If you’re a Fellow Fan (and if you’re reading this, you likely are), you’re either familiar with the work of Bill Oberst, Jr., or you’ve been under a large rock for quite some time.  With a body of work that boasts over a hundred projects in just the last five years (and there’s more before that), you’d have a tough time finding any actor today who’s more of an active and recognizable presence in our beloved genre.

During a rare break in his busy schedule, he talked to our esteemed Editor-In-Chief, Chad, here at the ‘Corpse about the genre, his career, and the upcoming film, Impure.

LeglessCorpse: You’re like the hardest working man in the Horror business. How do you go about choosing your projects that you want to be involved with?

Bill Oberst, Jr.: Because I work a lot, when a script comes to me with a note saying “We think you’d be right for…” it’s usually because they’ve seen me in a similar vein. The nice thing about having slogged your way through 100 film projects and a dozen TV shows in 6 years is that the people who want to work with you have usually already seen you do something they dig. I rarely get offered roles that are not a good fit, and am grateful for that.

LC: Impure is a current horror movie you’re attached to. How did you get involved with the film and filmmakers?

BOJ: My manager, Matt Chassin, is an associate producer on IMPURE. He provided the intro to Dana Olita, who created the original concept for IMPURE and will co-direct the film with Michael Scotti, Jr. Dana sent me the script and asked me to play Issac. I read it and wrote her back “Wow, such a tale of duplicity and denial!” Which meant, of course, “Yes!”

LC: What attracted you to the role of Issac Jones in the film?

BOJ: Issac represents the human condition apart from the love of God; something I’m always keen to play. My faith does inform the roles I get into, but inversely: I revel in the characters who embody what mankind without God is – a lonely bundle of destitution, selfishness and sadness. Turned outward, that mix becomes sadism. And Issac is sadistic in an epically-evil way. It’s a small role in a larger story of cruelty passed on. I’m glad to be a little part of the telling of it.

LC: What elements of the horror genre attracts you to these types of projects?

BOJ: Dualism. Dichotomy. The nature of man. IMPURE actually asks very troubling questions: Can a child be born bad? Or born evil? Are there “bad seeds?” Or only bad influences? I think of these things. I wonder. What are we at the root? The script deals with all of that.

LC: What can people expect from the film in general? Will your role be something new we haven’t seen you do before, or is it a character-type that you’ve played before and know you can really nail the character?

BOJ: I think the film in general will deliver unsettling imagery and an unforgettable (and disturbing) story. My role is something new for me, yes. Issac is a tad beyond what I have done before – he’s pure evil. The script challenges me, which is good!

LC: When is shooting set to take place or is it still up in the air while financing is secured?

BOJ: Dana and Michael would know those answers. I just go to work when they tell me to. I do know, however, that there is strong industry buzz on IMPURE and that production is slated to happen this year.

LC: The film is currently seeking funds on Indiegogo; what benefits, besides getting financed, do you think crowd funding has with an audience that traditional means of raising funds has?

BOJ: You know, Chad, crowdfunding has opened up a whole new way of creating an early fan-base for a project. In this market, distributors want to know going in that there is a ready-made fan core that they can build on. I wish crowdfunding had been around when I was a kid — I would have chipped in my lunch money to be a part of a cool new horror film.

LC: You are always a pleasure to watch on screen. What other projects can we look for that you have coming up?

BOJ: Thank you, man! I’d invite folks to visit my IMDb page to see what’s up and also to give a shout-out on the message board there if they like. I read and respond; love hearing from people! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2454994/ And I want to thank you and LeglessCorpse for what you are doing to keep indie horror alive (or undead) and strong.  All of us who work in the bloody trenches appreciate you guys.

We’d like to thank Bill for taking the time out of his crazy schedule to talk with us, and for his talented contributions to our favorite genre!  We certainly look forward to IMPURE, and all of his future projects!