Sofie Holland on her role as “Sunny” in Coming Distractions

As filmmakers, independent theatres are a culture we love to embrace. So, Coming Distractions should get your attention, if you are the type of filmmaker keen on a premiere at a theatre before your film goes on DVD or VOD. Coming Distractions is cheeky, funny, quirky and its characters take you for a real spin. Sofie who plays ‘Sunny’ take us on a journey in the world of Coming Distractions

indieactivity: How did you get connected to the project? Did you have to audition? If you did, would still have got the part?
Sofie: Jeff Knoll was one of the producers on another series I worked on called 2nd Generation! He asked me to come in to audition for his new comedy show. The call back was a week later, and it took a few hours because they had everyone there read in many cast combinations so they could see the chemistry between each ensemble. Eventually they found one that just clicked!

Movie Review: Mikelle Virey’s Coming Distractions by Peter Nichols

indieactivity: What part of the story challenged you when you read it? What drove you to get on the project?
The show was equal parts funny, quirky, and cheeky! To me, it’s always read as a cross between NBC’s Superstore and CBC’s Schitt’s Creek. Canada is really stepping up its game with comedy television and Coming Distractions felt like it would fit right in with current programming. What really drove me to the project was my character, Sunny. She’s so fun to play! I had a lot of freedom with her and had a great time figuring out the balance between oddball and downright creepy.

Sofie Holland in the Coming Distractions pilot (2017)_I

indieactivity: You’re not new to indie films. What do you enjoy about the work that keeps you working?
Sofie: Independent projects are always so fun to work on because we aren’t beholden to any “higher-ups” opinions the same way that network shows or studio features are. We get to have fun on set! If something doesn’t work, we know right away because the people behind the project are on set, too. I also love indie projects because it’s very loyal; Coming Distractions had a lot of the same crew (and even some of the same cast) as 2nd Generation because we all worked so well together and wanted to support good people. Everyone on set had a great dynamic, and because so many of us had worked together before, it was smooth sailing!

indieactivity: Give an example of a direction you received from the director during the production?
Sofie: Mikelle told me to turn up the creep. I channeled my inner Miranda Sings and let Sunny find her own way.

Coming Distractions pitches Season 1 to investors, as pilot debuts online

indieactivity: How did you create your character from ground up?
Sofie: As an actor, you are always given the opportunity to find your own character. Still, my character, Sunny, draws inspiration from some of my favourite comedy shows and figures – Sandra from Superstore is so underrated (she’s always stealing the scene in my opinion), and of course, Miranda Sings. Sunny is so great because she has these dark moments and she’s completely unashamed. The rest of the Cinema Six team doesn’t even acknowledge them because they are just a part of who Sunny is.

Sofie Holland and Mathew Edmondson in the Coming Distractions pilot (2017)

indieactivity: As main cast on the film, describe the feeling of responsibility that you shouldered. Where you scared? Or did it fire you up? What scenes where difficult to shoot?
Sofie: Being an ensemble lead is such an exciting thing. We only shot the pilot but we have so much more story to tell! Some episodes will focus on Sunny or Jordan or Rebecca, some on our enemies at MegaFilmPlex. We have a group on Facebook and Marc (the writer) has shared with us the synopsis of all episodes in the first season, and man, I wish we could shoot them all right now! We’re all fired up; we’re just waiting for funding or a green light to keep the project going. Waiting has been the hard part – we don’t know the future of Coming Distractions but we all believe in the project so much. We would love to shoot an entire season and see where it goes.

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you made on set during production?
Sofie: I love to ad lib, so there are a lot of unscripted lines in my last scene of the pilot. I did some takes with and without them, but I’m so glad Mikelle and the editing team decided to keep them in!

indieactivity: What did you take away from the film production?
Sofie: It’s hard being a Canadian in this industry. Sometimes it feels like we’re not on equal footing to the American shows that come out here. But after I saw the pilot on the big screen, I knew we had something special. We have great ideas, great people, and a great opportunity to show just was the Canadian Industry is capable of.

Sofie Holland, Mathew Edmondson, Berkley Silverman, and David Webster in Coming Distractions (2017)

indieactivity: What do you like most about the director, and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
Sofie: Like I mentioned before, so many of the cast and crew had worked together previously on other projects. We just vibe really well! Mikelle is a fantastic director who has an amazing vision for Coming Distractions, but he also understands and appreciates is that great ideas can come from anywhere! He has so much respect for his team and for the actors, and really wants to make sure this project is something we can all be proud of.

indieactivity: What is next for you?
Sofie: I have a sci-fi feature coming out sometime this year! I’m so excited for everyone to see it. Despite not having the same budgets or studios behind us, we Canadians really do find a way to make things happen, and this project is no different. The sets were incredible, we had a great cast and crew, and a wonderful script. It’s one of my favourite projects I’ve worked on!

Other than that, I’ve recently moved to Vancouver and am just giving the industry out here a shot. It’s a little slow moving and I definitely miss Toronto, but I’m glad I tried something new. We’ll see how it goes!

indieactivity: What advice do you give actors regarding what you learnt on the project?
Sofie: I would say I know it can be hard. This industry is filled with rejection and I still don’t have a thick enough skin to deal with it all. But every now and again, a project like Coming Distractions comes along, and it’s like the stars align. You are where you’re meant to be. It makes it all worth it.

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