MANEATER: An Interview With Lead Actress Nicky Whelan

Cinema Scholars interviews Nicky Whelan, star of the new shark attack thriller, Maneater. Written and directed by Justin Lee, the film also stars Shane West, Jeff Fahey, and Trace Adkins. Saban Films will release Maneater in theaters and on Demand and Digital on August 26, 2022.

Introduction

Surely anyone choosing to watch a shark movie knows what they’re getting themselves into. While there will never be another Jaws (1975), countless Subsequent sea-faring films have also used the plot device to intense dramatic effect. Other similar men vs nature films, however, offer a slight wink and nudge to the actual absurdity of repeat shark attack stories enabling the narrative to go over the top in a strangely gratifying way. Barely tethered to real-world logic, films like these bend the rules to allow mayhem that couldn’t possibly happen in reality. Or could it? 

This combination of far-fetched scenarios in the realm of possibility opens a huge playground for darkly creative filmmakers to have some bloody fun. This suspension of disbelief also translates to the audience, who can feel free to marvel at the horror of it all knowing full well how unlikely such an event is. Justin Lee’s new grisly thriller Maneater falls firmly in this latter category with a ridiculous (in a good way) and highly entertaining foray into the shark attack genre. 

Jessie (Nicky Whelan) is nursing a broken heart on an island getaway with a group of her closest friends. When their ringleader charters a boat for a private island excursion, the gang has no idea that a rogue great white shark is stalking and attacking people in the remote waters. Soon, however, the friends meet the monster head-on in a series of inescapable attacks. Unaware of the current plight of Jessie’s crew, Harlan, a retired sea captain, is hunting down the creature that killed his daughter only a week earlier. Soon Jessie and Harlan join forces to settle their score with the shark once and for all.

You can tell that writer/director Justin Lee and his team had fun with Maneater. Despite the harrowing subject matter, Lee keeps the overall tone fairly light when the finned stalker isn’t wreaking havoc. Gorgeous island vistas, whale encounters, and private islands create a laid/back island vibe, but each carefree scene is punctuated with a cutaway to the toothy menace lurking below the water’s surface.

Lead actress Nicky Whelan recently sat down for a chat with Cinema Scholars to talk about her foray into the shark attack genre. 

Interview

Rebecca Elliott:

Hi Nicky, thank you so much for joining me today to talk about Maneater. I really appreciate it.

Nicky Whelan:

Oh, hi, Rebecca. Thanks love.

Rebecca Elliott:

I had way too much fun with this movie considering it’s so bloody, but it was just the perfect end-of-summer flick for me. In your bio, I saw that you’re… Are you originally from Australia?

Nicky Whelan:

I am originally Australian. Yes. Yeah.

Rebecca Elliott:

Australia has quite a history with great white sharks. Have you ever had a shark encounter yourself? And do you think being from Australia gives you any special insight into the shark attack films like this?

Nicky Whelan:

There is this whole persona about sharks in Australia and stuff. I grew up on my dad’s boat. I’m a swimmer, and I’m not afraid of sharks. Sharks aren’t as dangerous as we portray them to be in any way, shape, or form. I love sharks. Shark movies are so much fun to make because they’ve always had this energy around them. But being a swimmer and being able to swim in the ocean in Australia, growing up as a kid probably helps a little bit.

But yeah, as I said, shark movies have just got that energy about them. Do you know what I mean? People love to go see a shark movie and being an Australian, yes, I’m definitely a swimmer, for the most part, a lot of us grew up on the coast, so you’ll see us jumping into the water all the time. I have not had an experience with a shark in Australia. I’ve swum with sharks in a massive tank in Australia, I used to be on a travel show and they asked me to do that and it was actually the most incredibly peaceful experience ever. I was in the water with these enormous sharks that glided past me, so peaceful, and stingrays and manta rays. And I was just like, “It was magical.” So my experience with sharks in the real world has been beautiful.

Rebecca Elliott:

That’s so great. I love that answer. I’ve done the swimming with sharks things before too. And I agree with you, there’s like this tranquility about it. It sounds strange but true.

Nicky Whelan:

It is strange once you get into their environment and you’re respecting their environment, there is nothing to be fearful of.

Rebecca Elliott:

Absolutely.

Nicky Whelan:

We’re making movies and we’re having fun and we’re scaring people.

Rebecca Elliott:

Exactly, exactly. We have to suspend that disbelief.

Nicky Whelan:

Yeah.

Rebecca Elliott:

You shot Maneater in Hawaii, is that right?

Nicky Whelan:

We did. So getting a script and then someone saying, “By the way we’re shooting in Maui.” Is always very appealing.

Rebecca Elliott:

I have no doubt! Oh my gosh. And it looked like paradise, but I want to know about shooting a film like this almost completely outdoor. I mean, I think all of your stuff was outside in the elements. I’m sure has its challenges. Can you talk about some of the challenges of shooting on a paradise island?

Nicky Whelan:

This movie was incredibly challenging for all of us. It was. There are a few things people don’t know about the movie. We shot this in 18 days. It’s a low-budget shark movie, by independent filmmakers. We used a mechanical shark. They also used a CGI shark, but they do use a mechanical shark in this movie. Which we were told not to do, but our director [Justin Lee] was adamant on bringing a sense of real filmmaking to it and I really appreciated it. And when you see bits of the mechanical shark in the movie, it’s got a real old-school vibe to it that you really appreciate.

But the conditions, the weather, the choppy water, the early start. Standing in water for hours not knowing what’s under your feet, not feeling the bottom of the ocean floor, camera crews, puppeteers, really rough weather. I mean, I got my arse kicked on a daily basis on this movie. All of us did. And we were very satisfied at the end of each day that we had sort of accomplished all of this. But it was no joke. It was really no joke making this movie.

Rebecca Elliott:

I can only imagine. Looking over your filmography, you’ve worked with so many incredible performers in your career. But in Maneater you get to work with Trace Adkins, who’s this country music superstar. Do you find that it’s different at all, to work with someone who’s already achieved such great success in a different artistic medium? And do you feel like he brings anything special to the table having the experience that he has?

Nicky Whelan:

Well, I think people that have been as successful as Trace and that come from different fields of work, already carry incredible energy with them. Like, he’s at the top of his food chain in his industry and he’s incredibly successful. And what I’ve found in working with people that come into the acting business that come from, say, the music world or the sports world… because they’re already at the top of their game, their discipline level is a whole other level puts us to shame. It’s like, “Oh wow.” They’re coming into our world and you can see they’re doing such a great job. They’re working so hard because they’ve had to do that in their own field to get where they go.

So Trace shows up, he knows my lines, his lines, everything that’s going on. Understands the material. Complete professional. And he also was so perfect for this, because in real life Trace is a badass. He kind of doesn’t say much, he has this really cool, awesome energy and he’s a powerhouse. He’s very tall, and he’s got this Southern accent. 

Rebecca Elliott:

And that voice! That booming voice.

Nicky Whelan:

Yes! So, he shows up. He kind of looks at me, he’s totally in his character, and he’s perfect to save the day. I believe that he would save the day. Also, I felt safe with him on set because he’s just so tough and cool and old school. He is a cowboy in a sense, so I really thought he was ideal for this. He does such a good job. And working next to him, that sort of father-daughter vibe that we create toward the end, that mutual respect. I mean, I was waiting to see what he showed up with, and I just bounced off him the whole time and just really enjoyed working with him. He’s a cool, cool dude, so that’s a reason why he’s incredibly successful in his world.

Rebecca Elliott:

Yeah. I’m sure. People want to work with you when you’re one of the cool kids! You’ve covered nearly every genre it seems in your career, do you have a favorite genre to watch, and is it different than your favorite genre to work within?

Nicky Whelan:

Great question. Thank you. Yeah. I love, love, love being on comedy sets and that’s how I’ve started out my career in America, mainly doing comedy. Now I’ve ended up in these crazy scenarios and drama and movies and horrors and getting shredded apart. And I mean, being chased around and shooting guns. This has just taken on a whole life of its own. I love comedy, being in comedy movies. If I switch on the TV, I love to watch a bit of drama. I love action movies. I’m a real ’90s chick. The ’80s and ’90s chick. I love old-school movies.

Just the other night I watched A Star Is Born with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand- my favorite version of A Star Is Born– the other night. The ’70s movie. So it’s like, I don’t know. I’m probably a little different in what I prefer to be in and what I like to watch. But yeah, the comedy world is where I would like to head back to.

Rebecca Elliott:

Absolutely. I saw that you’ve produced before, but do you have any ambition behind the camera? Or behind the laptop writing? Or are you just happy to be in front of the camera? It just seems like whenever I meet artists who have worked so prolifically, they always have a little something, something of their own going on in the background?

Nicky Whelan:

A lot of people have told me to write and I just don’t know if I’m there yet emotionally. I love being in front of the camera. Directing, I’m so old school, I would love to do music videos. I know it’s so left of center, but I’m obsessed with music and music videos. I’m an ’80s baby. So I’m like, “Take us back.” Tell stories through music, I still love that whole vibe. That would be something I would look into. Directing would be… Directing is a big gig. It is a big, big job and a lot of pressure and you’re right, I’ve done a lot of different things now. So if I was to slip into an area of directing, I would say, I mean, even doing action movies, you’ve got to have a knack for it.

I’d probably bounce into maybe a bit of drama first. That would be an area because I feel like it’s a softer landing. But everything’s telling a story. Directing is a whole thing that I would probably start looking at a little bit later on in my life at the moment, touch wood. I’m literally tapping wood. I’m loving, just being, working back-to-back in front of the camera, and still getting these random roles at my age. I mean, people are still sending me the funniest things and I’m like, “Really, okay you want me to do that? Cool, let’s go.” I’m really having a great time still. So there’s always the potential to move into different areas for sure. But probably not in the way people think.

Rebecca Elliott:

Right, right. Well, dang. I guess I’d better wrap this up. Thank you so much for chatting with me today about Maneater, and congratulations on a really fun film. It’s just what I needed. Some crazy shark fun. Good luck with everything and thanks again.

Nicky Whelan:

Thank you love, you too. 

Saban Films will release Maneater in theaters and on Demand and Digital on August 26, 2022.

Read more Cinema Scholars interviews!

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