Dennis Mailu Talks Pedro Pascal Collaboration and Taking Over Hollywood

Interviews 21st February 2023 Liz Rodriguez 0

Actor Dennis Mailu is no stranger to the bright lights of Hollywood. The Nairobi-born lead actor has appeared in numerous productions so far and...

Actor Dennis Mailu is no stranger to the bright lights of Hollywood. The Nairobi-born lead actor has appeared in numerous productions so far and is Hollywood’s hottest young talent to watch. Filmoria caught up with Dennis to talk wish list collabs and his latest moves in the entertainment capital.

Hey Dennis! Welcome to Filmoria. Has there been one particular moment in your career that you’re most proud of?

A proud moment is when I attended my first red carpet event in Los Angeles at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. ‘Blue Light Melody’, a project I acted in, had its screening debut at the Indie Night Film Festival prior to its release on Amazon Prime video.

What’s been the pros and cons of pursuing your acting career?

Pros of my career are that I have the chance to express my creativity, travel the world and socialize with famous people. Cons include experiencing audition rejection, spending time away from family and fierce competition.

Who are your filmmaker influences growing up that helped to mold you into who you are today?

James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, and Antoine Fuqua are amongst the filmmakers who molded me to who I am today.

Who are your dream actors-directors you would you like to collaborate with in future?

I would love to collaborate with Damian Lewis, Ryan Coogler, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Dennis Villenueve, Pedro Pascal, and Elizabeth Moss.

If you could play any role opposite Pedro Pascal, what would it be and why?

Pedro Pascal who currently stars as Joel in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’. Having played the games and seeing the production come to life, I would love to play one of the characters in the factions he faces in his escapades, namely the Washington Liberation Front. I would revel in a good confrontational scene! I would love to play Owen Moore in particular.

You have been very busy taking over Hollywood. Tell us about the movie, ‘The Spell That Backfired’

This movie was written and directed by Rayna Campbell, and is about a young woman, Minnie, who is in Los Angeles trying to fit into the city. She is in need of love and uses magic spells to get back with her ex-boyfriend. However, she gets more than she bargained for as the effects take an unprecedented turn.

The project is a romance, drama, horror.

What role do you play?

I play David, love interest to Minnie. It was a really cool role because I was able to use my tribal language Kikamba in one of the scenes! Historically the Kamba people are known for witchcraft and sorcery, which is befitting as the film has elements of magic spells in it!

How can people see it?

Right now, the movie is enjoying a successful film festival run. It has picked up numerous awards and nominations including Best Dark Comedy, Best Romantic Comedy, Best Female Director, and Best Actress.

We are expecting a release date for this year.

What else have you been working on?

I wrapped a movie called ‘Prey” not that long ago. It’s a crime, fantasy, drama film that has a modern spin on the little red riding hood fable. A young girl Penny gets to unravel the battle between science, religion, and affinity fraud through her ailing mother Patricia. She witnesses the firsthand battle between trickery from a false prophet vs. the lens of medical treatment.

The movie is currently on its festival run and has had a lot of success with nominations at the 2022 Beverly Hills Film Festival, 2022 Catalina Film Festival, Malibu Film Festival, and Iowa Motion Picture Awards.

I also did a Voiceover for an upcoming Sony feature film! Excited for it to hit cinemas later this year!

Tell us about your character?

I play Dr. Burke, close family friend to Penny and family doctor Patricia. He is a compassionate and empathetic man who amidst doing his job, is dealing with the potential life-threatening state of a close friend. It’s a small town and personal and professional life intertwines for him, a challenge he has to navigate. You get to experience the fine balance he portrays.

What else do you have going on?

We are in post-production on a proof of concept for a feature film called ‘Perfect Girl’ as well as a short called ‘Double or Nothing’, so stay tuned on more information on that!

What’s the best way to follow you online?

IMDb: https://IMDb.me/DennisMailu