In our exclusive interview, Tara Reid talks about filming the Sharknado movies, why she liked the second film better than the first and what her hopes are for the third one.
If you haven’t seen the Sharknado films yet, you don’t know what you are missing. Syfy has a reputation for producing B-movie type films with crazy titles and insane premises (Dinoshark and Sharktopus are two other beauties that come to mind). The network has taken it upon itself to deliver movies that aren’t afraid to make fun of itself and allow viewers to sit back with a bucket of popcorn and have a grand old time.
Here: Have a Sharknado 2 drinking game! Because sharks
According to Reid, she and her fellow actors were completely on board with the idea of playing into the nutty premise of sharks falling from the sky. “We knew exactly what we were getting into when we started,” Reid said. “I mean, sharks flying in Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive? Come on.”
You’d think that the first challenge of making a film about a shark-filled tornado might be diving into the ocean or something along those lines, but for Reid there was something she had to get past first: A serious case of the giggles.
“We were laughing the whole time because there were no sharks there,” Reid admitted, adding that being on set was like hanging out with a group of your best friends when someone says something that makes everyone burst into laughter, and no matter what you do, you cannot stop.
The actors knew they had to keep it together, though, so they could make the movies funnier for the audience.
“[Eventually] we were like, ‘No, we have to have to be straight.’ And I think that’s what made it fun to watch. I think that’s what it gives it a lot of its humor, too. Because no one even knew what they were doing, and you’re laughing. [But] you’re trying to take it seriously because you want people to laugh, and if you’re laughing, too, the joke’s not funny anymore,” Reid said.
Tara Reid warns Sharknado could really happen
The second installment, Sharknado 2, was a huge hit with sci-fi fans over the summer, causing a Twitter-nado (see what we did there?) of epic proportions. Reid said filming the second movie meant a lot to her. “I went to school in New York. I have a lot of friends and family in New York. It was really special for me, being in New York and shooting a movie. It was kind of nostalgic in certain ways. I love New York City,” she said, adding that the city itself became a part of the story. “New York City has a personality of its own, so to add New York City and that personality [was great].”
Reid also enjoyed the journey her character, April Wexler, in the second film. “I thought the second one was much better than the first one,” Reid shared. “I liked my character a lot better in the second one. I feel like she totally made an arc.”
Reid said that April was “kind of wimpy” in the first film. After having her hand bitten off by a shark in the second film, she goes through a transformation of sorts. “She gets out of [the hospital] and becomes badass and starts killing sharks. She made a whole [180] so it was really fun to play her this time.”
Now that April is down to one hand, you might wonder what she will do in the recently announced Sharknado 3. Will she continue to have a saw for a hand or perhaps switch it out with a hook like Captain Hook? Maybe she’ll have multiple options so she can choose whatever fits the situation — like a Swiss Army knife.
Reid is kind of wondering that herself. “I have no clue what they’re up to,” she said about the writers of the third script. “I don’t know what’s going to happen yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be crazy.”
If she could wish for one thing in the third film, it would be for a change in weather. “Location-wise, I would hope that it’s warm, because it was freezing even in the first one in LA,” she said, adding that Sharknado 2 had even tougher filming conditions. “In the second one it was so cold in New York City, and it wasn’t even supposed to snow. We had to add all that in. One day it was sunny and then two seconds later it was snowing. We had to stop shooting for a couple days just because there was so much snow. They just had to start writing it into the scripts.”
It’s probably not easy to pick a favorite scene after filming two movies, but Reid was able to come up with one moment that she won’t soon forget.
“Obviously, at the end, when I kill the shark with my saw hand.”
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We think fans will agree that was one of the best scenes in the film so far. To see that amazing moment again, be sure to pick up Sharknado 2: The Second One when the extended version (which includes exclusive special features) is released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
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