Catherine Corcoran: The Mr. Skin Skinterview!

CC: The sex scene is what we did on the first day of shooting. Lloyd Kaufman likes to get the nudity out of the way pretty early. Asta and I tried to make it as authentic as we possibly could. Amidst all the silliness and all the gore and craziness that’s going on, we really wanted to portray a couple to ground the film. We wanted to portray two young girls falling in love for the first time, and to capture what that feels like. In the sex scene, we tried particularly to communicate young love as best we could. We tried to be authentic without omitting the awkwardness that comes with one’s first sexual experiences.


SC: You really got into the scene.

CC: Yeah, Asta and I really just tried to rely on each other as we went through the process. We choreographed the scene together. My character, Lauren, finally found this contentment and sexual relief; she was finally allowed to be herself.


SC: What was the green goo made of that your were swapping while kissing with Asta?

CC: That was vanilla gluten-free pudding. Asta is gluten free, so they just dyed some green pudding to make that scene work. That goo is what makes Asta’s character, Chrissy, a mutant later in the film. It was actually delicious. We were strapped for food on the set of the film, so we wanted to do more takes but we got it down in one take!


SC: Was that scene a bit gross for you to shoot?

CC: Yeah, but that’s what I love about Troma. Their films are very aware about what they’re doing. It’s not sex and gore for the sake of sex and gore. They’re very much trying to push boundaries. Lloyd Kaufman is very aware that we live in a society that’s saturated by sex. Everywhere we go there are billboards featuring nudity in advertisements, but when it’s put in our face in a loving way, for whatever reason, we quickly become uncomfortable with that. Lloyd really tries to push those boundaries. He makes it super hot and sexy, and all of a sudden, he throws in some green stuff in a scene to make the audience check itself. I mean, sex is funny and awkward and silly, and it shouldn’t be something that is so scrutinized. But as an artist, I’m really interested in pushing the boundaries, especially in regards to sexuality. As an artist, it’s my job to question things, and I hope this film makes people question things.


SC: Did you knowAsta Paredesprior to filmingReturn to Nuke ‘Em High?

CC: No. We met during the casting process. We’ve kept in touch. It was actually very wonderful, because Asta and I went through the entire process together. We became friends, and we kind of relied on each other through the casting process and rehearsals through the principal photography itself. She has really become like a sister to me, because we’ve gone through so much together that nobody will really understand except for the two of us. Just like our characters, she’s very much the ying to my yang. We meshed very, very well together.


SC: What did your parents think of the film?


CC: My parents saw it for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art 2013 Contender Series. The museum selectedReturn to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1as one of the best films of the year, along sideTheWolf of Wall StreetandBlue Jasmine, and we were extremely honored by that. It was a really good forum for my parents to see it. I’ve been talking about what I do with my art and nudity for a long time, so to see the film in such a prestigious venue further legitimized it for my parents. My dad thought it was hilarious; he loved it! My momI’m not too sure how she felt about it. She said to me, ‘You will always be my favorite actress’, so take that for what you will. Ha.


SC: So your parents are supportive of your artistic endeavors?

CC: Yeah, but like any good parents, they have their reservations. When I was cast in the film, I was nineteen-years-old so I think that also made a difference on how my parents viewed my acting ambitions. I’m only twenty-one, so my parents are a little protective, especially when their daughter is getting naked on the big screen. I think they’ve come to this understanding that as an artist, I will push boundariesthat’s what I believe in, and that’s my job. It’s an artist’s job to create the human experience as authentically as she/he canin a way where an audience will be able to relate to and understand. And if I can do that and feel accomplished being nude with green goo coming out of my mouth then my parents are going to support that.


SC: Were you familiar with Mr. Skin before doing this interview?

CC: A little bit. I was briefed before talking with you.


SC: Have you ever checked our Mr. Skin’s website? What are your thoughts?

CC: I’m actually looking at it right now. I’m curious as to why you guys like to have pictures of nude celebrities. I’m curious to all the reasons behind Mr. Skin.


SC: Now that you’ve done some amazing nudity inReturn to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1, does it bother you that you’re now going to be immortalized on Mr. Skin?

CC: Umno. I mean, I’ve always been comfortable with my sexuality, and I think it’s fascinating how women are perceived and it is an interesting thing to me that I like to explore as an artist, especially with nudity. There are so many rules as to what you can and cannot show and can and cannot do, and the same rules don’t actually extend to men in the censorship world, which is intriguing, and it needs to be explored further. Our culture has a weird taboo about nudity that really needs to go away. We’re not a Protestant society anymore, and there’s so much sexual education that doesn’t happen and it leads to actual problems later on in life because kids are unaware of certain things and there’s not a way they can talk about it. So if the only way they can talk about it is by having a website out where everyone can look at these things and comment on it, then more power to you. It’s healthy, I think.

SC: Did you get along well with Kevin, your Anatidae co-star?

CC: Oh, Kevin is such a diva. I’m a big animal lover, and I just rescued a puppy this last year. I love working with animals. There were actually three ducks that played Kevin. I was very nervous working with them, because I was afraid that I was going to hurt them. They’re interesting creatures.


SC: Do you have a favorite Hollywood nude scene?

CC: I don’t have a favorite nude scene, but I’m really partial to historical dramas, so the sex scene in those kinds of shows and movies appeal to me. I’m a bigGame of Thronesnerd. I love that series not just for the male nudity but also for the female nudity. If I could marry a woman, I’d marryEmilia Clarkshe’s fantastic! I likeThe Tudors. I’m a big history nerd, so I love anything in the Renaissance genre. I’m really in toThe Borgias. I’m just a really huge nerd girl!


SC: What’s next for you? Do you have any projects coming up?

CC: I’ll be in Cannes with Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 2, and I just signed on with a project with a British filmmaker that I met in Cannes last year where I will actually be exploring nudity in a different way, not to give too much away. Right now the working title isIn Search of the Miraculous, and I’m excited to take that project on and be a part of it. I’m working on a couple of other things that are still in development, one being a darkerWizard of Oz, which I’m excited about. I don’t want to say too much, because nothing is set in stone as of yet.


SC: At the end ofReturn to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1, is that your butt in the shower, or is that a body double?

CC: Yes, that is mybutt! The pregnancy boobs are not my boobs. Those are not my boobs! That is my butt. It’s a little different, I was just talking with my boyfriend about my butt the other day because that scene was shot two years ago, and my butt is definitely a little bit different now. I’d like to think it’s a little bit more toned now. I did a tentative shoot for Maxim Magazine and maybe you’ll get to see a little butt action. I’m working with Ventiko, the photographer who shot our Interview magazine article; she works predominately with Baroque-inspired portraiture where she likes to use nude forms, and I will be doing some work with her as well, so you’ll get to speculate about the shape of my butt. There are more nude scenes inReturn to Nuke ‘Em HighVolume 2!


SC: Anything you'd like to add?

CC: Please check out my websitewww.catherinecorcoran.info. Thank you! It was great speaking with you!