Crystal Loverro

CHRIS CHARLES: So you’re originally from New York and now live in the Portland, Oregon area. What brought you out to the Pacific Northwest?
CRYSTAL LOVERRO: Well, I was born in Binghamton, New York. I lived there for the first 23 years of my life. In 2018, one of my best friends, Katie, and I were eager for a change. We decided to move to Washington state together to pursue our careers. I desired a bigger city with more opportunities. I started acting classes in Portland, which was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. I temporarily moved back to New York while my husband finished school. After he graduated, we moved to Portland. I am really happy to be back! Plus, living in Portland is preferable than living an hour away in Washington state, even though Portland is much more expensive. I want to move down to Los Angeles as soon as possible, but I am trying to train and gain experience here first.
CHRIS: I understand you have a BS in neuroscience and pre-health, but you decided to put continuing your medical career aside to pursue acting?
CRYSTAL: Yes! Well, I have always been passionate about acting, but becoming an actor always seemed like an unattainable dream. I also love neuroscience, psychology, and medicine, but I felt like I was pushing myself to choose a career path that did not make me happy. I wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. I thought that I needed to follow a normal career path like everyone else and that no one would take my artistic side seriously. However, I was not following my heart. I am so grateful that I finally dared to chase what inspires me. I was incredibly miserable with my current direction, so I did some soul searching and asked myself what I wanted for my future. I concluded that I wanted to act and unlock my creative potential.
CHRIS: How did that decision go over with your family?
CRYSTAL: They were very surprised at first, but they were supportive of my dreams. They just want me to be happy, but they also want me to be able to survive financially.
CHRIS: When would you say you were first bitten by the acting bug?
CRYSTAL: My aunt, Darlanne Fluegel, was an actor and she inspired me from a young age. I watched many movies as a kid, and I loved writing stories, role-playing characters, and using my imagination. Having a creative and wild imagination is crucial while acting. I would say that I was probably as young as eight years old when I first thought about acting in film.
CHRIS: You’ve also produced, written, and directed a few of the short films you’ve appeared in. Do you see yourself becoming a director in the future or will you always be an actress, first and foremost?
CRYSTAL: I will always be an actor first. However, I am currently writing a short film that I hope to develop into a web series! I would like to write, direct, and produce it. We shall see how it turns out. I have a few passion projects, but they are not as much of a priority as my acting career. Perhaps when I am more financially stable, I will move forward with them.
CHRIS: What are some other behind-the-scenes roles you’ve done on films?
CRYSTAL: I was a boom operator for a documentary and a feature film. I learned a lot, which I am very grateful for. Though, I am not very passionate about crew work. I prefer being in front of the camera.
CHRIS: Who have been some of your favorite actresses to work with?
CRYSTAL: My friend Ally Wiprud is an absolute sweetheart and a very talented actress. I loved working beside her in Tears in the Woods. I was a police officer and she was a distressed woman searching for her missing brother in a creepy forest. Working with her was a treasure.

CHRIS: I see you’ve done mostly horror. Some indie actresses do horror because of their love for horror, some do it because the roles in horror films are more plentiful and it’s the genre that’s easiest to get distribution. Which club would you say you belong to?
CRYSTAL: I love horror films. I grew up watching horror movies. I loved Saw, Scream, Halloween, Child’s Play, The Hills Have Eyes, and many more! If I listed all of the horror films I love, I could write you a novel. However, horror films are also very plentiful, so I tend to submit to them more often. I would like to branch out to more comedic roles. Fantasy is my favorite genre of all time, though.
CHRIS: I’ll mention a few of the short films you’ve done since 2018. Please tell me the first things that pops into your mind when you recall them. First one; Tears in the Woods.
CRYSTAL: Tears in the Woods was written and directed by a good friend of mine; Leonel Ortega-Valdez. We filmed in the woods on a beautiful day. My friend Ally Wiprud was my co-star. She really inspires me as an actor. I had a gnarly fight scene in this film. I tend to have fight scenes often. I find them very fun and challenging! I like to take roles that require experience with fight choreography and martial arts.
CHRIS: The Darkest Friendship.
CRYSTAL: The Darkest Friendship was written and directed by my friend (Scott Wilkins). Unfortunately, the project was never finished, but we had a great time filming what we were able to. We filmed my scene at my father’s cabin in Windsor, New York. Ulric Henry and I had an epic fight scene.
CHRIS: Morbid Stories.
CRYSTAL: Morbid Stories was a fun project. It is a horror anthology. I was the lead in the segment called, “Invasive Species.” I beat up some vampires and had an absolute blast on set. I had the pleasure of working with a professional cast and crew. The writer and director, Mick Thomas, is very talented. It was an honor to be in his segment.

CHRIS: Tele.
CRYSTAL: Tele was the first project that I have ever worked on. I drove two hours from my home town and made a little road trip out of the experience. I was able to work alongside one of my best buds, Ulric Henry. It was a really neat experience.
CHRIS: Guardian Devil.
CRYSTAL: Guardian Devil was the second project that I acted in and my first starring role. Ulric was my co-star and made it easy to embrace my character. My friends Scott Wilkins and Darnell Banks wrote and directed the project. We filmed at my university, Binghamton University.
CHRIS: One skill I saw listed on your resume is the self defense and fighting technique, Krav Maga. Please give us some details on that.
CRYSTAL: Martial arts are another passion of mine. I hope to become a Krav Maga and women’s defense instructor someday, so that way I am employed and doing something that I love, in between acting projects. Karate has intrigued me since I was in elementary school and I took karate lessons before moving to Portland. Since my move, I have been taking Krav Maga classes at Krav Maga Self Defense and Fitness in Portland. I plan to take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu next!
CHRIS: Have you ever been injured while filming a scene?
CRYSTAL: Fortunately, no. Safety on set is extremely important to me. I hope to never have to witness or experience an injury on set.
CHRIS: You have a very prominent tattoo on your right arm. What’s its significance?
CRYSTAL: My tattoo is from World of Warcraft (WoW). WoW is my favorite video game and lore. I played for over 10 years, but I have been on a hiatus for a year and a half because I have been spending all of my free time on my acting career. My tattoo is dedicated to my favorite expansion (Wrath of the Lich King). Sylvanas and Arthas are the main attraction, but you can also see Sindragosa, Yogg Saron, a ghoul, and an abomination! The northern lights and mountains make up the gorgeous background surrounding the characters.

CHRIS: I see you have a film entitled City of Flesh in pre-production. What can you tell me about that one?
CRYSTAL: I am unable to say much due to the film still being in pre-production, but it is a horror film with comedic elements as well. We hope to start filming this year. I play a sassy, goth girl named Jessica.
CHRIS: That film’s writer is listed as a “Wilhelm X. Chickenpenis,” which is a name that doesn’t make sense because a chicken is female. Anyway, have you met him and if so, what is up with that name?
CRYSTAL: (Laughs) I don’t even know where to start with that. Let’s just say that the writer is a good friend of mine with a hilarious sense of humor! I am sure he will get a huge kick out of this question.
CHRIS: These days, this has became one of my routine questions: As this interview is being conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, and we’ve all had to change our lifestyles because of that, what would you say you are currently missing the most?
CRYSTAL: I miss seeing my friends and being on set. I miss attending acting class and surrounding myself with people who are also very passionate about acting. I wish I could just have my actor friends over to work on scenes and self-tapes, but that is not possible at the moment. However, my husband is a huge help!
CHRIS: Do you have any skills or hobbies that only those close to you would know about?
CRYSTAL: I am pretty open about my skills and hobbies. I love hiking, camping, martial arts, photography, baking, cooking with my husband, and woodworking.
CHRIS: With that. I’ll thank you very much for doing this with me, Crystal. In closing, any shout-outs to anyone?
CRYSTAL: I definitely want to shout out my husband, Micah. I would not be here if it weren’t for his constant love and support. I also want to shout out a few of my close friends/family who have supported me from day one. Katie Browne and I met in kindergarten and moved across the country together. She helped me take the steps to leave my home town and to spread my wings. She’s a true sister. She is also a wonderful artist, animator, and videographer.