Q&A: Roger Yawson on KILLER CAMPOUT and Working with Daniel Radcliffe on IMPERIUM

For our latest Q&A feature, we caught up with actor and filmmaker Roger Yawson, who discussed playing the role of Chad in the new movie Killer Campout (coming out this year from Fuzzy Monkey Films), working with Daniel Radcliffe on Imperium, and much more.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Roger! What attracted you to playing the role of Chad in your new movie, Killer Campout?

Roger Yawson: It’s my pleasure. The fact that Chad didn’t care about what he says, he’s rude, aggressive and all sorts of crazy…that’s what drew me to the character because I knew I could have fun with it, and I did! In real life I’m very chill and get along with everyone, and so I enjoy playing characters that are “outside the norm” for me.

It looks like you spent a lot of time outdoors in Killer Campout. Did you enjoy being in the woods for a lot of the shoot?

Roger Yawson: Yes, we did spend a lot of time in the woods. Bug spray was the savior! I mean, these critters were everywhere! And there was a pond, so you can just imagine. But it’s something about the process of putting a film together that makes it all worthwhile. The people, positive environment, the team work, and essentially getting to do what you love, is what makes it enjoyable. After all the hard work you look back on what you’ve done and you can enjoy it, it excites you, you laugh about the many stories, whether they were great or terrible, and that’s cool, you know? That feeling you get AFTER the work is what counts.

What was it like working with director Brad Twigg? Did he give you some freedom to really make Chad your own character?

Roger Yawson: Brad is awesome and I really enjoyed working with him! He’s such a big fan of horror and gore type films, and I love horror movies myself so we had a lot in common. On set he pretty much gave me all the creative freedom to do whatever I felt this character deserved, which was amazing. One thing I loved in particular about working with him was that if I wasn’t feeling a take, I’d tell him and we’d immediately do another take, no questions asked. He just wanted me to be comfortable with my portrayal of Chad.

When you look back at your time on set, is there a particularly funny or memorable moment that stands out?

Roger Yawson: Many! But there was a scene in particular where I had to call one of the actresses a “bitch” and the more we did the takes, the funnier it became because sometimes I’d say it in different ways and we’d all laugh…but in the end we got it right!

Killer Campout pays homage to slasher films of the ’80s. Were you a fan of slasher films or horror films of that time period before coming on board this movie?

Yeah, I’d of course seen slasher classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, etc., but It wasn’t those films, per se, that drew me to Killer Campout. I really just thought how fun it would be covered up in gore makeup and blood, and all that crazy stuff. And I like movies in the horror, suspense, and thriller genres, so it was definitely a done deal for me.

What was it like working with John A. Russo, who is a legend in the horror genre for co-creating Night of the Living Dead?

Roger Yawson: Unfortunately, John and I were on different filming schedules and scenes so I didn’t get to work with him on-screen. However, I’m very glad and honored to be in the same film with such a legend of the horror genre. I love Night of the Living Dead.

In addition to acting, you also write, direct, and produce. What do you enjoy about being behind the camera and do you have any projects that you’ve been working on?

Roger Yawson: Most people don’t realize how much work is going on behind a movie or television screen. Even for me, it wasn’t until I put together my web series, Weird Kids, which I wrote, directed and produced with the help of my friend Casey Watson, that I truly understood. With all the work though, there’s nothing more thrilling than seeing the finished product with an amazing group of people who are all in on the same goal. Shoutout to my crew Philip Tete, Devon Jackson, and all the amazing people that made it happen. The best part of it is directing. By the way, I also star in this show as well! Right now we have episode two coming out soon.

You recently played Usman in the undercover crime thriller Imperium, starring Daniel Radcliffe. What was it like working with Radcliffe and that amazing supporting cast?

Roger Yawson: Daniel is such a chill guy. Between takes, he and I would hang and talk about everything from video games, to crazy stuff the English would do, to some of his past films. I definitely talked with Daniel about his role in Horns (2013) because that movie is just so crazy! One moment on set that stood out to me was when Daniel was needed for a scene, but yet he wasn’t nearby. All of a sudden, I saw him dash in and he was walking so fast!

Here is “Harry Potter” himself, who probably could have taken his sweet time and gotten away with it, but instead he was very aware of being on other people’s time, and truly understood the team work. He really is such a professional and that’s what I like about him. It’s a team thing and little things like that inspire me to work hard and be humble. It was also amazing working with Daniel Ragussis, the director of the film. He’s such a great person and his passion shows through his work. I really met some amazing and talented people on Imperium.

In addition to Killer Campout, what other projects do you have on deck, and where can readers find you online?

Roger Yawson: I just wrapped on a pilot called Chronicles of Jessica Wu, which by the way I’d like to give a shoutout to the director, Zane Hubbard! The show is about an autistic girl who learned martial arts through her step father, and her autism gives her unique abilities to size up her competition. It is such an inspiring story and I think people are really going to enjoy it! You can follow me on Instagram @rogeryawson, Facebook @TheRogerYawson, and Twitter @ryawson.