Elske McCain: The Mr. Skin Interview

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Yuma, Arizona. It's a small city located on the border of Arizona, California, and Mexico. It was a fun place to grow up. I started partying in Mexico around age fourteen. By the time I turned twenty-one, bars were boring.

How did you get into stripping?

There was a point in my life where I realized that being nude didn't embarrass me. I don't know if it was how I was brought up or what. My parents were hippies. The first time I did a striptease was for a contest in Mexico when I was eighteen. I didn't win, but I still have the flier in my photo album.

I didn't get into professional stripping until I moved to Eugene, Oregon, with my best friend and her brother's band. I got a job at Dunkin' Donuts to pay rent, but every time I looked in the paper for jobs, the dancing ones were always calling my name. One day I got so sick of Dunkin' Donuts, I walked out. The next day I auditioned at an all-nude club in Springfield, Oregon. My first night I brought home 175 bucks and all of my roommates were so jealous. I worked there for about six months before I moved back home to Yuma to live with my mom. She had remarried and had a huge house with three stories and offered me my very own floor all to myself. Compared to the one-room apartment I was sharing with my best friend, the offer was too good to refuse.

How has stripping helped you in your career?

I think that, in the movie business, you have to deal with a lot of guys who don't always treat women with respect. Casting couches are more common than you'd think, and some "directors" think the very title will get them laid. I think stripping got me accustomed to handling these types of characters. Most women get offended much more easily than I do due to the behavior I have had to tolerate within the stripping business.

What would you say your acting style is?

I wouldn't say I have a particular style. If I do, it would be learning from your co-stars. My first feature role (Gimme Skelter) was alongside Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface in the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre), and I was nervous. He made me feel so confident and really helped me believe in myself.

The same goes for Trent Haaga (star of Troma's Terror Firmer) and my co-star in the upcoming film Gimme Skelter. Trent gave me so much confidence, not only as an actor, but as a filmmaker in general. When somebody with this much talent treats you as an equal that really goes a long, long way.

What was the first movie you were in?

As a teenager, I did quite a bit of work as an extra, but my first leading role was Matthew Reel's The Goat Sucker in 2005.

How did you get that part?

Troma Films founder Lloyd Kaufman and his assistant Kiel Walker had asked me to audition for one of the leads in Poultrygeist. The person I had asked to film my audition was Matthew Reel. I knew him from the horror forums I had been posting at online, and he had actually filmed my first meeting with Lloyd when he made a Tucson appearance in 2004. While I did not get the Poultrygeist role, Matt was impressed with my performance so much that he offered me a role in The Goat Sucker. We have worked together ever since.

Tell us about meeting Lloyd.

I have been a Troma fan since I was a kid. I got The Toxic Avenger on DVD a few months prior to an appearance Lloyd made in Tucson in early 2004. I watched the movie with the commentary so, when I met Lloyd, I think he was impressed with my knowledge of The Toxic Avenger, Troma movies, and horror in general. We hit it off very well. He made me Tromette of the month in July 2004, and I made several appearances with him at signings and conventions as well.

How did he change your life?

Lloyd made me believe in myself. He told me I was a genius, was beautiful, and that I knew more about horror movies than he did. From then on, I never looked back. When somebody as established and respected in the genre you love tells you these things, sometimes you just have to believe it.

What are some of the more important things you learned from him?

I learned that filmmaking is not just a job, it is a way of life. You either love what you do or you just don't do it. Because if you don't love it, you will most likely suck. Nothing is ever easy, and you have to learn from your mistakes. You take what you learn from those mistakes and you channel them into future projects.

Name the movies you have appeared in, produced, and/or written.

I was an associate producer, choreographer, production assistant, and star of The Goat Sucker. I was also the associate producer and star of All the French Are Whores.

I have a featured role in Gimme Skelter and a cameo appearance alongside Debbie Rochon (Picture: 1) in Poultrygeist. My next feature film is Jessicka Rabid, where I will executive produce and play the lead role, a Freddy Krueger-esque serial killer.

Which actresses have inspired you?

Drew Barrymore (Picture: 1). We are the same age and I feel that I have grown up with her, in a sense.

Dee Wallace-Stone (Picture: 1) would have to take top honors in this category. Next to Lloyd, I give her the most credit towards me being an actress. I met her at my first horror convention in October 2004. Upon greeting me, the first thing she said was, "Wow, you are cute! Are you an actress?" To which I replied, "No." She then asked me, "Why not?"

My first instinct was to tell her that I was too old (twenty-eight), but I knew that, at her age (fifties), she would not take this response very well. So I just told her the first thing that I could think of, which was, "So many hardworking actors have been struggling to make it, and I just didn't feel like I would belong."

She looked at me and said, "Who cares?" That meant a lot to me. When the mom from E.T. tells you something, you believe her.

Which actresses do you find sexy and why?

Asia Argento (Picture: 1 - 2) is extremely sexy and exotic. The fact that her dad put her in so many sexy films is intriguing to me. She practically grew up in films, and that also fascinates me.

Pamela Anderson (Picture: 1 - 2) has also been a huge inspiration for me to stay in shape and get fit again after having children.

What are some of your favorite sex scenes and why?

Fright Night (Picture: 1) has soo many sexy scenes. From the scene with the vampire (Chris Sarandon) biting the girl in the window, to the disco club erotic dance scene, to the part where Amy (Amanda Bearse) gets bitten by Jerry. The whole movie turns me on.

I also totally dig the love scene with Linda Hamilton (Picture: 1) and Michael Biehn in The Terminator. Something about a person whose sole purpose is to save your life makes me very hot.

Maybe I just have a thing for Brad Fiedel's music. He scored both films.

What can we expect next from you?

I am currently working on The Elske McCainsaw Massacre, a show/vidcast that will target the indie horror scene. I will feature other independent filmmakers, interview celebrities, review movies, and show behind-the-scenes footage of my own films.

I also plan to produce and/or star in a number of other movies this year and will keep everyone updated via MySpace and my website ElskeMcCain.com.