Walkden Entertainment (aka Peter Walkden) was honoured to chat with Sean Cameron Michael, the lead actor from Street Trash (2024), which will be available on Digitial in Australia and New Zealand from February 19th, thanks to Lightbulb Film Distribution.
Let’s break the ice: I’d love to know your all-time favourite horror film and why.
Obviously, there’s an endless list, but if I had to choose just one, it would be Neil Marshall’s The Descent. The tension and claustrophobia almost broke me completely. It’s an absolute masterpiece of filmmaking and storytelling. I was fortunate to work with Neil years later on my first big TV series Black Sails. The man is a genius.
Your career contains many dramatic roles. What was it like to play the film’s lead in such a fun movie loaded with goo and horror?
Having done Blood Drive for SyFy, which also included gallons of goo and mayhem, I was well acquainted with the medium. Based on my personal and professional relationship with Ryan Kruger, which spans over a decade, Street Trash was a very exciting adventure for us to explore. It was a very demanding shoot but truly creatively fulfilling.
What was it like working with Ryan again, given you two also worked together on another excellent feature film, Fried Barry? Plus, I see your name in both films is Ronald, lol.
I’ve done a number of music videos and short films for Ryan over the years. And you’re right – A version of Ronald first existed in Time Travellers, then Fried Barry and finally more expanded in Street Trash. There’s a lot of creative freedom and trust between Ryan and myself. He knows that I’m going to bring something fresh and layered to my portrayal, so it’s always a treat to get to work with him.
In Street Trash, you have some tremendous on-screen gags, especially whenever you and actor Joe Vaz share the screen. Did you ad-lib or add lines of dialogue at any just because you were in the moment?
As Joe and I have known each other for over three decades, I believe there is a natural chemistry that shows on screen. We workshopped our scenes together in prep to really help the dialogue flow. It was vital to me that the audience truly understand the history and depth of our relationship, so when sh*t hits the fan, the audience is emotionally invested in our characters. We very specifically planted certain backstory elements to highlight this: Ronald takes Chef’s military dog tags from him (showing that they were in the army together); Chef wipes his brow with a handkerchief during the film and in the last scene, Ronald uses the same handkerchief to wipe all the blood and goo off himself; When Alex says “Oh Vey” in the same scene, it’s a tribute to Chef; Our song and dance routine is a throwback to a theatrical musical we did together many years ago; There’s also a couple of affectionate words and physical interaction to play on this, such as when Chef gets punched in the face and Ronald says “Are you okay baby?”. It’s these subtleties that I love using to subliminally help build a character and a relationship.
Your character in the film, Ronald, suffers from PTSD, has compassion for others, and is loyal in his friendships. Where did you get all your influences for playing the character this way?
There is definitely a strong inspiration and tribute to Robin Williams’ portrayal of Parry in The Fisher King and also William Richert’s Bob Pigeon in My Own Private Idaho. Both these characters are very eccentric, over-the-top and somewhat endearing – Qualities that I felt were vital to who Ronald is. I then also used some of my own experience in the South African Defense Force as a backstory.
What is your favourite scene or moment in this film?
We genuinely had so much fun making it, and due to time constraints, there are a number of extended scenes that didn’t make the final cut but hopefully appear on the DVD / Blu-Ray release. The full Sex Addicts Anonymous scene was hysterical to film, while the shocking moment of one of our main characters dying was emotionally and dramatically awesome to play.
What was your biggest challenge while working on the film?
Obviously, endless weeks of night shoots in the freezing cold of winter and the elements were challenging, but as an actor, the trickiest part was trying to find the right comedic mix between all the dramatics, emotion and action. The characters of Pap, Wors, 2-Bit and Sockle are over-the-top, so trying to bring individual humour to the character of Ronald was tricky. I found honesty, vulnerability, subtlety and deadpan the easiest go-to when interacting with the others.
What was it like working in South Africa, and how did the location influence the film?
I’ve split my time between Los Angeles and Cape Town over the past ten years, so I needed to fly back to SA to film the movie. I’m born and bred South African, so making movies in the country is always a joy. There is such a natural passion, dedication and love for the process by local filmmakers. It’s also a lot cheaper filming in SA, especially with the tax rebates being offered (and why it’s been one of the most popular go-to destinations for international TV, film and commercial productions for decades). You get a lot more bang for your buck! Cape Town, specifically, is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so Ryan and his team spent weeks finding the perfect locations to help tell the story, while production designer Monica Rosie did an incredible job making the homeless, dystopian world look spectacularly run down and terrible 🙂
Are you working on any new projects? Is there anything you can tease us with? Would you like to return as Ronald in Street Trash Part 3?
If there is another Street Trash, of course, I’ll be back to play some more. I’ve got a couple of movies in prep, including another comedy/horror, Bloody Proposal, which we’re hoping to get off the ground in the coming months, while in post, we’ve got This is How the World ends, which I’m very excited about because once again I got to work with some very exciting filmmakers. There’s also another BIG movie coming out later this year, but nope, I’m not allowed to utter a word about it.
Lastly, we have an end; I would like your opinion on why you think audiences from Australia and New Zealand should watch Street Trash. Is there a specific theme or message you hope they draw from the film as they experience the story?
I know there are thousands of ex-pats from South Africa currently living in Australia and New Zealand, so for them, our very local movie (with its very specific accents and humour) will be a good laugh. Our movie is a silly, crazy, over-the-top gore fest, not to be taken seriously in any fashion whatsoever. What makes it unique is the fact that it was shot very old school on film, with in-camera practical effects, meaning that what you see on screen is not fake CGI (which is rare and exciting for cinephiles). And yes, while it shows the importance of friendship and family, it certainly highlights the global homelessness pandemic and the serious disparity between the classes. Other than that, it’s actually a lot of bizarre fun. Go watch it.
Street Trash (2024) will be available on Digital in Australia from February 19th!
Published: 13th February 2025
Written by: Peter Walkden
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