Exclusive Interview with Dead of Summer’s Mark Indelicato
Ian B. Goldberg, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are moving away from fairy tales for summer camp screams with their new series Dead of Summer. They wanted to pay homage to their love of 80’s horror movies and John Hughes with a modern day mash-up. When they added one of my favorite actors, Mark Indelicato, it was a given that I’d watch.
Talk Nerdy had the pleasure of speaking with the Ugly Betty alum and he was every bit as personable and endearing as you’d expect.
There’s a paranormal bent to Dead of Summer that’s supposed to bring each character’s past sins or fears to life at the camp. What episode will we get Blair’s story and can you give us any hints?
We actually haven’t shot Blair’s yet. Blair’s episode comes at the tail end of the season. So you’ll have to watch, and tune in, until the very end to see Blair’s backstory. I think it’s the second to last or something to the finale. I actually have no idea what Blair’s story is going to hold or what his flashback is going to be at this point. The writers have been pretty tight-lipped about each of our backstories and the secrets that we bring to camp, which has been extremely helpful . Every week getting the new script is a surprise and a thrill. I’m just as excited as you to find out what Blair’s past holds for him.
So you were filming a SUMMER camp in March in Vancouver? I imagine you guys were pretty cold?
We were freezing. I am the first person to say that. Everyone was trying to be super nonchalant about it and I was like “no.” I was freezing. Absolutely. The middle of March in Vancouver on a lake in your bathing suit is not the most comfortable thing. We were filming—I remember the scene where we all take off our clothes and run toward the lake. That was filmed at about 4 in the morning, in the middle of March on the lake. I think they said it was forty degrees, or thirty-eight, or something like that when we were filming it, which was miserable. I think we all made a joke out of it at the end, after hour three or four. I just stopped putting my warming coat on and just sat out there in my underwear in the cold and tried to be a hero.
Was that an existing camp that you used or did they build it for you guys?
No, it was all built for us. They did an incredible job. I remember getting there on the first day and seeing it. Everyone was just in such a state of shock and awe. It really does look like a camp. We’re filming in this beautiful, beautiful location. It’s really amazing. It helped the cinematographers and the actors as well get into this world, when you’re actually there. When we’re not filming in a studio all the time. To actually be on this lake, to actually see these cabins, to actually walk on the dirt, and the grass, and the forest, it’s amazing and so, so beautiful.
Dead of Summer is going to be an anthology, similar to what Ryan Murphy does with American Horror Story. Does that mean the cast will return for the other installments, just the time period will change?
Yes, that’s what the plan is right now. Of course, that’s always subject to change. I’m definitely hoping that is the case.
What time period would you like to see the series visit?
I would love to be in the late seventies. I’m obsessed with disco culture. I would love to play some crazy disco diva that comes to camp. (laughs)
What irrational fear do you have?
Hmm. I don’t know. I definitely have one. I’m afraid of everything. Which is kind of ironic. I’m filming a horror show and I’m scared of everything. I have no idea. Hmm. I don’t know. Geez. I’m trying to think. I know that I have one. Like 100%. Um, when I was a kid I used to be deathly afraid of clowns. Which I feel is not irrational in the sense that there are a lot of people who are really afraid of clowns. Oh, oh, I know! I used to be afraid of that, you know like outside of McDonald’s, when they used to have, I don’t know if they still have them, those tall statues of Ronald McDonald. He’s technically a clown, but it’s not real, not a moving person. I used to cry every time we’d drive by them. (laughs) I’m afraid of the statues of Ronald McDonald. (laughs)
Recently you had an Ugly Betty reunion at ATX and America put the idea out there for an Ugly Betty Hulu reunion. How much would you like to do that and has there been any word or movement on that?
We got a really incredible response. We put that hashtag out there and so many people have been using it. I know Hulu is quite interested. There are just a lot of logistical things that have to be sorted. I know that Silvio said he’d only do it if all of us were signed on to do it and I know for a fact that all of us would drop whatever we were doing to do it. It was such a thrill to be back with my family. Back on that stage, back with these people I spent so much time with, that I grew up with. We say all the time that we could film another season of Ugly Betty tomorrow. There’d be no preparation needed. Those relationships are so strong and so special to all of us. It would be a thrill to do it again.
Dead of Summer airs on Freeform at 9/8C. And you can show your support for an Ugly Betty reunion by using the hashtag #HuluBringBackUglyBetty.