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Chantelle Albers is not your typical Hollywood starlet. She's a chameleon on the scene, always eager to take on new roles and expand her skill set. And with her recent starring role in the new Lionsgate film Two Sinners and a Mule, alongside Cam Gigandet and Hannah James, it's clear that Chantelle is making her mark in the industry.
But Chantelle's journey to Hollywood success has been anything but typical. She grew up on a ranch in North Dakota, where she learned to ride horses at the age of four. She's always had a deep love for animals, and her concern for their well-being has made her a strong advocate for animal rights.
After graduating from North Dakota State University with a degree in Theatre Performance, Chantelle moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of acting. She quickly made a name for herself in the industry, working in a variety of genres from comedy to horror, drama to westerns. And all the while, she remained active in live shows, constantly pushing herself to explore new characters and stories.
But Chantelle's talents don't end with acting. She's also a skilled producer, and she produced and starred in the female horror film The 6th Friend, which is currently streaming on Amazon, Tubi, and Movie Central. The film had a limited theatrical release with Cinemark Theatre and went on to win numerous Best Feature, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress awards.
With all of her success in the industry, it's clear that Chantelle is a force to be reckoned with. And her dedication to animal rights only adds to her appeal as a rising star in Hollywood. When she's not working on set, Chantelle can often be found walking her beloved dog Marley, whom she rescued from the streets. And when she came across a feral dog in need, she didn't hesitate to take him in and give him the love and care he deserved.
Chantelle Albers is not just a Hollywood actress - she's a passionate and dedicated artist who is always pushing herself to be better. And with her star on the rise, there's no telling where her talents will take her next.
You have worked in various genres from horror to Westerns. What has been your favorite genre to work in so far?
You know, it’s hard to pick just one genre because they both are so vast and different. They both require a deep emotional connection to the circumstances of the characters, but there is also comedic relief in both. Westerns definitely add elements of the outdoors as well as working with animals, and horror can have its own elements of special effects and suspense that are needed to build up. I have to say though, comedy is truly one of my favorite genres to play and it always has been.
You produced and starred in the female horror film, The 6th Friend. What inspired you to create a female-driven horror film, and how was the experience of producing the film?
The 6th Friend is a female horror film that was inspired by horror films from the 90s like Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. We were inspired by the group aspect of those films and the relationship of the characters and friendships. There was a lot of intensity and mystery within the storyline, and they both feature a mysterious killer that leaves his mark and then vanishes. We wanted to do that with an all-female cast and really show the friendship between the girls while adding comedic banter to the dialogue. We also wanted to ensure there were some fun one-liners with the witty banter.
You have been an advocate for animal rights for a long time. How did your love for animals begin, and how do you continue to support animal welfare causes?
I grew up on a farm where my family raised open-range cattle and I have always been around cows, horses, dogs, and cats my whole life. When you work with animals that closely you develop a connection with them, and you see the intelligence that is in all living things. You see an animal’s emotion and how they can feel fear and joy just as much as we can. I’ve seen it in the pasture, where a mother cow was looking for her calf, and she ran to us bellering for help. When I pointed to another calf she looked at where I was pointing and ran to the calf. You feel empathy for an animal that feels distressed when they are searching for their young.
You grew up on a ranch in North Dakota and learned to ride horses at a young age. Do you think your upbringing has influenced your love for animals and your acting career?
Growing up on a ranch allowed me to start riding horses at an early age, and it’s something that I’ve always enjoyed and had a lot of fun doing. I’m glad that I was able to utilize my skills of riding in a movie. I feel like my upbringing influenced my love for animals. I was in 4-H as a kid, and I was able to work with animals and “show” heifers that way. My brother and I, and all the other local farm kids were in 4-H, and we all had our own animals to show, and projects to present. You can learn a lot about the land through 4-H and how crops and plants grow. I grew up riding along in the tractor with my dad while he put in the yearly crops in all the fields. I would say growing up on a ranch had always been a good escape because it’s the opposite of acting. It's nice to have a balance of both.
In Their Finest Hour, you played Pamela Churchill, a British socialite. How did you prepare for the role, and what challenges did you face portraying such a well-known historical figure?
It was amazing working with The Actors Studio on this production. I first started out, brushing up and perfecting my British accent for the role, because I wanted to make sure I had the proper dialect for the accent. Doing research on Pamela was also quite fascinating because of the life that she lived. I was able to research history and take in her personality, the choices she made in life, and what drove her to make those decisions. She lived quite an exciting life and had a lot of accomplishments, as well as scandals. We all have insecurities and deep emotions, hidden within us that not everyone gets to see it. I was glad that I was able to bring that out of Pamela at the end of the show, so the audience could see her tender side. The final scene with Edward Murrow is pretty heart-wrenching, even though it was based on a scandal.
What is your process for preparing for a new role, and how do you bring your own unique perspective to your characters?
To me, having a strong relationship with your other actors and characters is very important. It’s obvious on screen and on stage when there is chemistry between the other actors and a strong relationship, and when there's not. It’s important to be present in the scene with each other so that you’re all in the same world, and not acting to yourselves individually. The audience can see the disconnect. Getting to know your character so that you can figure out their relationship to the other people in the script is important, as well as having chemistry with your fellow actors. It reads on screen when you don’t have chemistry. My process for preparing a new role is reading the script, many times, and figuring out the mindset of my character. Figure out what drives them and makes them make the choices that they make. When you study your character, figure out the relationship dynamic between them and the other characters in the script. To me, acting is feeling real emotion, and when you’re riding the wave with a costar you connect with, the emotions and connections come naturally, and it makes it mesmerizing.
You have expanded your skill set by learning new accents, ballroom dancing, and fight choreography. What motivates you to continually improve your craft, and how do you approach learning new skills?
Well, I just think all of that is fun to do! I love learning stage combat and fight choreography as well as dancing and exploring new accents. It’s entertaining and fun to study. I also really love being a filmmaker and producing films. Making movies and producing them is a great education on filmmaking outside of acting. I feel like producing made me a better actor because I can see the full picture of how a film is made and completed. As an actor, you often only tend to see one side of the film in the process. Knowing how to handle the business end as well as the technical aspect of a film is just as important as acting when being a filmmaker.
You have won numerous awards for your work in the 6th Friend, including Best Feature and Best Actress. How did being recognized for your work feel, and how has it impacted your career?
Well, it was a great honor to have that recognition for a movie that I was so close to. Acting and producing is always a challenge because you’re wearing so many hats and there’s a lot to keep track of in addition to Acting. I guess it feels really good to complete a project and to be one of the creators of the movie as well as one of the lead actors that drives the story and gives it a surprise ending! Melissa in The 6th Friend was a great character study because she’s so out there and crazy. I wanted her personality at the beginning of the film to be the same at the end of the film, even though we see her as a completely different person. Alice on the other hand, in Two Sinners and a Mule, is a God-fearing woman of faith that wants to change her ways and start anew. Totally different mindset and personality from Melissa.
What can we expect to see from you in the future, and are there any particular roles or genres that you would like to explore?
I’ve actually got 3 projects that I’m in negotiations with right now that I’m really excited about. We’re still in the beginning stages of them so I’m not able to talk about it. But another passion of mine, that I would like to accomplish is to go overseas on a missionary trip. I really admire how Tim Tebow is doing that with his wife. It's something outside of acting that I would really want to explore and do this year. I've had a calling for it for a couple of years now and I think I am ready to go for it.
