HENRY
  BORRIELLO

In just a short time, Henry Borriello has shown his versatility in independent films both in front and behind the camera that has made him a rising star in the indie horror scene.

Behind the camera, Borriello is a talented makeup FX artist, able to produce memorable gory moments on a miniscule budget on Bart Mastronardi’s VINDICATION (which earned him “Best Blood” at the Dark Carnival Film Festival) and Crypt founder Scott W. Perry’s own INSATIABLE. In front of the camera, Henry is drawing notices for young crime lord Borriello in the action film CROSSED, which recently played to a rave house at the American Artist Film Festival in St. Louis.

While being interviewed for his Behind The Scenes work on INSATIABLE, Henry sat down to speak with the Crypt via guest interviewer Stolis Hadjicharalambous and interviewed his star on his career as an actor, his makeup work, and what the future holds.

COLONEL’S CRYPT: How are you Henry?

HENRY BORRIELLO: I’m good.

CC: So tell me, why did you decide to become an actor?

HB: It happened in high school. My senior year, I started doing the plays with my high school group. I ended up doing MACBETH. I played Banquo and I loved it so much that I wanted to see if I could get into an acting program after high school and I did, which was CW Post at Long Island University. That’s what made me choose my life choice.

CC: In addition to acting, you are a talented makeup artist and you’ve worked on quite a few films in that realm. How did becoming a makeup artist come about for you?

HB: Being a makeup artist actually came out of necessity. We were filming CROSSED and because I was the only one in the cast at the time going to acting school, I had a makeup kit. We needed to do a special effect of a gunshot wound and being that I had the kit, we all were going “How do we do this,” so using this kit, I just went out and got a book on makeup effects and that’s it, as simple as it is, that’s what happened.

CC: So you are self taught?

HB: I am completely self taught.

CC: So I know you did double duty on CROSSED, but during filming, how challenging was it on set to do both day in and day out?

HB: Well, for starters, when it came time for my character to be bloody, I did my own makeup in a mirror. It’s not easy. It was definitely challenging because in those moments as an actor where you have 10 or 15 minutes to look at the script while a shot is being set up, I didn’t have that time because I was using it to do other people’s makeup and special effects, running around and everything. I found that the trick was to be as completely prepared for everything before you’re going to go.

CC: How was it preparing for the character of Borriello in CROSSED and how difficult was it to remember the character’s last name on set?

HB: (Laughs) Well that was easy. The character of Borriello was interesting because as we were doing the movie I was going through my four years of training at CW Post so when I see the movie now, I remember when we shot those scenes and saying to myself “That’s when I learned this technique” and “That’s when I learned that technique.” I’m primarily a Stanislavski (Method) trained actor so I do a lot of personal work with the character beyond memorizing the lines. For me, everything with the character is their motivations and desire. Every working moment needs to be working towards their desire and what he wants. I thought the character of Borriello was truly driven by desires. He was the incarnate vision of greed and doing anything to get what he wants out of whatever situation or person he comes across with. I think that everything I do with the character of Borriello is motivated towards what he wants and I think it’s something that helps me as an actor. Always play the want, never what it is. That’s how it started. I also have some psychical training which helped in some of the action scenes.

CC: Because of that physical nature, were you happy to have the film wrap because of the long hours and time spent on making the film?

HB: It took us four years to film CROSSED. Actually it’s mixed feelings. I’m really happy to see it go out there but at the same point scared thinking of what people are going to think about your work. The sad thing is that I played the character for four years and all during my college training so it was all an exercise in seeing my personal growth as an actor. Everyday you learn something new as an actor and now I look at it and there are moments where I wish I did a scene differently because of what I’ve known since then, and that’s where it’s hard to let it go.

CC: When watching the movie, do you see where you improved as an actor?

HB: If you know people that have worked with me, the answer after every play is “I sucked” and the answer after watching every screening is “I could’ve done better.” I know my personal habits and I do rip myself to shreds in every scene. I always believe there can be room for improvement. There were scenes in CROSSED where I look at it and go to myself “I am a much better actor in this scene than in this scene,” and even though some say they don’t see it, I do see it. It’s a fun thing about acting because you feel you can never be perfect with it. You can redo things, change things, and make choices, what works and what doesn’t work. So to answer your questions, yes there are scenes in CROSSED where I look at it and wish we can reshoot it tomorrow, but if we did that, I’d be reshooting it for the rest of my life.

CC: What was your favorite scene in CROSSED to film?

HB: Actually I have two favorites because they were different from each other. One I liked because of the high emotional impact involved with it was a scene with Javier Rodriguez, who played the Ripper. I was really feeling it because Javier gave me a lot to work with. The other scene which I personally think is one of the most well acted scenes in the movie is the scene between me and Talia Marrero, who plays my fiancée Nina. I love that scene because it is completely subtle in terms of what is going on with the rest of the movie and also because when I go back to watch it a second time, I see even more with the characters and what’s going on beneath the dialogue.

CC: Being it was an action film, did you suffer any injuries on set?

HB: Safety was always a primary concern on the set, and Javier and Christopher Otis did a great job choreographing the fight scenes. With that said, yes, I was injured once during a scene with a sword. We were filming and I accidentally was stabbed in my thigh and got a four inch gash. I still have the scar. That was probably the most severe injury on set but it heals, it could be worse.

CC: What do you hope audiences get out of CROSSED when they see it?

HB: There’s a lot of things to talk about with CROSSED in that nature. Personally, I think that beyond the action which is excellent, I think what they really have to look forward to is the story. It’s very rare that you see an action movie that is more story driven than just action scenes, which is what I think CROSSED has, and also the grittiness of it. I think of it as a throwback to the gritty action films of the 1980s. What I think you have is a gritty, original epic story that’s interlaced with the action which is in my opinion is the true draw of it. That’s really where the heart of the movie lies though, the intermingling of these characters and the slow build to it. When you see these characters at first and wonder how they connect, you get rewarded when it finally does come together, and that’s where I think the strength in CROSSED really lies.

CC: So now that CROSSED is done, you and Stolis are working together on a new comedy called THE LAST STRAW. What is THE LAST STRAW about and who do you play in it?

HB: THE LAST STRAW is very different from CROSSED. I’m for once playing a relatively good person named Bruce Banner…

STOLIS HADJICHARALAMBOUS: Bruce BAUER!

HB: Sorry.

SH: Bruce Banner is the Hulk!

HB: Oh yeah. Anyway, Bruce Bauer is essentially the hero of the movie, the rebellious leader, and it’s absolutely brilliant to be playing the straight character in the movie in comparison to everyone else.

CC: Who else is in the film?

HB: Co-starring in the film is one of my best friends from college, a gentleman by the name of Zach Loguson. He’s an excellent actor and he plays a student hall monitor who is paired up with Christopher Otis, returning from CROSSED. Also returning from CROSSED is Jerry Murdock, who plays the villain of the film. The movie honestly is an absolute farce and so much fun. The best way to describe it is a postmodern Mel Brooks movie with a lot of slapstick. 

CC: You’re working with many of the same people as you did with CROSSED, was it easier working with them on this project?

HB: It does feel different from project to project because obviously they are playing different characters but it’s also good in the sense that I know all their quirks. I know what they’re like.  I know how they act. I know what they do and because of that you are able to play off them even more and you’ll be able to in a scene force them into those uncomfortable corners which in my opinion will make them act even harder and they can do the same to me. In a weird way, it’s easier to do but it’s also exciting to work with new people.

CC: Do you feel the same on set when you’re only doing one job instead of two, for example in INSATIABLE you were strictly behind the scenes as a makeup artist. Does it feel the same for you or do you approach each project differently?

HB: That’s a tough question. It is very different actually because when you’re an actor so much of your time is ready to be in front of a camera. When you’re behind the scenes, you are designing something that will be set to the camera. It’s not really you on camera but it’s something that represents you. It’s a different feeling. It’s not less fun, it’s just very different. I love doing makeup as well as lighting design, which I’ve done on a few plays at CW Post, is that it allows you to express yourself in a creative way using a different medium. As an actor I can use my designing techniques and as a makeup designer I can use my acting techniques and they do compliment each other well. Although they are similar feeling, it’s interesting because when I’m acting, I’m less high strung. When I’m doing makeup, it’s a lot more intense and fast paced. I love doing them both and I hope I get to continue both to the point where I can be successful doing one or the other.

CC: Sticking to your last comment, what would be your dream role as an actor?

HB: Demetrius from TITUS ANDRONICUS is my dream role mainly because he is so utterly twisted. I love playing villains and he’s the ultimate villain to me. At the same time I would love to play a character that really does change dramatically from beginning to end, a character who completely changes his outlook on life. It could be him going from glory to down or from down to up and I find that to be completely challenging. In film acting, the thing that I think makes for a great performance is subtlety.

CC: VINDICATION, CROSSED, and THE LAST STRAW are all films that were shot on very low budgets using digital technology. Having reaped from the successes of both VINDICATION and CROSSED as an actor and makeup artist, what are your personal feelings towards working with this technology and do you feel that more can be done with it?

HB: I have mixed feelings about this because I think it’s great that with the digital era anyone can be a filmmaker and I think that leads to a lot more possibilites in doing your own projects for less than a million dollars which can be a good thing. At the same time, because of this, every person you meet now thinks that they are some kind of artist. I’m not negating anyone’s work. I think everyone has the right to do their own work but now the market has become totally flooded with work that I don’t personally don’t enjoy. It’s not popular and a lot of people feel that way. Due to that, it gives the people at our level a bad repertoire. It makes it even more difficult for us to come out, and even with the advent of what I call the “Non-independent, independent film” which is a major production company making an independent-style movie with millions of dollars and famous actors in the lead roles. There’s nothing wrong with that but they are labeled “independent” and premiere at film festivals which takes a spot away from someone who would be given an opportunity to get into the industry. The digital age has helped people get notice but it has made it more difficult. However, the harder you have to work for something the better quality of work you’ll pump out. The reality is though that if I was this age in 1990, we probably wouldn’t have been able to make CROSSED and get it out there to a big audience so for that I am very thankful for the digital age. We wouldn’t have been able to make it for what we spent on it, but the double edged sword to it is that it is likely going to be sitting on a pile of monstrosities that were made fast and cheap and get lost in the shuffle because of the availability of its technology now.

CC: What’s next for you?

HB: I’m in the process of finishing up THE LAST STRAW which I am very much looking forward to. I’m also talking with Christopher Otis in starring in something that he’s writing and I’m just looking forward to work on future projects as both an actor and as a makeup artist.

CC: Any last words?

HB: Thanks for interviewing me. I hope people like CROSSED and they can check it out at www.crossedfilm.com. I also hope THE LAST STRAW will be well received when it is done and that people will be interested enough to stick with us and what he have coming up in the future.

CC: Thanks for your time Henry and good luck with everything.

HB: Thank you.

(Special thanks to Stolis Hadjicharalambous for his assistance in conducting the interview)

To learn more about CROSSED, visit www.crossedfilm.com.