Candis Nergaard leads new suburban horror film The Heiress. Directed by Chris Bell, the story explores a haunting that is tied into a family lineage. In addition to the horror elements, The Heiress focuses much more on what would typically be your Ken Loach kitchen-sink drama issues. Nergaard’s character, Claire, has recently been diagnosed with severe and debilitating epilepsy, her decline in health meaning that sister Anna (Jayne Wisener) has essentially become her carer. Throw into that the death of their grandmother, and an oppressive spirit taking over their fairly normal looking house, and you have all the ingredients for a very different kind of scary story.
Claire is such a complex character that she would be a challenge to play by even the most seasoned of actors, yet this is Nergaard’s first lead role in a feature film. Her performance is nuanced and carefully considered, and much like the film itself, elevates the role from the archetypal hysterical female. Ahead of The Heiress’ release on Digital HD we sat down for a Zoom chat with Candis to discuss her unusual journey into acting, what drew her to the part, and how moving into a place of her own helped her prepare for the more gruelling aspects of the role.
The Heiress is available on Digital HD now.
