Questions and answers with Noah LaLonde from DEER CAMP ’86

Deer Camp ’86 recently hit theaters and I had the chance to speak with one of the film’s stars, Noah LaLonde, about his role in the retro horror film. Read on to learn more about his experience on set, the film’s mission to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people, and more:

How did you first come to DEER CAMP ’86 and why did you want to participate in this project?

I initially committed myself to Deer Camp ’86 in a rather unexpected way. In the middle of the pandemic, in September 2020, I got a message from an acting teacher I had worked with in the past. He emailed me to say hello and extend his best wishes, and also attached a casting call he had found on Facebook. He said he had thought of me for the role. I guess he had a good instinct…

I think the brief description of the character appealed to me right away. A good guy who has perhaps lost his way and is searching for his old self after a breakup. Plus, that resonates with the reality of life as an actor in Detroit during a global pandemic…

And when I first read the script, I had a feeling it could be a lot of fun. A trip up north, away from the madness of the world, to create something with some fellow actors… seemed like a dream scenario. In the end, it was even better than I had hoped.

Since it’s an 80s-inspired horror film, did you watch any 80s horror films to prepare for the role?

Honestly, I remember the timeline for everything being pretty tight. Maybe less than two weeks between getting the role and starting shooting. So I think I was more focused on spending time on the script. I maybe The glow around that time…but it was a while ago, so I can’t say for sure if I wore that watch for business or pleasure. Either way, it lived somewhere inside me.

Can you talk about your experience on set? Do you have a favorite memory from the set?

If it wasn’t clear, when we were shooting, I didn’t have much experience with “on-set” environments. Most of my shoots were short films shot on location. I was never on location for more than a day.

So this whole process was kind of a dream. Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was travel up north with friends or family. Just getting away from it all and getting away from the environment to find some peace and relaxation. So all of that was the first part of it… a solo trip four hours north of home to finally do what I had been chasing. It set the tone for the whole experience.

Because of the nature of the shoot, the lower budget, and during the pandemic, we had a pretty small crew. (Note: I didn’t find this out until after the project was finished and we moved on to other sets because I was really amazed by all the talented people surrounding me at every turn. It felt huge in the moment. A testament to the talent.) The small crew allowed for everyone to get to know each other quickly. And this was a passionate and wonderful group and I’m glad I get to see them again at every opportunity. It felt like one big family from day one. And working as a group toward the same goal was just a joy the entire time we were together.

There are too many memories from set to name one as the best, but I’d like to share one that I remember fondly. Towards the end of filming, we finished pretty late one day. Before we went back to the hotel, we all just hung out around the campfire together. We reflected on the day and thought about what had brought us here and what was to come. It’s easy, but at that point, it was nice to just finish a long day of work and relax with the same people who had been by your side the whole time.

This film has an important message and brings awareness to the Indigenous women who are missing across the country. Can you share your reaction as you became more aware of this through working on the film?

Absolutely. As fun as this film is and as fun as it was to make, I can’t talk about it for too long without mentioning that message because it is and was so important to this process. That message is the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) crisis. Working with our cultural advisors and having the guidance of the local Gun Lake and Little River tribes, it’s a really special feeling to have worked on this project knowing that the inspiration came from a devastating issue that has impacted the Indigenous community for far too long. And also, it’s really special to know that members of those tribes were involved in shaping important elements of the story and characters. So I’m tremendously grateful to everyone involved in this film for allowing me to be a part of it and educate myself on an issue that I didn’t know nearly enough about before filming.

And since then, I’ve been able to talk to Indigenous women and hear their first-hand accounts of these tragedies. It makes me feel like I’m part of any educational effort. I feel like I’m part of something much bigger than myself or the film. But the honor is more in being a very small part of a much bigger conversation.

I would urge everyone reading this or watching the film to take some time to understand these issues and continue to raise and spread awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with our readers? Where can they keep up with you on social media?

There are many exciting developments for me. Firstly, I hope to soon start filming the second season of My life with the Walter Boys – on Netflix if you missed the first season. After that… only time will tell. And all other updates about me are best found on my Instagram, @noahlalalalonde !

I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to talk to me today…I’m always honored to participate in conversations, especially about art, which I’m OH-SO lucky to be a part of. Cheers!