Jamie Bernadette's Long Road to Success
It's been a long journey for actress Jamie Bernadette from hardships in her early years to her dream's ofbeing on the big screen most would have given up if they where inher shoes. But there's something different about this darkhaired midwestren beauty that has holllyword in a frenzy.
You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals.& -Booker T. Washington
With no less than a dozen projects currently in some phase of production, Jamie Bernadette has become one of Hollywood's busiest, and most versatile, actresses. Recently featured in the 2015 Ash Avildsen dating farce, What Now, Jamie's supporting role was Becca, the brooding and aloof goth chick. Hidden behind thick black eyeliner & fishnet, she somehow manages to soften her characters, all too obvious, hard edges thus giving her more vulnerability than she might otherwise have had. When asked about Becca, Jamie says, “I’ve played sweet a lot, but it’s so much fun to play a nasty character. I hear a lot of actors say the same thing.” With a laugh she continues “I don’t know why we enjoy it so much? Maybe it’s because as actors, we like to play roles outside of ourselves? I think, for me, that’s what it is with bad girl roles”
With her pixie haircut and inviting smile, Jamie Bernadette shares a passing resemblance to Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn. Whereas Hepburn exuded an impish sexuality, Bernadette’s dark flashing eyes and angular features radiates intensity which is softened by a shy vulnerability. Her surly, and sullen character, Becca, barely makes eye contact with anyone. You’re left wondering what she would be like, if only she let you get close?
Like many young actors, Bernadette plied her trade in low budget horror/slasher flicks until she could begin making her own breaks. After a career full of films like the direct to video Son of Sam or 2012’s Steampunk Samurai Biker Chick, she finally could begin producing and writing. Her production, State of Desolation, is in editing and expected to be released later this year. She says, “From what I’ve seen, It’s really awesome.” She describes it as “A film about survival. It’s very much a drama, and an emotional tear jerker. I love that it combines genres, it’s very intense.” My co-star is Craig Stark, who is appearing in Quentin Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight.” She continues, “ We already have distribution and sales companies emailing us, so that's really fantastic. Jim Towns directed the movie as well as writing it and producing it with me. Unless we can get a big distribution company, we might do film festivals. I would really love it if we could get into Sundance, or Toronto.”
Her first writing credit, is a film called The 6th Friend. Along with Bernadette, Dominique Swain (Face Off, Lolita), and New Zealand TV star Tania Nolan also star. She describes it as an “all girl horror film.& saying, “we want to get it into the festivals as well.” Additionally, in post production is her leading role in the movie Killing Joan. Continuing, she says, “It’s a supernatural/horror/thriller with a really unique script. I had to do a lot of stunt work for that.” She laughs, then says, “It’s so funny because I can be such a wimp sometimes, but when you get on-set there’s no wimping out, ever. It’s a different mentality when you set your mind to it, you think you can do anything.” Proving she could do anything has been one of the driving forces in her life. Jamie comes across as being open and friendly, yet behind it, she is slightly guarded and naturally shy. Perhaps this has to do with the obstacles life has thrown at her. When she was still a child, her father passed away leaving behind a very large, and seriously financially challenged family of nine kids. She says, “ It was tough, but I think it actually made us stronger. I’ve noticed that we’re all really hard workers, so my Mom did something right.” She says, “We were, you know, missing a father, and that void is always there, and always will be there.” She pauses for a moment, then a bit timorously continues, “It was a struggle, when he died. My mom was young, and beautiful, but she never remarried. I don’t know, maybe no one would have wanted nine kids?” She pauses for a moment to collect herself, then says, “I really admire my mom". I mean she couldn’t even drive when my father passed away, so she had to get her driver's licence. Then she went to school and got her nursing degree. She did that for a little while, but it was too hard for her to hold down the job, so she quit because it was more important to her to be there to raise us.”
The town she grew up in, Kankakee, Illinois wasn’t exactly an American oasis. In fact, in 1999, out of the 354 worst places to live in the U.S. and Canada, the Places Rated Almanac ranked Kankakee 354th. To the chagrin of the city’s mayor, and residents, David Letterman skewered the town on his late-night TV show. During the segment, he bestowed upon the town a gazebo which they placed in a city park. Eventually, Kankakee pulled itself out of its doldrums and the students at the local high school cut the gazebo into pieces and built a rocking chair which they sent to the late-night host as a retirement gift. Bernadette says, “It’s a very small town. It’s one of those places where you go to the grocery store and always see someone you know. I liked it. People crack on it, but I enjoy it. I think it’s beautiful. The river is very beautiful, there’s a state park there, Indian caves. I think it’s a great little town.” Like Audrey Hepburn, Jamie is a trained dancer.
She says, “At age 12, I did some ballet. I danced for eight years.” The dancing has paid off by allowing her to move with an athletic gracefulness that informs her performances both subtly, and obviously. Considering she did her own stunts for Killing Joan, including martial arts, she must have been good? With a self-deprecating laugh, she says, “I was alright, but I was really into it.” While she was in school, she began acting. She says, “I had some good parts; I did Arsenic and Old Lace. I played Elaine, which is a pretty big supporting role. I also was in The Butler Did It, but I don’t really remember everything. Arsenic was probably my favorite. I was a freshman in high school, and I got one of the main parts.” With a laugh she adds, “There were some seniors who were not too thrilled about it.” After high school, she decided to chase her dream. Still unsure of herself, she confided her intentions to one of her sisters who told her “You’ve been talking about this for a long time, and I think you just need to go out and do it.” I wondered if other people wanted to do this? I thought everyone wanted to be an actor. My sister started laughing and was like NO!” So, like many aspiring actors before her, she packed up her car and with only $400 in her pocket, she drove out to LA and struggled. She found some work, had some dry spells, earned some roles, and then struggled more. Finally, she began getting enough parts to work regularly. The work ethic her mother had instilled in her during her difficult youth began paying off with larger and larger supporting roles, and eventually leads. Along with everything else, Jamie devotes some of her spare time to writing poetry. She says, “I have a tendency to write abstractly and kind of dark, (laughter) very dark poetry. A friend and I were going back and forth, and he was like “What is wrong with you?” (more laughter). I’m not a dark person who’s depressed all the time, but for some reason, my work is kind of depressing and dark. Maybe I’ve tended to write more when I’m down in life than when I’m up. I think it’s an outlet for me. If I’m not feeling that great, I’ll write, which is better than going out and doing drugs or something.”
Though she doesn't consider herself to be a dark person, she does acknowledge that she tends to like other people's dark work. She says, “I like Sylvia Plath. She's very dark. She's my favorite poet. I like dark movies too (lots of laughter). I love horror! I remember with my family, it'd be like movie night, and they were like don’t let Jamie pick out the video, do not! & Most recently Jamie Bernadette won the lead role in the upcoming movie I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu. The new film will continue the story which began in the 1978 original starring Camille Keaton. Keaton, reprising her role as the avenging victim, will play Bernadette’s mother. The 1978 original, with its graphic depiction of rape, and murder, won it both praise and revulsion. Despite the critics hating it, the film was popular enough to, not only become a cult classic, but to spawn sequels. Deja Vu is the fourth film in the series, and if its popularity is anything like the original, Jamie Bernadette will have overcome enough obstacles that her accomplishments will be seen as successful by anyone’s measurement proving, that she really can do anything.
