Jessica Barth had been acting in television and film for nearly ten years until she received her big break in Seth MacFarlane‘s Ted, starring as the titular character’s tough Bostonian girlfriend, Tami-Lynn, which she followed up with the successful Ted 2. Prior to the Ted franchise, aside from her work on MacFarlane‘s Family Guy and other sporadic guest appearances on television shows, she had yet to find that role which would combine her intuitiveness in finding character quirks with her aptitude for acting. Roles such as Angel #1, Attractive Woman, Church Girl, Pretty Blonde, and Flight Attendant are now being replaced by far more substantive characters like Tamara in the recent Deadly Lessons and Aunt Tanya in the upcoming Along Came The Devil, a film that Barth co-produced.
Barth was offered the role of Aunt Tanya from first-time filmmakers and husband and wife team, Jason and Heather DeVan, and almost immediately accepted after reading the script. It’s not difficult to imagine why, as Along Came the Devil is much more than a jump-scare late-night horror viewing experience; the exorcism film contains complex familial relationships and themes, and focuses more on character development and story than gross-out scares.
Recently, Barth and I had a chance to catch up on all things film. We discussed Along Came the Devil, the family-friendly on-set environment that Jason and Heather DeVan provided the cast and crew, how being a parent has shaped her career, her awesome stunt work on the Lifetime film Deadly Lessons, her great working relationship and friendship with Seth MacFarlane, her upcoming screenwriting and directorial debut After, and more!
Alex Arabian for Film Inquiry: Excellent performance in your new film, Along Came the Devil.
Jessica Barth: Thank you [laughter]. I appreciate it.
What intrigued you about playing the character of Aunt Tanya in Heather and Jason DeVan’s script?
Jessica Barth: Well, they [Heather and Jason] offered me the role, and I met with them. We did a Skype interview. And I read with Sydney Sweeney and in person, and then we did a Skype interview with Jason and Heather. And what really made me take the project was just working with Sydney. She’s so amazing, just amazing talent. And then, Jason and Heather – I just really liked their vibe, and they’re a married couple doing their own films. So that’s what drew me to it, initially.
Along Came The Devil takes some inspiration from The Exorcist, naturally, as all exorcism movies do. I see Aunt Tanya as Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil in this film, doing everything in her power to protect Sydney, who is the Regan in is story. Did you bridge some of those maternal qualities to your own experience as a parent?
Jessica Barth: Yeah. Definitely. I mean, after having kids, it takes your performance to the next level, I think, when you’re playing a mother or a caretaker. I felt very protective of Sydney, even off set [laughter]. So, hopefully that bled a little bit into the film. But yeah, I mean, Tanya’s role is just – she lost her own sister, so she doesn’t want to lose Sydney as well. It makes it that much more emotional that she doesn’t want to make the same mistakes she did with her sister and lose her.
Speak of the devil (pardon the pun), you and Sydney Sweeney create a very believable onscreen family chemistry. With themes of loss, grief, and guilt, how did the two of you prepare for such emotional subject matter in your scenes together?
Jessica Barth: Sydney and I, we get along really well off of the set, so our chemistry, I think that was one of the – for me, at least, when they offered it to me, I went to read and she had already been cast, so we were doing a chemistry read. And just on that first scene, I knew that we had a really strong chemistry and we look similar, so it definitely was believable that we would be related. So, we each prepared separately. I do a lot of character work and background work and I’m not sure what her process is, [but] we both worked on it separately, so by the time we got to film, the first day, our chemistry was there and our relationship was built. So, I think it came off as more believable.
This isn’t your first foray into the horror genre. Though it’s known for its many flops, it is a genre that can weave in delicate themes with tact to great effect for its audience such as Along Came the Devil, a film that you also co-produced. Is this a genre that you enjoy acting in?
Jessica Barth: It’s really fun. Horror is really fun. Sometimes it’s just scares and things like that, but I really appreciated that there was real relationships within this film, which is why I helped produce it, as well. And also, for first-time filmmakers, it’s easier – I mean, it’s not easy – but it’s easier to get films made in the horror genre and [secure] distribution, so I really appreciated the fact that Jason and Heather are doing their own films. I know Jason is a huge horror film buff, so this is a real passion of his. So, it’s just fun to be along the process of watching them go from start to finish with this.
On the flip side, do you have any personal favorite genres of film that you like to watch?
Jessica Barth: I love mobster movies like Goodfellas and Casino and all those east coast gangster movies [laughter]. I also like the occasional rom-com, but I’m more into drama, actually, than I am comedy.
You spoke a little bit about Jason and Heather and their set. Jason DeVan’s camera work is very steady, fluid, and skilled throughout the film, and his and Heather’s script is obviously very strong. So, what kind of on-set atmosphere did they provide?
Jessica Barth: Jason is awesome. He’s so positive. He’s so collaborative. He’s like the nicest human being you’ll ever meet [laughter]. So, it was really, really nice to work with him and, of course, having his wife. They do everything together. Their family was on set all the time, their kids were on set. It was a real family event. So, that was really nice to be around. You don’t get that too often in LA where families are welcome, and I have my own family and three kids and a husband, and they were so welcoming. They welcomed them to set whenever they wanted to be there, and my daughter’s actually an extra in one of the scenes [laughter]. So, it was nice. It was like a real family environment that he created.
Yeah, that’s super important, I think.
Jessica Barth: Yeah, it’s unusual. It’s definitely not the norm [laughter].
Your big break was in Seth MacFarlane’s Ted. I thoroughly enjoyed those movies, as did so many moviegoers. You and Seth seem to have a great working relationship. How does he like to work?
Jessica Barth: Working with Seth, it’s a totally different film set in terms of working on Ted and Ted 2. That was a $60 million and $100 million dollar budget, so it’s a different feel, for sure. But I enjoy working on the lower-budget, more family-oriented sets. But with Seth, that was a comedy, so we were always pranking each other and making jokes, and he and I have built a really close friendship. So, that’s always nice, too. That’s how I try to choose my projects, is my chemistry with the other person, my friendship with who I’m going to be spending the next couple months with, because a lot of times I have to be away from my family to do projects. So, you want to make sure you’re with people that you actually like [laughter].
Of course. Family Guy’s one of my favorite shows. How did Seth initially approach you to do the voice for Kate Hudson?
Jessica Barth: [laughter] He’s in a sound booth all day, right?
Right.
Jessica Barth: So, he’s so into what something sounds like. And apparently my voice is in the same level as hers. I have no idea. But he did say that. He’s like, “Your voice is like a little deeper, so could you do -” I’m like, “Alright. Fine [laughter].”
Yeah. It seems he has a great ear for that sort of stuff.
Jessica Barth: Oh, my god, yes. Yeah. I almost didn’t get the role of Tami-Lynn because he didn’t think I was gonna be able to do the dialect. Like, Seth [laughter]? Does it matter that I can act? He’s much more concerned with how something sounds than the acting of something, I think.
Very interesting. You seem to have reached the point in your career where you can be more selective with your roles. I’m always curious about how an actor chooses their roles. Do you have certain qualifications that the script or character should meet in order for you to be more onboard with a given project?
Jessica Barth: Yeah, for sure. I’m fortunate to where I can be a little bit more selective, but, right now, my focus is – because I have three kids, one one-year-old, so I have a baby – I’ve been out and doing this acting for so long, so I have a lot of experience, so I want to focus more on my own projects. So, we’re actually in pre-production right now for a film that I wrote and will direct, hopefully, in the fall, called After.
Oh, that’s awesome.
Jessica Barth: Yeah, yeah, and that’ll be filmed between Philadelphia, which is my hometown, and Los Angeles, which is where I live. So, that’ll be a very family-oriented set, as well [laughter]. I think we’re in a really unique time where anybody can do their own stuff. If you want to be an actor, then go out there and act. I mean, iPhones are basically what cameras were in the ’80s; it was unheard of to be to do your own movie, and now you can just pick up your phone and shoot something [laughter].
I know. Yeah. It’s like, if you have an idea, there’s no excuse anymore to not go make the film right now, because everyone has the means, it seems.
Jessica Barth: Exactly. Exactly. And there’s so many streaming devices and people are genuinely looking for good content.
Totally. Are you able to share any details about After?
Jessica Barth: The only thing I can share at the moment, because we’re in the very early stages of it, is that it will be shot as a film, and then it’ll be turned into a TV series of 12 episodes.
Oh, very cool. That’s exciting.
Jessica Barth: Thank you. There’ll be more announced, but yeah [laughter]!
Are there any other exciting projects on the horizon? I noticed that you just completed Deadly Lessons.
Jessica Barth: Yes. That’s actually a Lifetime movie, so get your popcorn ready for that [laughter].
Oh, I will [laughter]! It sounds thrilling. So, what was it like working on a Lifetime movie, then?
Jessica Barth: So, again, I just had my baby, so she was only a few months old, and they offered that to me and I took that because the director [Michael Feifer] of that – also a very family-oriented set – his wife and his son help him run everything, and he was really, really just considerate of time. I would leave the house, I would feed my kids, drop them off at school, and then be home for dinner. So he was very, like, “She has three kids. She doesn’t need to be here. Let’s get her out [laughter].” So, that’s why I did that. And then, it was super fun; it was just fun. I did all my own stunts and things like that. So, that was just a fun experience.
Wow.
Jessica Barth: Not that they were challenging, but very fun [laughter].
Okay. That’s cool you did your own stunts. I guess you’re rivaling Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, then.
Jessica Barth: [laughter] Yes, you could say that. That should be your headline. “Rivaling Tom Cruise” [laughter].
I think it has to be [laughter].
Film Inquiry would like to thank Jessica Barth for her time and insight.
Along Came The Devil is released theatrically and on VOD in the U.S. on August 10, 2018. For more information on its release, click here.
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