Rock Bottom Interview: America Olivo

Thursday, August 20, 2009
By Tim Nydell

America Olivo from Bitch Slap

America Olivo

America Olivo (a.k.a. America Campbell; born January 5, 1978) is an actress and singer most notable for her membership in the Spanish- & English-language band Soluna. Born in Los Angeles, she has multiple citizenships: US, Canadian, and Italian. Born to father Nello Olivo and mother Danica d'Hondt (Miss Canada 1959). She is currently understudying the role of Arachne in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, where she has had the opportunity to appear on stage in the role.

Related Links:
 IMDB Resume
 Official Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After seeing the trailer of the film 'Bitch Slap', hell even after hearing the title of the movie you would assume that the film would get a backlash from multiple organizations such as women's rights groups... Christian organizations... and I'm sure a lot more.  Have you seen this at all since production started?  And do you think groups such as those could hurt this film?

This film is not for the under-aged nor people devoid of a sense of humor.  I do many films that would fall within the same category, so it was never a concern of mine.  I feel stronger as a woman, as an actor, and as a human after doing this film and in turn, we're allowing an audience to enjoy and laugh with us.  What's the big deal?  If it hurts anyone's feelings, I would suggest they don't watch it.  However, the more attention the film gets, the more people will see it.  So, I welcome any debate that is inspired by this film.


Tell me about the film and the character you play.

I play one character in this film, Camero, if you don't include my singing voice over the strip club scene.  Camero, however, has many sides to her since she's "hopped up on drugs all the time."  Camero is a drug running, street fighting, man hating orphan who just wants to meet a nice girl and settle down with her... She's after a few million dollars worth of diamonds and the girl of her dreams with great hopes of a beautiful future... but then well, things get complicated... and dirty. 

What sort of training did you have to go through to complete the film?

The amazing Zoe Bell was our stunt coordinator and double for Camero.  I had done weight training and bit of dance and martial arts in the past, but this level of stunts and weapon work was new to me.  Erin and I went to the shooting range to discuss and practice how we'd like to handle the weaponry and Zoe Bell had us in a semi stunt boot camp prior to and during the shoot.  I learned such a great deal of amazing stunts from Zoe.  I learned that I am physically stronger than I though, as I never imagined bing able to actually do half of what we pulled off and in such intense conditions, but more importantly, I learned my limits.  I know what I can do, and I know what to let the professionals do, Zoe made us all look amazing!  Thank you Zoe!

What did you expect going into production of the movie, and what are your thoughts now that it's complete?

I expected a great time making a film that would be about one percent of what it actually ended up being.  It ended up being WAY more difficult to shoot than I thought, and at times, I didn't think I was going to physically be able to get through the shoot.  The filming was harder than imagined, but the pay off has been greater than I ever dreamed.

Did you guys run into any complications while filming?

Any?  Anything that could go wrong, did.  Really.  If we have offended God in any way by doing some blasphemous things in this film, we paid for it right there and then.  Trust me, we're even.  We had every weather condition hit us and all at the same time, while barel surviving the grueling schedule as it was.  I think the only thing the heavens spared us was God striking us down with lightning.

Did any of you have to go through any uncomfortable sequences in the film?  Whether it's an action sequence or a more personal scene.  And how did you overcome it?

The hardest part for me to film, which ended up being the last thing I shot, was the scene where Camero has gone mad and it involves an attempted rape.  Rape is not a funny subject, obviously, but it's part of the story line and the character's development.  While there is not an actual rape scene, there is an intent that my character has, and I had to sit with as an actor.  That is a dark place to sit in sinc it's more intimate than shooting a gun at someone.  Even though the film is a comedy, the characters are still coming from reality, a heightened reality, but they are real in this Bitch Slap world, none-the-less.  No one wants to see a completely vapid character on screen, so as an comedic actor, you still have to go on a journey with your character and justify your characters actions, although ridiculous and repulsive at time.  That was a tough day.

What was the vibe like on set?

The vibe was the most intimate and encouraging vibe I've ever experieced on set.  We were all going through it with the conditions shooting in the desert element, and we were all tired and doing it for love of the art and not money.  My brother in the Navy, after hearing our tales of the shoot, said it sounded akin to his friends' camaraderie who have been through desert warfare.  By no means, do I mean to say I know what it's like to fight in a real war in the desert, but if this is only a movie, oh my... It just keeps me in a state of constant respect for the soldiers who are fighting the real fight in worse conditions and how it bonds them together.

What locations did you guys film in?

We filmed half the movie on green screen in Los Angeles, and the desert scenes are all done in the Mohave Desert outside of Los Angeles.

Did any of you suffer any injuries while on the set?

Yes, I have many scars from head to toe for which I am still undergoing laser treatment to help heal.  Most of these scars are from doing silly things like wanting to use a real weapon rather than the prop weapon, and then nailing myself with it, or from leaning in to a blind uppercut my co-star was choreographed to do.  The most awkward injury was the bruise on my pelvic bone from my co-star, Erin, having to bite me in the crotch over and over during a girl on girl fight sequence.  The worst one I afflicted was nailing Julia with a water bottle during a silly water fight, of all things

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