2 weeks Ago
A film star who grew up in Brighton has shared her love for the city. Gabrielle Ryan, has most recently starred in new thriller Drop, which also features White Lotus star Meghann Fahy, alongside Brandon Sklenar, who appeared in movies such as 1923 and It Ends With Us. The actress, who has also appeared in series Power Book IV: Force, studied at Brighton College where she developed her love for acting.
The 33-year-old said: “I love Brighton, I should be an ambassador! Growing up in Brighton was so lovely. I love coming back. “It’s such an eclectic place.
There are certain things you realise when leaving the city, that you took for granted and weren’t the norm in other places. “When I’m out in America, I used to always say I’m from London but now I say I’m from a place called Brighton and everyone knows where it is.” Gabrielle explained how the opportunity to audition for Drop happened.
“We were just coming out of the actor strike which was really insane," she said. Read more: Hero bus driver saves the day by returning passenger home in the middle of the night "I did a tape first; I definitely loved the role but didn’t really think anything of it. It was when I was called for the Zoom, I thought ‘let’s do this’.
“I met with the directors and did the scenes again over Zoom in my grandma’s apartment with no light. I didn’t expect to be having it.” The movie follows a woman’s first date which takes a terrifying turn.
Gabrielle plays the role of Cara, a bartender at the restaurant. Despite being set in Chicago, the film was shot in Northern Ireland. “They built an entire restaurant from scratch, aesthetically it was so beautiful," said Gabrielle.
"Everything was working, even the till you could properly input in it. It was pretty cool. “They also built lights into the restaurant, so they never had to properly light the scenes as it was ready, which was so amazing.
” (Image: Gabrielle Ryan) Gabrielle described what it was like working with the cast. “It was so much fun. The director, Christopher Landon, he was a joy to work with.
He’s the king of horror and thriller. “And the whole cast was so awesome, there were even a couple of UK and local hirers which was lovely.” The movie first premiered in cinemas on April 11.
“My mum accompanied me to a private screening a month before it premiered," said Gabrielle. "Her mouth was open a few times, she even turned to me and said, ‘you didn’t tell me how violent it was going to be’. “And pretty incredibly my dad flew 12 hours from Sussex to LA to come to the one-night premiere and accompany me on the red carpet.
It’s been epic, the feedback has been great. Gabrielle encouraged people to watch the movie in the cinema, rather than at home, describing the immersive nature of the movie. “Definitely go and see it on the big screen," she said.
"I know some people wait until things go on streaming platforms but it’s so much better on the big screen. “It’s fun in the cinema because people are usually quite vocal and it’s a very immersive experience.”.
