Interview: Sink your teeth into local actors’ new vampire comedy, ‘Renfield’
“Renfield” is the new movie now in theaters that everyone is talking about, and three actors with Georgia ties are showing off that peach state talent!
Joshua Mikel, Jenna Kanell, and Keith Brooks are a hilarious trio that star in the movie, starring Nicolas Cage. Mikel, who plays Phil in the movie, grew up in Conyers, Georgia, and currently lives in Atlanta, as does Kanell, while Brooks is originally from Canton, Georgia.
The vampire comedy follows the tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Renfield. Renfield is forced to secure his master’s prey, but now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside Dracula’s shadow.
When it comes to working with legendary talent like Cage, the actors say it was an amazing experience.
“For someone who’s had such a historic career, who has won an Oscar, who’s directed his own stuff … there’s no ego, and he’ll take direction and is completely a co-creator with people, which you may not experience all the time on sets with bigger names,” Mikel said.
“It’s amazing how creative his mind is, and how brave he is, and how willing he is to just go for it,” Kanell said about Cage.
Brooks even has a hilarious on-set story involving Cage that you have to watch our full interview to hear!
All three have spent years working on their craft and have starred in multiple projects, but acting isn’t the only talent Brooks has up his sleeve. Fun fact: he wrote Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World.”
“I used to work for Island Def Jam … and we would sell packages of songs, and Rihanna’s people bought the song, and they did what they did to it and it’s an awesome tune,” Brooks said. “I met Rihanna once in person, and she smelled like berries, and her skin was just so soft.”
Grab your friends and get ready for lots of laughs by catching “Renfield” in theaters now.
About the Author
Vicky Ro is the Entertainment Reporter for Access Atlanta. When it comes to the latest in music, film, reality television (and all things entertainment), you can count on Vicky to keep you up to date! Vicky's goal is to create fun and informative content that everyone can enjoy - from a casual entertainment consumer to the pop culture obsessed!
