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‘Ghost Wars’ exclusive interview: Jesse Moss talks ghosts and horror
Prepare yourself as spirits of the dead start closing in on a small Alaskan town in Syfy’s new supernatural thriller, Ghost Wars (premiered aired Oct 5th). The show revolves around a small town that is cut off from the rest of civilization. As an army of ghosts invades the town, its residents must come together if they are to survive.
Jesse Moss (Whistler; Prozac Nation) stars alongside Vincent D’Onofrio, Kim Coates, and Meat Loaf in the new series where he plays Deputy Norm Waters. Ghost Wars focuses on local outcast Roman Mercer (Avan Jogia) who struggles against the town’s prejudices and his own repressed psychic abilities. Mercer must overcome his personal demons to help save the rest of the town from the mass haunting threatening to destroy them all.
I had the opportunity to interview Moss ahead of the show’s series premiere. Read on as he delivers some insight on what we can expect.
BRAD ZIPPRICH OF PURE FANDOM: From what we have seen in the trailers, this show is taking on a different approach to the supernatural than other shows we have seen. Can you elaborate about the series?
MOSS: For sure. Ghost Wars is set in a remote Alaskan town that has been overrun by paranormal forces, the series focuses on local outcast Roman Mercer who must overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal demons if he’s to harness his repressed psychic powers and save everyone from the mass haunting that’s threatening to destroy them all.
The show packs a punch with some scares that will truly chill audiences to the bone, but the heart of the show lies with the townspeople. It’s really about their relationships and how they deal with this crisis. There are two schools of thought. One stems from religion and whether or not we have to atone for past sins. The other takes a scientific approach to the afterlife. Regardless of what school you’re in, however, the ghosts come for us all.
What can you tell us about your character, Deputy Norm Waters?
Deputy Norm Waters is not the most ambitious man at the start of the show, nor the most courageous. Being a police officer was just a job to him. He never wanted to be a hero. The events that happen in town, however, propel him into a position of responsibility. It’s not a position he feels comfortable in, but he must attempt to overcome his fears in order to save himself and the ones he loves.
How remote is the town is Port Moore, Alaska where this series is set?
Port Moore, Alaska is about as remote and as isolated as you can get. During the winter months, it is completely cut off from the rest of the world. In the summer months, you can only reach it by boat or the one bridge it has connecting it to the mainland.
As this is a supernatural show with quite a few spirits being seen in the trailers, how much of the shooting was practical effects versus CGI?
I would say we used enhanced practical. We would usually have something on set to react to, but in post, they’ll use their magic to make that thing ten times more scary.
Since this is a show about ghosts, I have to ask, have you had any ghostly encounters yourself?
I can’t say that I have personally had any experiences with ghosts, but Meat Loaf swears he saw a ghost at one of our locations. If Meat said it, I believe it.
You are in the movie STILL/BORN, which is currently making the festival rounds. What can you tell us about that movie?
STILL/BORN is about a young couple who are meant to have twins but lose one in childbirth. The mother doesn’t handle the loss well and begins to spiral into a postpartum depression. She begins to believe that a demon took their first baby and is coming for the other one. The question throughout the film is whether it’s all in her head or if there really is a supernatural force trying to take their baby. I play the husband and father trying to hold it all together while my wife unravels.
At the moment you are currently out of the country right working on a new project. Can you talk about what you are working on?
I’m in Tbilisi, Georgia at the moment shooting a film called Daddy’s Girl. It’s a horror/thriller about a couple who abducts women to torture and kill them. I play another deputy, Deputy Scott Wallace, who is attempting to figure out who is behind these grisly murders and bring them to justice.
How can people follow your adventures on social media
Last but not least, since Halloween is right around the corner and you are no stranger to the horror genre, what is your favorite horror movie?
I love Sci-fi, as well as horror, so I think for me the Alien series takes the cake.
Ghost Wars premiers Thursday, October 5at 10/9C
Featured image Kristine Cofsky
