that again and again is what keeps bringing me back.
The podcasters’ pursuit of fame in this film is a lot scarier but there’s still a lot to be said about putting yourself out there as an artist. While the physical distance between Orange County and LA might not seem that far, the dream attached to it is, not least with a detour to Boston. What is it really like to be living the self-taping, everyday life of an actress now?
The dream is the whole thing! Like, how lucky am I to still love and chase and live the same dream I’ve had my whole life. I have loved to act since I was eleven years old, traveling four plus hours everyday to my art school. That love carried me throughout college and beyond. Having grown up with this passion and consistently moving around has really tested my growth, experience, and admiration for the industry, and has given me the insight to see the direct change the industry has gone through from 2014 to now, pre-self taping auditions, can you imagine? While I love the balance taping-auditions has brought to my life, I crave being in the room. That’s what made the audition process for 'Nails' so special to me, we had our final chem reads in person, multiple rounds, for the entire production team, I was able to build a real relationship with my co-stars and team before I was even cast. There is an energy every room has that feels so malleable, and is something I need as an actor and would love to experience more of it the farther we move away from a COVID-19 and post-strike world.
Also writing and producing, is that giving a more direct hand, perhaps, in creating roles for yourself to act in?
While I love to write, I have never felt pulled to be a part of my own work, I personally explore very intimate emotions of mine and build them into a whole world that I would much rather direct than star in. Previously working in casting has brought me so much joy in finding the perfect person for each role, and is something I would love to do if I wasn’t acting.
Did you attend the 'Nails' world premiere at Hollywood' s TCL Chinese Theatre, getting to watch it with an audience, popcorn in, and possibly out of, hand?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the world premiere, as I was in Pennsylvania shooting one of my upcoming films, the FOMO was real. But watching it on my laptop, in my dark room late at night had a similar effect. I’m so lucky to be friends with Bries and know that he is truly a lovely human because otherwise, he would’ve haunted my nightmares for literally months.
Facing the scares alone or with an audience by your side, what are your own favorite nailbiters?
I love horror movies! All of the classics, 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th', 'Scream', and so on, but my favorite movies are the ones where I can experience the full spectrum of human emotions. This is a new addition to the rotation, but 'Weapons' was such a standout for me, I couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks.
Are there any other recent work you can let us in on?
Yes! I’m currently in the play 'The Shape of Things' by Neil Labute, showing at the Stephanie Feury Theatre October 22nd to the 28th, and I have a cameo in the feature 'Freaks to the Front', scheduled for a 2027 release. More to be announced, but maybe keep your eyes peeled for a certain medical show on HBO MAX.
