Web Series Spotlight: Necrolectric (Part 2)

Last month the spotlight was on the women behind the scenes of the web series Necrolectric. Now it’s time to have a chat with the cast. First of all, here is a rundown of the actors and actresses involved in Necrolectric, which tells the story of a woman, named Eve, struggling with her mysterious need to constantly die and come back to life. Eve begins to unravel the truth of who she really is when she teams up with a young woman who relives others’ deaths, a young man who talks to ghosts, a cursed immortal, and his electrically charged brother to solve a series of supernatural murders.

Zach Bostrom

Zach Bostrom – He plays Cas a 2000-year-old immortal, who was born electric and keeps to himself because he doesn’t really like people. He still mourns the loss of the love of his life, who died tragically and unexpectedly years ago.

Zach is a third generation California boy, who has been acting since he was five years old. His first acting credit was Fame with Janet Jackson; and he also appeared in such shows as JAG, Will & Grace, Days of our Lives, Full House, Home Improvement and the original Beverly Hills 90210. He also appeared in the Disney movie Johnny Tsunami.

Chelsea Alden

Chelsea Alden – She plays Z, who has a pretty dark ability. If she touches any part of a deceased person, she relives the last five to fifteen minutes of their life. Because of constantly “dying”, she has a hard time connecting with the living.

Chelsea was born in central California, but has been in Los Angeles since she was 4. She got her start in the industry through dance, which then led to singing and musical theatre where she found her true passion in acting. Her first national commercial was for Burger King; and her childhood dream was to be a triple threat (actor, singer, dander), an Olympic gymnast and work with dolphins.

Eric Carpenter

Eric Carpenter – He plays Cas’s brother Alaric, a 2000-year-old immortal who’s just as bad as he is good. He loves living, loves people, loves every bit of existing, and gets himself in trouble on a regular basis. His zest for life has led to him being cursed thousands of times over

Eric has been acting since I was thirteen, and after growing up in a small town in Ohio, he moved to New York City after graduating college. He booked a few TV, film and theatre projects and an off-Broadway show while there. Four years later, he made his way to LA where he co-starred on The Young and the Restless, a supporting role in a James Franco produced film, and a role in an upcoming feature film.

Cole Shoemaker

Cole Shoemaker – He plays Jax, who has lived his life being told that the ghosts he sees and talks to are not real. Tired of not fitting in, he leaves his family behind to work for a paranormal security company, where he’s appreciated for his talent and puts it to good use solving cases.

Cole was born and raised in California, specifically in Santa Clarita, on February 29, 1992 – meaning his actually birthday has only come around five times in his entire life. His family (his parents and three brothers) all have a name beginning with “C”. The whole family loves sports so it was interesting when he suddenly decided to purse acting. He had a small role in the made-for-TV movie William & Kate.

Stephanie Koenig

Stephanie Koenig – She plays Eve, who has to die on a regular basis, but always comes back in a different body with a different look. She doesn’t understand why or how it happens, but she’s been like this since the first time she came to life, fully grown, several decades ago.

Stephanie grew up in Michigan and was a competitive dancer for sixteen years. She has a small role in the current box office film Into the Storm that stars Sarah Wayne Callies and Richard Armitage and she appeared in an episode of the short-lived comedy Mixology.

The following is an exclusive interview with the cast:

Question: What drew you to your part in Necrolectric?

Zach: Originally I read for both Cas and Alaric; (but) I secretly preferred Cas and was extremely excited when (executive producers) Jen and Lisa both preferred I read specifically for him on the callback. I enjoy the depth of Cas. There is a lot of “stuff” going on in his heart and in his mind. He’s lived a long time and experienced much. He’s loved and lost that love. It haunts him. And a lot of the moments he experiences as we’re first introduced to him echo his past. He may act like an uncaring hard-ass, but in actuality it’s all a barrier to mask his grief and pain.

Chelsea: I initially read for the character of Z, and was immediately drawn in by her. First off, her “power” alone is pretty rad, and reminded me a lot of Rogue from X-Men, which I LOVE. Also, there’s something I relate to about putting up a wall to keep people at bay, whether it’s emotionally, or in Z’s case physically.

Eric: For me, the writing is what drew me to Necrolectric. Even the sides (which actors get to audition with) were so well written and gave such a strong look into who Alaric was. Then after reading the pilot, I was still in shock that this was a web series because from the ones I’ve seen, not only was this a full-length show (most are just 5 min compared to our full 20-25 min episodes), but there was also just so many different directions that were open to explore. I saw a definite future for the show.

Cole: In all seriousness I saw the casting call and submitted.

Stephanie: I loved how tough Eve was. She has a sense of humor, and she has a lot of respect for herself.

Eric, Stephanie and Zach

Question: Can you talk about one particular scene that was more difficult to film than any other whether it was an action scene, love scene or difficult condition in which to film?

Zach: Cas has some emotional breakdowns in season 1 for various reasons. There are some things that force him to relive very hurtful moments of his past that he’s buried deep down inside. Unfortunately, like anything bottled up they eventually find a way to spill out. Finding that place of loss, hurt, frustration, anger and holding that moment from take to take can be very challenging.

Chelsea: I honestly think one of the hardest scenes to film came on the last day of filming for the whole first season…not necessarily for content of the scenes, but because I had gotten really sick the night before. I was up all night and felt like I could barely stand, let alone shoot an entire day. And on that particular day, without giving away too much, we shot a very emotionally charged and physically exhausting scene between Cole and me. I’m still not quite sure how I did it.

Eric: There were a few emotionally charged moments that definitely pulled on the heartstrings more than others, but nothing was exceptionally challenging. I’m basically just so thankful that I am able to do what I love for a living and be surrounded by such incredible and talented people. The gratitude I feel for being in the presence of such a strong cast and crew really, in my mind, makes everything a joy to do. No matter if it’s the most grueling action scene or the most touching emotional moment, I’m having a complete blast and would gladly do it all over again in a second.

Cole: The hardest scenes to film are the ones where you’re exhausted at 2 AM and you still have to film. It’s the name of the game.

Stephanie: The first scene where I meet Alaric was tricky. There’s a lot going on and a lot of moments that need to play for the rest of the season to make sense. Their chemistry needed to be obvious.

Question: What one attribute of your character do you most identify with?

Zach: Cas, aka Grumpy Pants as we’ve nicknamed him, and I both are old souls at heart.

Chelsea: Oh the feistiness. Is that a word? Z has spunk, and she doesn’t take shit from people. And I love that about her and definitely try to have a strength and confidence in myself in my daily life.

Eric: The attribute I most identify with in Alaric is his ability to stay in the moment and be present. Being immortal, he has his share of baggage, but I think it’s so admirable in how he deals in the moment to moment of life. Having so many memories, good and bad, if he only focused on that, it would most likely drive him insane. Also, he is immortal, so tomorrow is all but promised to him. Similarly, I like to stay in the present and really enjoy where I am. There’s so many other things people tend to focus on that I think if we were all just present with not only who we are now, but who we are with, you’d see a lot more happiness in the world.

Cole: I would say his eagerness to work. Your job might not be pretty, but you need to work hard regardless.

Stephanie: Eve is a determined woman and a fighter. I identify with that.

Question: Do you have a favorite scene from the series that you can tease?

Zach: One of my favorite scenes is from episode six, our last episode. Eve pushes too far into Cas’s past. A past he’s buried and locked away because it’s too painful to bear. Cas’s emotions finally boil over and get the better of him. It’s a complex scene because Cas is not only upset at Eve, but he’s also so full of passion. Passionate about the past event and passionate about her. He’s pleading but also demanding she stop denying the truth of her feelings. Cas knows what he wants and he’s willing to fight for it, which isn’t something that comes natural to him.

Chelsea: Oh man!! That’s hard. Well, let’s just say this: I do faint at one point, and I do get caught and scooped up by a strong pair of arms…that NEVER sucks.

Eric: If you watch the trailer, at the very end, you’ll see Alaric has a struggle and his eyes have taken on an orange hue. I can’t say exactly why, but it does relate to one of his many curses he’s acquired over his two-thousand-plus-year lifespan. The results of which aren’t kind to him…or anyone nearby.

Cole: My favorite scene, unfortunately, was on the last episode so you will have to wait and see. I enjoyed working with my cast mates and I am sure you will enjoy watching.

Stephanie: I love the scene with both Alaric and Cas towards the end of the series. There’s a lot of love and tension between the three of them in the same room.

The cast of Necrolectric are all on social media and can be followed at:

Zach: Twitter: @ZBostrom and Facebook

Chelsea: Twitter: @ ChelseaAlden; Instagram: @chezlbee; Facebook and Her Official Website

Eric: Twitter: @_EricCarpenter and Facebook

Cole: Twitter and Instagram: @ShoemakerCole

Stephanie: Twitter: @stephksays; Instagram: @stephaniekoenig and Facebook

To learn more about Necrolectric you can visit their Facebook Page and follow them on Twitter and Instagram here: @necrolectric.

[Photo Credit: Jerry Buteyn]