INT: Gina Mantegna

Gina
Mantegna plays rich girl Grace with attitude in the upcoming film UNACCOMPANIED
MINORS
(and yes, she’s actor Joe Mantegna’s daughter).
Based on her interview, she seems to understand and embody
her character well. She
describes her character to be a snooty and over confident liar whose
walls are broken down by film’s end. The experience will transform
Grace along with all the other characters.
Check out what she had to say about the film and character.

Gina
Mantegna

We
hear you play the rich girl with attitude.

I
do. I play Grace Conrad.

Can
you describe her a little bit more?

Yeah
sure. She’s kind of the mature one in the group. She’s kinda the
one who falls into it, but not willingly. The interesting thing
about Grace Conrad is unlike the other characters her parents
aren’t divorced, they’re actually divorced from her which
actually quite interesting about her. My parents aren’t divorced.
They’re divorced from me. I’m really the independent one
that’s always kind of leading everyone and I’m mostly the
sarcastic one that kind of brings the negativity to the group and
I’m kind of misunderstood so no one really understands why she’s
like that. I kind of lie to everyone in the beginning telling them I
have a perfect life but then it’s not until later when through all
of the mishap and everything that happens that we all kind of bond
and become ourselves around everyone else.

How
did you get cast for the role?

Well
first of all I went to the first audition and met Paul you know the
director, the producer and Alison Jones the casting director. Right
off the bat I felt something there and I guess he did too and I just
came in a couple more times after that. I didn’t find out until
like a month later that I got the part because it took them forever
to cast my role. But, yeah I actually found out a couple weeks
before I left to come out here.

Now
you grew up in LA and in the industry?

My
dad is also an actor. He’s Joe Mantegna so I’ve kinda grown up
around it, but he never pushed me into doing anything. It was all my
doing.

So
it was inevitable?

I
don’t know. I love doing it. It’s such a natural thing for me.
When I’m in front of the camera you know it’s never freaking out
nervous it’s just something that I’m there and I feel it. A lot
of people are born singers because when they get up on stage they
can just sing and they can feel it. I’m the same way with theatre
and acting and being in front of the camera. It’s just all the
same to me.

You
dad has done a lot of big time theatre.

Yeah
me too. I started in theatre just like him. I got cast the role of
Annie for like my first play and it was the weirdest thing because
everyone is like ‘she got the lead. Like what’s going on’? I
did a bunch of plays after that and I kinda fell into film and here
I am.

How
are you balancing being in the industry and being a normal young
lady?

It’s
not much to balance. I mean I been in as quite of as big of a
picture as this one so it’s kind of difficult doing school and
stuff. But other than that you just keep yourself grounded. You
surround yourself with your friends and family. It’s just work you
know.

Being
in LA you must meet a lot of girls like your character.

Yeah.
I do. I go to school with all Grace Conrad’s. That’s what I
think Paul likes the best. He was telling me a lot of girls came
that were Grace Conrad. They were that girl. They were that rich
prissy girl that liked to be pampered, but deep down inside she was
really sweet. But, you know those girls they didn’t have any
realness to them. They didn’t really understand and I guess the
reason I got this part was because I understand it. I’m around it
so much and I understand. It’s like my world at school.

How
do you not become like them?

Well
I guess it’s my family you know. Just being yourself and the way I
was raised to never get sucked into that. I guess I’ve always been
surround by you know materialism and all that crazy stuff and
jealousy. We all are inundated with that. But my family especially
my dad who always taught me to never get sucked into that whole
crazy cycle of Hollywood and stuff.

Was
there ever a time where you saw any Grace in you?

All
the time. The good part though. I think we all have a little bit of
wanting to be pampered a little bit so.