Provoking Fears And Persevering: My Interview With Nicole LaSala

Nicole LaSala is a young actress from Boston who is finding herself facing some pretty scary things lately. She is set to star in the paranormal thriller “Provoked” directed by Jordan Pacheco. The story follows a paranormal investigation team who use unorthodox methods to stimulate spirit activity, in order to capture proof of the supernatural. They get more than they bargained for when the entity they entice follows them home. Nicole LaSala plays “Jamie” , the girlfriend of lead investigator Matt-played by Chris O’Reilly. The young actress is stepping into the role of a woman forced to deal with issues in her life, that LaSala herself is not quite comfortable dealing with, in her own personal journey. The realm of the paranormal and unexplained. Her character must face the repercussions of her boyfriends actions and deal with the strain it adds to their relationship, all while facing some unseen “nasty”.

Nicole LaSala told me in a recent interview that she herself has very little knowledge of ghost hunting, or “provoking” spirits for what ever result one seeks. Finding herself with a very small threshold of comfortably when dealing with the paranormal. However, that just shows her true character, and drive to become what she has always dreamed of becoming- an actress and storyteller. Anyone who finds being scared unpleasant, and who can turn it off, in order to face those very personal boundaries,  to tell a character’s story is destined to act. In the interview we talked about her character “Jamie” in the film “Provoked” as well as ghost “stuff”. Read the rest of what the actress had to say-below:

ASouthernLife: You play "Jamie" who is Matt's girlfriend and not very thrilled with his career choice, can you tell me a little more about the character?

Nicole LaSala: Jamie works part time and also goes to school. She gets upset when she feels that Matt values his work over her. Despite that, she does her best to make the relationship work, however just like anyone else, she does have a breaking point.

ASouthernLife: Why do think it is that she doesn't like his investigation of paranormal activity?
Nicole LaSala: I don't think it's that she doesn't like his job, I think she's more upset that his investigating seems to be a bigger priority that she is for him.


ASouthernLife: What about the character do you find most relatable and how was it preparing for the role?
Nicole LaSala: The idea of being in a relationship that isn't perfect, but still trying to make it work. Despite the arguing, there are moments between the two that demonstrate the love they feel for each other. What helped me the most was spending time with Chris on set and establishing a natural feeling of comfort.

ASouthernLife: Before filming "Provoked" had you been interested in paranormal research and had you ever been on any paranormal investigations?
Nicole LaSala: I have not, no.

ASouthernLife: Have you experienced any strange or unexplained events while filming "Provoked"?
Nicole LaSala: I did not film at the Lizzie Borden house, but I heard all sorts of weird things happened when they were there!

ASouthernLife: Growing up did you tell a lot of ghost stories or explore haunted locations in your town? Did your town have a lot of places that were haunted?
Nicole LaSala: I get scared very easily so I could only ever listen to a little of them!

ASouthernLife: If you wanted to contact the spirits how would you do it? Would you use a Ouija board or perform a séance?
Nicole LaSala: I don't know that I'm knowledgeable enough about either of these things to answer this question.

 ASouthernLife: What drew you to acting? Was is something you always wanted to do?
Nicole LaSala: I performed in theatre productions as a child, so it's always been a big part of my life.

ASouthernLife: What are some of your favorite horror movies?
Nicole LaSala: Halloween is obviously a classic, so meeting Tony was an awesome experience. I also enjoyed Poltergeist - anything involving children is scary! The ones that really freak me out are the ones when people are possessed.

ASouthernLife: What is the scariest ghost story you have ever heard?
Nicole LaSala: When I was younger I would watch Unsolved Mysteries a lot. The scariest ones for me were always when children tell their parents about their "imaginary friends" and then they turn out to be people who had died years ago in the house.

ASouthernLife: Who in the cast do you think would be most scared by a paranormal experience?
Nicole LaSala: Me!