EXCLUSIVE: Nicole Elizabeth Berger Talks her New Movie, “Runt” with BB

This past Friday, October 1 the new movie RUNT was released to theaters. Starring the late Cameron Boyce, the film follows a group of high school seniors who are pulled into a downward cycle of violence.

We got the chance to talk to one of the stars of the movie, Nicole Elizabeth Berger, who plays one of the high schoolers, Cecily. During our chat, we talked about what drew her to the project, filming her character’s intense scene (SPOILER), and so much more. Check out what she had to say below.

What drew you to this project?

“Its relevance to today’s society. The film depicts the troubled youth that have no tools to make these rational conclusions so they basically resort to violence as a way to manage that stress and anxiety. The violence in this film however, is not portrayed in a glamorous or sort of poetic fashion, it’s real and authentic. I hope this film is a real wake up call about just how easy it is to fall down the wrong path without support from your family or your peers or the community, and what can happen when you reach that downward spiral and just how difficult it is to come back from that.”

What is it like looking back on this film knowing what you know now at 17?

“So revisiting all this now it’s like a trip down memory lane, but all I remember really is that it was very late at night when we were doing the scene and we almost weren’t going to make it according to SAG rules, I was a minor and we barely made it in the nick of time but everyone was just exhausted. And I think I just let it all hit me and coming back from that was absolutely a draining process.”

You can check out the rest of our interview under the jump. Beware! Their are spoilers below, so read at your own risk! To learn more about Nicole, you can visit here website NicoleBerger.com. Runt is now in theaters!

Would you change anything about your performance in Runt if you had to redo it all over again now?

“Of course I find little things to pick on and over critique myself, but that’s just kind of a general observation. I don’t know what I would change. Of course having several years in between actually filming it and the film finally coming out, I’ve grown as a person, of course as a performer, as a student and as an individual. So the things I know now, which is more than I knew then, I’m sure I would take a slightly different approach or do something differently but I’m incredibly proud of this film. I’m very happy that Cameron’s [Boyce] legacy gets to live on through the magnificent work he did and is continuing to do through the foundation.”

Your character is sexually assaulted in the film, what was it like filming that scene?

“I worked well in advance with my acting mentor Susan Batson to really get in the mind of a defilement victim, to try to understand the kind of psychological, emotional and physical distresses of living through a sexual assault. I think the implications were even more grave considering that Cecily is a teenager in the film. But, the lessons learned apply equally no matter a person’s age. I will say that everyone on set was very reassuring and made me feel comfortable in what could have been a very uncomfortable environment. I was fortunate enough to already have maintained a close bond with my castmates.”

How did you prepare for the scene?

“We were able to talk it out, work through it and block it with a stunt coordinator which was extremely helpful. And by the time we actually shot the scene, it became more like choreography than anything else. Everything had an exact time and I knew what to expect and when to expect it. I definitely had a really great support team behind me.”

Was it hard to stay out of your head in those scenes and just let the choreography take over?

“It all happened very organically. I think I used several different acting methods to get me to that head space. Again, I worked through it in advance so I could easily just tap into it when needed. And we were all very respectful of each other’s sort of methods and procedures and ways of getting to a certain place. So everyone was on the same page, we didn’t poke or prod we just let things happen as they naturally would.”

After filming intense scenes like this one, how do you unwind?

“Well, I’d say usually I’m able to switch back and forth between the head space of my character at the time and where I stand as the actor but for emotionally draining and challenging scenes, like the sexual assault one, I was kind of trapped in that head space for a while. With that being said, I did do this film when I was 14. I hadn’t even started high school yet, but I played a school student and now I’m graduating in May which is also very surreal.”

What are you hoping fans, audience watchers get from seeing this movie?

“Well, there’s some hope to shed light on the real damage bullying can do and the fact that many youth don’t have access to proper guidance or their challenges are buried and dismissed and neglected. I think this film is a really powerful wake up call that portrays a real life struggle. So many of us go through without the proper support and access that I think many of us take for granted. It’s important to recognize the inequities to proper guidance and to help address societal issues that are so damaging. To really give those being bullied or those prone to bullying positive outlets as opposed to violence and negativity. Empowering youth through positivity is actually paramount to the human voice.”

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity