Meet Jesse Stanley
This talented and versatile actress/producer is known for playing that perfectly creepy Oracle on SyFy’s hit series “Van Helsing.” In this fifth and final season, Stanley had the opportunity to film in Slovakia to portray the character of Bathory. She can also be spotted in CBS’ “The Stand,” “Raf” and “Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas” She loves the roles as the ‘baddies’ and plays them so well knowing that the character’s don’t see themselves as actually being ‘bad.’ Read about travels to Eastern Europe to film as well as why the role of a Producer is so satisfying.
Colleen Bement: This fifth and final season of “Van Helsing” has such a great storyline of the ancient days of the vampires. What can you tell the fans about the filming experience? Do you have any stories from the set?
Jesse Stanley: Filming overseas in Slovakia was such a privilege. I still can’t believe I was able to travel to Eastern Europe while playing a vampire! The locations are so rich with history, it’s super easy to transport oneself into the world of the show. The Slovakian crew were true professionals and they worked tirelessly across all of the departments to bring our story to life.
Hmmm in terms of a story from the set –
We shot a scene in a wooded area that had been set-dressed as a graveyard. It was an icy cold night in February, the wind was howling and we could barely hear each other’s dialogue. There was a tangible feeling of heaviness, I don’t know how else to describe it. Everyone seemed to be inexplicably on edge. We found out a few hours into shooting that a body had been found earlier in the day, just beyond the clearing where our scene was set. I got chills and I just wanted to get out of there. It felt like we were trespassing on a site that needed to be respected and where something extremely bleak had just taken place.
CB: Your character of The Oracle is super creepy and amazing. How do you get yourself in the mindset to play someone so creepy?
JS: Thank you! You know, I don’t find it too difficult to tap into her mindset once I understand what her motivations are. Maybe this says something about me!? In general, I find playing ‘baddies’ really fun. They tend to be the driving engine of a lot of the narrative, and as an actor, you usually have more freedom to make bold, dynamic character choices than the heroes. I try not to think of the Oracle as ‘bad’ while I’m playing her though because she doesn’t see herself that way.
CB: Do you have other projects in the works that you’re allowed to share?
JS: I can’t say too much about a current project because it’s still in the making, but it involved a tiny cast and crew isolating together in a cabin in the woods during early covid. It was highly collaborative, and we all worked ourselves to the brink of collapse, but that’s my favorite way to work.
CB: I see that you’ve produced a couple of projects. What do you enjoy about producing versus acting?
JS: I am admittedly a bit of a control freak, so elements of the producer role really satisfy that quality in me. I like being able to have a hand in assembling the cast and crew to carry out the vision and having more creative control over that vision than an actor typically does. I still consider myself a novice producer with major gaps in my knowledge, so I have immense respect for the veterans of the industry who understand all the intricacies of getting a project off the ground and then steering it through production.
CB: What do you enjoy during your time away from the set?
JS: I’ve gotten really into hand-built pottery during the pandemic! Spending so much time at home forced me to find a new creative hobby, and I now have an attic full of unglazed ceramic undertakings that should probably be thrown out.
Follow Jesse on Instagram and catch up with “Van Helsing.”
Written by Colleen Bement
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
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