Beautiful Swedish actress Äsa Älmeby Thorne has the starring role in the new creature feature horror/action film “The Beast Beneath Lake Bullaren” directed by Jonas Wolcher and produced by Helen Brunestal. The Swedish “Jaws” like film is set to be released early fall and is a product of Ranrikestudio and is being shot on the scenic Lake Bullaren, which is shrouded by mystery and legend.
Thorne is a seasoned actress who has been part of the industry for 30 years, both in film and on stage. To her credit she has performed twice at The Nobel Banquet dinner with the Romeo and Juliet Choir, ( The Royal Dramatic Theater/Stockholm).
We traded questions and answers regarding the film as well her career…..
What inspired you to take the role in The Beast Beneath Lake Bullaren?
I met up with Jonas Wolcher on my holiiday trip in Sweden, were I visited friends on my way to the West Coast. I live in Stockholm btw 🙂
I didn´t really know him at all, even though I was in contact with him very loosely 8 years ago for another project, so when he saw on Facebook that I was heading to the west coast he invited me to his home where he lives with Helen and they were so welcoming and inspiring when they talked about the film and I had the chance to read a few pages. They called me the day after and told me they wanted me in the role as Ida and I said yes.
It seems that life on the set while filming must have been a blast, what is your fondest or funniest memory on set thus far?
Well, everyday is a new experience and so far I hold the night with the fireplace close to my heart- It´s when my role Ida is getting drunk because of her friend Jon who is not what she expected… We were a small team of four and the evening was beautiful by Lake Bullaren.
Another shot occurred when we sat on our “first date” up in the hill with a beautiful view over the municipality Hamburgsund and that very day it was incredibly warm, like 35 degrees Celsius/ 95 degrees Fahrenheit and I sat with a pair of jeans sweating away…A few days after the temperature dropped considerably.
I had a blast with my FAD on another shoot when Ida is coming to the house she inherited from her parents and Ida is unloading the car. We got into this bubbling laughter and had a hard time trying to stop laughing.
Do you have a personal favorite horror/ creature feature?
I just LOVE the Alien films! I like Sigourney Weaver a lot. Other features I like is for example films with Anthony Hopkins, Hannibal Lecter, The Ritual among others. I like psychological films and films with a lot of tension.
You have had a very diverse theatre/film history, what stands out as your most memorable involvement?
Good question! I love the combination of theater and film and I couldn´t be without either of them. When I have a performance on stage there is a certain thrill before getting on stage and I´m so happy to have been involved with The Romeo and Juliet Choir from the start of it and the chance I had to perform at the Nobel Banquet- twice. I was the lead in “Miss Julie” a long time ago and that was a wonderful experience as well- it´s written by August Strindberg and he was a well-known Swedish author in the late 1800’s and the beginning of the 1900’s.
I won a prize for my lead in a film called “Autumn Moon” and I was very honored. I also received an Honorable Mention for my lead in a film called “The CrayFish Party.”
Is there a moment in you can recall that changed the whole trajectory of it?
I think there was a moment after I left the Royal Dramatic Theater and I quit the Romeo and Juliet choir and started working on Phantom of the Opera at another theater called the Oscars. From a repertoire theater to a theater with only one stage play at a time and a totally different hierarchy, I sort of spread my wings. I also went out in another climate when it came to fringe theater and I also started working towards more filming, met new people and so on. Knowing people in the business is the core and it has taken a long time.
What is next for you?
After filming “The Beast Beneath Lake Bullaren,” I´m going to rehearse for a play, a musical theater. We were supposed to start early May, but due to the Corona, it was postponed. We are going to tour in Sweden starting in October. Luckily, I got the part as Ida in this film in between! I will have some time off and go to my country house in Sörmland as well and just be with my kids, April and Philip and my Golden Retreiver Tyra and my cat Strumpan:)
…I realize that being with my kids at the country house maybe won’t happen since they are 16 and 20 and probably just want to continue taking care of themselves…haha:)