Tiffany Shepis (Abominable, Bundy, The Hazing) has certainly made a name for herself in the horror genre, starring in several horror films in the last decade, and recently winning the Scream Queen of the Year Award at Fright Night Filmfest for her role in the upcoming flick, “Nightmare Man.”
Growing up in New York, Tiffany’s love of scary films started early, and even inspired Tiffany and her brother to make their own home videos where they’d “kill” the neighborhood kids or splatter ketchup on their hands in hopes of scaring their mom. 
It wasn’t until high school, however, that Tiffany realized she had a real talent for this, once she auditioned for and landed a role in “Tromeo and Juliet.” Successfully completing the film, Tiffany continued to pursue her love of acting and hasn’t looked back since.
With a new film, “Nightmare Man,” being released nationwide on November 9th as one of the “8 Films to Die For” in the After Dark Horror Fest, Tiffany sat down with LA’s the Place to discuss her character, her career and her love of making people scream.
Excerpts from the interview with Tiffany Shepis:
Karleigh Behbahani/LATP: You recently won the Scream Queen of the Year award at Fright Night Filmfest for this film.
Tiffany Shepis: Yeah, but it was totally wrong. It should have been Scream Queen of the decade, you know, so they’re gonna retract it next year.
LATP: Maybe they’ll actually do that. Congratulations!
TS: Oh, thank you. It was very cool.
LATP: I was just speaking with Rolfe earlier this morning and he had a lot of good things to say about you. I know you guys have worked together a lot-
TS: Yeah, we’ve worked together like, 7 times or something, collaborated on about 800,000 other things!
LATP: Yeah, you’re pretty used to the horror genre by now.
TS: Yeah, I think 50 movies later you have to love it or be a glutton for punishment because it’s definitely not the uh, most elite of jobs, you know, covered in blood and late nights and low pay.
LATP: (laughs) It does sound like fun though.
TS: I tell you, I wouldn’t change my job for the world, for anything. I mean, you have to be a fan of horror movies, obviously, in order to do it and to stick with it, cause I like I said it’s not always the most glamorous, but it is a ball, you know. There’s fake body parts. It’s like Halloween every single day, you know.
LATP: Can you tell us a little about “Nightmare Man” and about your character?
TS: Yeah, yeah! “Nigthmare Man,” it was kind of like our baby project. Rolfe pretty much wrote the character with me in mind and she’s kind of this bad ass, fun chick, which you know, is me, of course (laughs)! But he wrote the project and it was our baby and we got it made and it was kind of lower budget, just kind of fun, throwback 80s, kind of slasher with a demonic twist and uh, and now it got into 8 Films to Die For so it’s pretty- it’s probably the best thing that could have happened to out little movie. You know, 350 theatres; that’s slightly unheard of for these low budget films nowadays.
LATP: And that’s really great, because I know you guys filmed this two years ago so it’s been a process getting it out there and getting people to see it.
TS: Absolutely. Well the problem was not the lack of quality in the film. Everyone who’s reviewed it has absolutely loved it, but it’s just that, you know, there were so many horror movies coming out at that same time that there was a lot, a lot of competition and you know-
LATP: Yeah, it has nothing to do with the film itself. It’s just the genre is- it’s a tough market to get-
TS: Yeah, it’s a tough market. It’s flooded, you know. With the invention of these digital cameras, everybody and their brother can shoot a horror movie in their living room and sell it for nothing, you know, so it becomes somewhat of a problem for some decently quality movies, you know, to get distribution now. But thank God for Lions Gate and After Dark Films, you know, cause this thing’s pretty cool; it’s the biggest release I’ve ever had and what a crazy week for Rolfe. I mean, movie that he wrote, “Blonde and Blonder” comes out that same week, so- but thank you, I’m very excited.
LATP: It sounds exciting! So, what is your character like in this film?
TS: Basically she’s a- you know, they’re kind of just out of college, a bunch of crazy kids, they’re just having a party at their cabin. I think like, my girlfriend’s getting married. I have a young, little boy toy that’s there with me. You know, it’s just supposed to be a fun weekend, you know, four kids hanging out, drinking, having a party and um, you know, my character’s kind of the kind of wise-ass, smart mouth chick. And uh, we get this crazy lady that comes to our house and says that someone’s after her, trying to kill her. But at the same time, we get a call from her husband saying don’t listen to anything she says, she’s not—so it’s like, a ‘what do you do’ kind of situation. My character thinks she’s crazy; it’s like, get outta here, you know, and you have the nice, sweet girl who’s played by Hanna Putnam, and she’s like, “No, we have to believe her, she could have gotten raped, who knows,” blah, blah, blah…and so it’s, what do you do in that situation. You know, you’re out in the middle of nowhere. Do you trust her, do you throw her out on the street, you know, what do you do. Uh, there’s a lot of twists and turns in it. I’m not gonna give it all away, but needless to say I end up with a crossbone, a shotgun and have to fight some crazy people and some demons.
LATP: You guys filmed this up in Big Bear?
TS: We did. Yeah, it was cold. It was very, very cold. It was pretty cool, it’s fun when you get to go, not super far away from home, but just far enough that you know, you don’t go home every night and it kind of becomes like, you know, like summer camp. I mean, there were lots of practical jokes played. And, you’re shooting all night, you know, you’re trying to go to sleep at 7a.m., which almost impossible so you end up drugging yourself into a stupor until you finally fall asleep at noon. So uh, and it’s creepy, it adds to the vibe of the scary movie. You’re up in the mountains, you know. One way in, one way out.
LATP: Did you have a lot of accidents happen on-set, doing something like this?
TS: Uh…accidents? I got punched in the eye once by Hanna Putnam, but that was just a- that had nothing to do with filming. That was just, like I said, you know, it becomes like summer camp and inevitably people start wrestling or doing stupid things (laughs). Somebody always gets hurt! And uh, that time it was me. But I don’t think there was any major accidents on that one, I think we were fairly lucky. A lot of people cars broke down on the way up; just couldn’t make it up the mountain, so that was a little rough, but I think overall it was very smooth.
LATP: I don’t know if you have any gruesome scenes in this film, but I’m assuming you have since you’ve done so many [horror films], what is it like filming really gruesome death scenes where someone’s after you, attacking you, and you’re all bloody and everything?
TS: To me it’s the most fun. I mean those are the scenes that I can’t wait for. I’m like, “Oh dialogue. Come on, let’s get over this so we can get to the good stuff.” But I mean, there are occasions where you get kind of grossed out, you’re like, “Oh my God, this is really disgusting.” You know, I’ve had scenes where I’ve had sledgehammers pulled out of my head and I’m watching them do the shot of the prosthetic head and I’m actually physically getting sick. I’m like, oh my God. It’s terrible. And I know, watching, what it’s like for the viewers. But uh, I mean, for me as an actress, it’s much more fun. It’s hard, you know, it’s why you do these when you get them.
LATP: I was telling Rolfe, I really like horror films. But I’m such a girl when I watch them- not to sound sexist because I am a girl- but I turn into such a girl and I’m the first one who screams at, you know, the slightest little thing happening. In the theatre, a crowded room of people, I’m with people and I’m still screaming. Do you get like that to or since you’ve done so many, do you watch them and you just laugh and you don’t necessarily get-
TS: Well, I definitely don’t get scared at my own. I mean, not for the lack of quality- (laughs).
LATP: But I mean, at others that you watch that you’re not in-
TS: Other ones, yeah! I mean, it’s still fun to get scared. I don’t get as grossed out anymore with the blood and guts stuff cause I know how it’s made. I can make it in my kitchen. Um, but I mean, no matter how many you make, if something’s scary, something’s scary. Somebody jumps out from behind you, or, you know, the bathroom door when you’re not expecting it, you’re gonna scream. But that’s what you need to do.
LATP: You have done other genres and you’ve also hosted a few thing on E! Network. Do you prefer horror over other things?
TS: I prefer horror just cause it’s the most fun, to me. You know what I mean? And there’s nothing cooler, in my book, you know, then being chased by a crazy killer or vice versa, killing off a bunch of college kids. You know, it’s just more fun of a genre to me. But I mean, I’ll do anything; I’m an actor. But, you know, that’s the genre that keeps my rent paid (Laughs).
LATP: And you’re great at it, so…
TS: Thank you. And I love it. It’s like, I love the fans of it. I’m a fan myself. You know, there are no conventions for romantic comedies. So it’s fun to be able to go to other conventions and meet other people that have the same interests as you, you know? We all love horror movies, we all love Halloween, we all love blood and guts. It’s like hanging out with your friends all the time, but at work.
LATP: What’s your favorite blood and guts scene that you filmed?
TS: Uh, my favorite blood and guts scene? Hmm. Well, not really blood and guts, but I really loved getting all the prosthetic stuff done for “The Hazing.” I turn into kind of this crazy demon. Brad Dourif’s character possesses me and I kind of turn into a crazy him, so that was fun. Um, blood and guts stuff…there’s this movie I did called “Homesick,” which hopefully will come out next year and I get my head crashed in with a sledgehammer and I get my toes sawed in half and that was pretty disgusting.
LATP: Now, you’re also working on producing something with Rolfe, correct?
TS: Yeah, we’re working on a movie that I’m going to direct. And Rolfe’s producing/writing. It’s called “The Devil’s Pie.” And it’s an 80s crazy, slasher flick.
LATP: That sounds fun. Is this going to be your first time directing?
TS: It will be! It will be. You know what’s funny? I never really had much of a desire to direct before, but it’s just gotten to a point where it’s like, I’m on some of these movies and I know half as much if not more than some of these kids that are making these films and it starts to get a little frustrating. You don’t wanna be that asshole that’s like, “hey man, you’re doing that wrong” or “You should shoot it this way cause this is a way better shot.” You know, but sometimes you just can’t help it, you know. I’m like, man, I should just do my own. Thank God somebody has faith in me to give us some money to do it (laughs).
LATP: Whose idea was this one, yours?
TS: I came up with the basic idea of what I wanted to do. You know, this is the story, what I want, this is the locations that we have, and this is who we have access to and then Rolfe just kind of took it from there.
LATP: Have you guys started working on this already?
TS: He’s started writing it. I’m putting together a whole crew and everybody and uh, just getting it started and hopefully start shooting in January.
LATP: That’s great. Good luck with that.
TS: Thanks, thanks. You should come down to the set and get rid of your fear of scary movies.
LATP: I would love to!
TS: We could totally kill you in it, it would be fun (laughs).
LATP: So are you working on anything else right now? Other than this project that you’re gonna be directing? Do you have anything else coming up?
TS: We’re supposed to do a project called “Blood Boulevard” with Darren Scott, but that I think is happening in January, towards the end. But right now, we’re just focusing on the opening of “Nightmare Man,” getting that out there. And like I said, “Dark Reel” is coming out in a few months. That’s the movie I did with Lance Henriksen and Ed Furlong of “Terminator” fame.
LATP: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today.
TS: Thank you!
To see trailers for “Nightmare Man” or find showtimes and theatres near you, visit www.horrorfestonline.com. Trailers can also be seen on www.youtube.com and www.rolfekenefsky.com.
To learn more about Tiffany Shepis, visit www.tiffanyshepis.com.