Heather Callahan-Stevens Talks About House of Horrors: Kidnapped

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Q: What is House of Horrors: Kidnapped?

Heather: The Investigation Discovery channel has created a show that tells the stories of kidnapping victims and how they have managed to out-maneuver or otherwise escape their captors. My episode, Hospital of Horrors, tells the story of Margie Wyler, a nurse who protects her patients when a gunman bursts into her maternity ward and threatens to blow up the hospital.

 

Q: How did you play her?

Heather: I was the lead character in the episode. She is a resilient nurse who was taken hostage along with her patients, including a woman from the maternity ward. In fact, she had to deliver a baby while appeasing the erratic and violent captor and convincing him to surrender peacefully.

 

Q: What was interesting about the making of that show? What did you enjoy most?

Heather: I liked the fact that this character went through a full range of emotions. She wasn’t just a victim, she negotiated with the gunman for better conditions in which to deliver the baby, and mediated with the authorities for his surrender. However, during the ordeal, they were instructed to write farewell letters to their families and it was not at all clear that they would get out of the situation with their lives.  She went from being overwhelmed to coming to grips with the situation and finally overcoming it.

 

Q: What did you appreciate about the experience? 

Heather: I really like the work of Nate Scripture and DP Stefan Wiesen. I learned quite a bit from watching the decisions that they made and shots that they took. In fact, the entire cast and crew worked so well together, it was easy to fall into character and genuinely bond with each other.

 

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