Photo Credit: Warren Anderson
Please introduce yourself.
Hi! I am Sheri Davis. I am an actress, producer, director, and host of Lone Star Horrors which can be watched on Fear Flix at After Hours Cinema on Roku. I am also a Registered Nurse and Set Medic, which also transitioned into becoming a Covid Compliance Officer for film and television, since the pandemic has begun. I grew up in a small rural town in North Texas. I was a total Tomboy as a child. My parents divorced when I was 4 or 5. I was raised by middle-class working parents and my grandparents who all lived in the same little town of about 3,000 people. I have 3 younger brothers as well, but I think I was still more boy than any of them were because I would much rather have been on my dirtbike, riding horses, playing sports, or anything other than hanging out with other girls. I am also the mom of two beautiful daughters.
What is it that attracts you to the horror genre for your chosen field of creative work?
As a child of the 80s, I was always a huge fan of 70’s and 80s horror. I liked the feeling of suspense and fear that I got from watching horror films. I was lucky to have grown up in the age of the drive-in movie theaters, small town movie theatres, and video stores with VHS tapes.
Who inspires you in your work and in life?
I am inspired by so many people. One of my favorite things to do is to watch or listen to motivational speakers. I am inspired by people who have overcome obstacles and the odds to become successful and to live happy prosperous lives. One of the people that has inspired me most in my life is Dick Hoyt, who just passed on March 17.
The hours that I spent talking to him in person was one filled with tears and so many emotions. As a single mother of a special needs child who had been treated horribly by so many of those specialists who were supposed to be providing answers and help, and Mr. Hoyt with his son Rick who was born a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, we had so many similar stories about how we were treated by doctors or how we were given little hope of our children ever living normal lives. I was also inspired by his love story with his wife Judy who passed in 2010. She founded Kamp for Kids, which allowed children with and without disabilities to go to camp together. Jenny McCarthy is also an inspiration for me because if it wasn’t for her writing her first book about her experience with her autistic son and being very open and honest about all the challenges they faced, I probably wouldn’t have gotten an accurate diagnosis of my daughter.
I literally took her first book, which I had highlighted with yellow marker, purple pen marks, sticky tabs, and notes all over the pages that I made while on an airplane ride to interview for a promotion with the medical device company that I worked for at the time. I had been fighting and been treated like I was crazy or hiding something when trying to get a diagnosis and reading her book was what was my “AHA MOMENT”, I knew that my daughter was autistic, but it was so uncommon to see girls who were autistic and we really didn’t know that much about autism at that time.
Those who inspire me in my work are women who have conquered the odds and have paved the way for others. As an actress, some of my favorite actresses are Jessica Lange, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Julieanne Moore, Sally Field, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon, Kathy Bates, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kelly Reilly, Sarah Paulson, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Brie Larson, Lily Rabe, Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Meryl Streep, Maggie Smith, Shirley MacLaine, and the late Katharine Hepburn, Cicely Tyson, and Bette Davis. I could go on and on…there are just so many incredible actresses of all ages that I could list. I am also hugely inspired by actresses who have become directors, such as Vera Farmiga and Milena Govich.
Women in horror have made great strides, but it’s clear that a lot of work is still needed to make it a most inclusive genre. To you, what is the importance of a movement like Women in Horror Month?
I agree that there is so much work that is still needed to make horror an inclusive genre; however, I do feel that in some ways we have made some strides because there have been so many larger budget horror movies and tv shows with those A-list actresses that have done so well and do believe that it did draw some attention to those of us who are known more for our work in the horror genre.
The importance of Women in Horror Month is to spotlight those of us who are, indeed, known for our work on horror films. It is a month where all of us who work in horror can support one another and also show appreciation to our fans who are so supportive of us, whether it be buying swag or autographs, sending us kind words on social media, coming to conventions to meet us, or buying and watching our films. We wouldn’t be here without our fans, so I wanna give a big shout out to our fans!
What would you tell an up-and-coming creative in the world of horror who sees that being a woman/identifying as a woman as something that makes it so much more difficult at times?
First of all, it ABSOLUTELY is difficult. If you are a beautiful woman, then you are thought of as an airhead or a tramp. If you show your body in movies, then you tend to get less respect from other women, and sometimes men, in this business. If you speak out or speak up for yourself or others or simply for what is right, or have any kind of opinion about anything that isn’t agreeable to the director, producer, etc., well, then that makes you a bitch or difficult to work with.
I gotta say that I have fit into all of the above categories at some point in my career. The latter being the one that I am probably thought of the most, and I am okay with that because it took me many years of living and of working in this business to find my voice. So, my overall advice is to educate yourself on this business, take acting classes, do the research on people before you work with them, and above all, don’t just hop onto any film because you want to be an actress and love what you do. Do as I say, not as I have done…once you act in certain films that media is out there. What seemed like a good idea at the time, isn’t always work that you will be proud of later in your career if you career continues to move upward to bigger budget movies or television.
What are your favorite bits of helpful advice that you have received about your work or your field?
I have received so much good and bad advice during my career as an actress. That’s a tough one! I would have to say that my manager is such a positive voice in my life. He is really big on guiding my career in the direction it needs to be going now by asking me questions that make me think. So, the overall thing would have to be asking myself questions like, “Is this going to help or hinder my career?” “Is this something that I will be proud to have been a part of in a year or in 5-10 years?”
So, my best advice is to ask those questions and be honest with yourself. Are you just taking the role to see your name on the poster or in the credits, add another credit to your IMDb page, or do you truly like the story and believe in the film and the team that is working even more hours than you are to make this film or TV show be a success…answer those honestly and I would have to say that the quantity of the projects might now be as high, but the quality is going to gain you more respect overall, especially if you are trying to navigate your career toward big budget projects.
In honor of celebrating Women in Horror Month, who do you believe viewers should keep an eye on in terms of the creative ladies in horror?
I think that they should keep an eye on all of them because all of the women in horror bring something different to the table and the fans all have their own specific tastes in the horror subgenres and women.
What do you have coming soon that you can talk to us about?
I just recently wrapped on ShadowMarsh, Night of the Tommyknockers, and Clown Motel 2.
I have several films that have not been released yet that I am dying to come out: The Amityville Moon, Bearry, Cold Blooded Killers, Vengeance Girl, Alien Danger! With Raven Van Slender, Stepdaddy, The Downside of Bliss, and What I Meant to Say Was…
I am just about to start filming on It Wants Blood, Alien Danger 2!, Appetite for Sin, Arena Wars, and then Z Dead End, which I am also producing.
I will also be directing a short film titled Drained, and a feature titled With Child
I believe those are the only films that I can talk about at this time. (Laughs)
Pop them links to follow your work here:
Facebook: @SheriDavisActress
Instagram: @sheri.davis
Twitter: @thesheridavis
TikTok is @sheridavis65, which is still a work in progress as I learn how to maneuver that one! LOL!
*Check out my show LONE STAR HORRORS on FEAR FLIX on Roku where you can download it at www.fearflix.net, https://channelstore.roku.com,
Or on After Hours Cinema on Facebook.