Off Off Pod - Episode 031 - Actor Mindy Raymond

Mindy getting made up for Bigfoot action

Mindy Raymond and C. Thomas Howell

The stars of Bigfoot Wars

Mindy Raymond in The Adventures of Pepper and Paula

I've moved to Austin, and actor Mindy Raymond is a new friend I met at a pool party given by my friends, Brad and Melissa Coolidge (see exciting news about their big movie project at the bottom of this post).

While swimming around, Mindy mentioned this project she'd done with C. Thomas Howell called Bigfoot Wars that promised the potential cult status of a Sharknado, and I was all over that!  I knew we needed to have an interview about her experience making that movie.

Right after Bigfoot Wars, because of the great work she did and a new connection she made on set, she was cast in a family movie called The Adventures of Paula and Pepper based in part on a real woman with the stage name of "Pistol Packin' Paula" who is a modern day Annie Oakley-type persona here in Texas.

Mindy is a charming, bubbly, positive force, and I hope you'll enjoy our talk!

By the way, there were a few awesome attractions here in Austin mentioned during the course of the interview, so here are some links you might find helpful if you're ever visiting the Austin area:

1) the Austin Steam Train in Cedar Park,
2) Hamilton Pool, an amazing natural grotto,
3) Natural Bridge Caverns and
4) Enchanted Springs Ranch and old west town.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Hello to Mindy… and what do you call more than one Bigfoot? (2:24)
• How Mindy got the acting bug (3:32)
• Yoga in Mindy's life (9:17)
• Mindy and Nate (12:04)
• A little about Austin near the Lakeway area (13:49)
• Finding acting work in Austin (16:27)
• Top 3 things to do in Austin (21:12)
• Mindy directs a short film (25:19)
• Teaching classes at 4 Reelz (28:48)
• Talking about Bigfoot Wars experience … and how cool Alamo Drafthouse is (29:54)
• Audition process for Bigfoot Wars (37:48)
• Talking about the Bigfoot legend… please don't kill Bigfoot! (40:30)
• Talking about The Adventures of Pepper and Paula (43:48)
• "Bizarre, Interesting or Horrible Audition Stories" (49:35)

I mentioned my friends, Brad and Melissa Coolidge above (and this interview was actually taped in their guest house, so you'll hear us mention at the end how they got stuck in a sudden downpour).  They are co-executive producers of an AMAZING movie that I saw screened 2 nights ago here in Austin at the Violet Crown called The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and an amazing all-star supporting cast.  It's in theaters.  Go see it now!