Silvia Colloca Interview Silvia Colloca, stage actress from Milan, will play Verona, one of Dracula's three brides in the film Van Helsing. Her first experience on a Hollywood set has brought some good luck to Silvia. Apart from opening her career up to international fame, Stephen Sommers' colossal movie has given her the opportunity to meet her future husband, actor Richard Roxbourgh, whom we'll admire as Count Dracula. An encounter she was probably destined for. When did you first watch a monster movie? When was your first experience with vampires, werewolves and horror creatures? “I was extremely precocious with horror. Thanks to my uncle Gianni who adored the monster movies of the 30's and 40's, I believe I met my first vampire when I was only 5 or 6 years old. I had not yet started school, and I liked to listen to the stories he used to tell me; I even watched, secretly, Bela Lugosi's movies and the Universal classics. You could say that I grew up on `bread and Dracula', reading books about vampire mythology and the legends permeating those films, developing a deep respect for the genre. The opportunity to take part in a big enterprise such as Van Helsing is undoubtedly the culmination of this long-time passion of mine. Which one among the three monsters is your favourite? The vampire, no doubt about it. Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee have incarnated his sensuality in an allusive and seductive way, making Dracula an irresistible character.  I cannot forget Bela Lugosi's look when he stretches his hands towards his victim. Moreover, the vampire's myth, compared to the other two monsters, is definitely more European, closer to my sensibilities. His need for blood forces him to seduce for survival, and makes him animal-like and passionate at the same time.” How did you feel when you were offered the part of Verona in Van Helsing? Initially, I was surprised. Italian actresses don't usually receive many proposals for international movies. In fact I had not even taken Stephen Sommers' audition too seriously: I did not have much experience in the cinema, because I'm mostly a stage actress; I did not think I stood any serious chance. But then, after ten days I found myself in Los Angeles, ready for pre-production.   Van Helsing is the kind of movie that requires a big technical preparation. In a way it was like going to Disneyland: for days and days I was shut in a lab with the most talented make-up and special effects artist. They took casts of my face, teeth and arms. They literally remade me. I spent an incredible sum of money in phone calls those days: I had to tell my family and friends about it. For a European actor to be part of such a huge production is a unique experience. How were you offered the role, and what did they tell you about the story? “As soon as I read the script I was struck by the fact that, for the first time since they were invented, Dracula's brides would play an important role in the story and not just be sexy girls. Certainly they are beautiful, but they can turn into real monsters and animals, thus following their nature. Steven Sommers told me Verona had to appear like Dracula's lead bride, the most experienced and disenchanted one. Basically she supervises the job carried out by the other two. Together they behave as in a real family. And the three of them are all, in a different way, deeply in love with Dracula and are terrified at the idea of losing him.” When Van Helsing and Anna Valerious set out to chase Dracula, does concern grow for the family? “Yes, it does. Dracula and his brides know Anna's motivation in destroying them is stronger than ever, and she is well assisted by a professional monster hunter…”    How did the physical transformation take place? “For the metamorphosis from human into bat there is an intermediate phase, which was the main challenge. Countless options were explored with fake noses, rubber claws, false teeth of different kinds. In the end, the decision was made to not totally alter the wives' human look, because they should always be recognizable. Since the movie is full of dialogue, a totally digital image would have caused a loss of naturalness and expressiveness. Therefore, in the end we limited ourselves to false ears and a forehead prosthesis, which eliminated our eyebrows, giving us an animal-like and hungry look, and of course, there were the fangs. The technique is the same used for Gollum's character in The Lord of the Rings. They used the procedure of motion capture to record our shapes and movements. Later they digitally added all that was necessary, wings, paws, claws, placing our heads on the digital bodies. It wasn't an easy process. We had to wake up at four o'clock in the morning and it took hours to be made up. The scenes shot in blue screen were the most challenging - and we couldn't do more than two or three shots a day. We were hung upside down all the time, blown away by the wind machine, with eye lenses bigger than our eye-balls and false canine teeth that, after the first days of shooting, had to be limited in their use because they were hurting our lips. On top of all that, we had to act in English with a Transylvanian accent!  But at the end of the day, we had a lot of fun.”     What kind of physical training did you undergo? We rehearsed extensively for the most difficult scenes. One in particular, when Dracula pushes me into the abyss from a very high balcony, terrified me. I was harnessed and totally secured, but the plunge was really traumatic as I suffer from vertigo. I remember that, when reading the script I had thought: “Surely a stunt actor is going to do this bit. Or, since we're in Hollywood, it's probably going to be handled by some computer wizard!” But when I realized that I would have to do it, I was really shocked. Fortunately the stunt co-ordinator reassured and assisted me. And 18 takes sufficed!”   What was the atmosphere like on the set, with hundreds of people at work? The atmosphere was very laid-back, even though everyone's concentration was intense. We, the three wives, had become friends before the start of shooting. During the breaks we spent our times chatting in our trailers - otherwise we would have been bored to death. Stephen Sommers never raised his voice with anybody. He is an outgoing and enthusiastic man, always ready to encourage everybody. Kate is really professional, I never heard her complain, not even when we were shooting outside, exposed to the unbearable cold weather of Prague. Hugh Jackman is a very nice person, you can't believe how kind and easy-going he is.   In Prague, we would often all go out together after work. And what was it like working with Gabriella Pescucci, the creator of the splendid costumes for the movie? Gabriella is a genius. She managed to make the costumes beautiful and functional at the same time; in fact her clothes never hindered our movements when we had to fly or jump.” Do you have an idea of what kind of movie this is going to be? Perhaps a mixture of gothic pop and surrealism, like The Mummy? It will be a modern take on old characters that will appeal to kids whose culture is founded on videogames, as well as those who love the big Universal classics, which are honoured by the splendid photography of this movie: creepy and charming at the same time. Proof enough is seen at the beginning of the movie: black and white with the old Universal logo, a clear tribute. Then there will be ironic and desecrating moments, as well as romantic scenes. And spectacular moments, above all.” Any plans for the future, apart from tying the knot with Count Dracula, who has shown his charm to the very end? Getting married is my top priority. I will become part of a huge family with 17 nieces and nephews. I was in Australia for two months and I've finally learnt all their names. As far as work is concerned, I miss the theatre, but I do have some film projects in Italy and America. This Italian stage actress who has made a film in Hollywood is starting to raise some interest.		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