You may know Beatrice Boepple as a younger Amanda Krueger from 1989's "Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child." She confronts the evil of her wicked bastard son of a hundred maniacs, Freddy Krueger, helping the teen heroine (Lisa Wilcox) find a way of vanquishing the dream killer, at least till the next sequel. Unfortunately, Boepple never did get a chance to do a reprise. You might also recognize Beatrice from small roles in "Shoot to Kill" with Sidney Poitier, "Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfuss and some notable Canadian films where she played either a terrorist or a troubled girl. Still, it may surprise you to discover that Beatrice has also worked with Johnny Depp and a legend in her own right, oh, let's not spoil it here. Keep reading to find out who.
1.) How did you get the last name Boepple? Is it a German name and were one of your parents German?
Beatrice Boepple: My biological father was Paul Boepple, a Swiss choral director from Basil, Switzerland, which is in the Germanic region of Switzerland (as opposed to the French regions). So the surname Boepple is from the Swiss side of my family. However, since you asked, my maternal grandmother was German. Her family name was Schuchardt. She married my grandfather, Dau-Lin Hsu, who was Chinese, so I am a true mixed-breed, in my case, “Euro-Asian”!
2.) Was acting a major, passionate goal for you in life? Tell me about the origins of it, specifically if there were any theatre roles? I ask because the first role listed on IMDB is the 1986 TV series "The Beachcombers?"
BB: Acting was always a passion of mine. I performed in my very first play when I was 5 years old, living in Japan! I could not yet speak any Japanese, so they didn’t give me any lines. I played a lamb in a Nativity play they put on in my Japanese Kindergarten! After that, I always took part in my school plays, even winning the “best actress” trophy in middle school in Canada! When it came time to decide where to go for college, I was torn between Equestrian Schools to find a career working with horses, or an acting school. My local University, University of Victoria in BC Canada, had a great theatre department and was so much more affordable than Equestrian schools, so that is how I made my decision between my two passions. I did quite a lot of live theatre before landing my first paid TV role, which was "The Beachcombers," as you mentioned. I had done a number of commercials and radio dramas before that, but "Beachcombers" was my first TV gig, and I played the guest star in that iconic Canadian TV series. It sure taught me a lot about the power of editing, and the huge difference between stage and film – especially in close-ups!
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| Beatrice Boepple as Amanda Krueger in Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child |
BB: When I was living in LA, I shared a lovely agent/manager who had a very small clientele consisting of myself, Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen & Renee Estevez. This agent was the one that got me the audition for "NOES 5." She said that Stephen Hopkins was an up and coming director and that it would be a good career move to work with him. I went in to audition in front of Stephen, two of the producers and one of the writers. I have no idea who else was up for the role because they had me read Amanda’s lines, and we discussed the film and the role for quite a bit. I even sang for them, to show the spooky sound I could create and they ended up hiring me on the spot, which is the only time that ever happened in my career! You normally have to wait at least a few days, and come back for numerous call backs before landing a role (unless you are a big A list star, which, clearly I was not!). I have to be honest though… the sheer magnitude of what it meant to play the mother of such an icon of horror never really seeped in till years and years later.
4.) From what I recall, "Nightmare on Elm Street 5" was an extremely rushed production. It could not have been easy for you, especially the bloody birth scene uttering such lines (which you said with great conviction) like "That is no creature of God!"
BB: You are correct in that filming on #5 was extremely rushed! We had multiple sets and scenes being shot at the SAME TIME!! Re-writes were happening on a daily basis, almost hour to hour, and everyone was everywhere at once. But it was a blast! The cast members were so much fun to hang out with, the sets were so amazing to look at, and it was magical seeing how these fantastical scenes would all come together! My bloody birth scene was definitely bloody, to say the least. We had a cat hidden in a blanket that they used to portray baby Freddy when they first pull him out of me and he leaps out of the nun/nurses hands. I wasn’t yet a mother in real life at the time, so had never given birth, but I just recalled times of great physical challenge and pain, and I think it came out fairly realistically. We had a lot of fun filming it, fake blood and all!
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| Boepple in 1987's Stakeout |
5.) Your other movie credits include roles in "Shoot to Kill" with Sidney Poitier and "Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez. What were those experiences like, it is not like every actor gets to work with such renown actors like Poitier or playing Estevez's girlfriend?
BB: Getting to work with great actors is one of the highlights of my acting career. Getting to meet Sidney Poitier was wonderful, and I LOVED working with Richard Dreyfuss & Emilio Estevez. Both Richard & Emilio are so down to earth, warm and supportive. I played Emilio’s WIFE (not girlfriend) and we had such a hoot both on and off set. Mickey Rooney was another legend I got to work with (Beatrice played Kelly Haskins, the TV reporter, in "The (New) Adventures of the Black Stallion", season 2, episode #26 called "Ties that Bind" that aired in 1992 starring Rooney) but Katherine Hepburn, I must say, was the one actress I was privileged to work with, whom truly I felt star-struck with on set. But she, too, was so down to earth and lovely to work with. The project that I got to work with her on was a 1988 made-for-TV film titled "Laura Lansing Slept Here" where I played Ms. Hepburn's character's literary agent secretary. My scenes were cut, so I get no credit for that show. I might see if I can find the cut clips, if not long ago thrown away. It would just be amazing to have clips of myself working with Katherine... such a legend!
Yes, it was a true honor to have been able to work with so many great actors, but while the camera was rolling, it would always only be whatever character I was playing, interacting with whatever character they were playing. While the camera rolled, there was no distinction between the famous and the not famous. THAT only showed in the size of our dressing rooms and the extra treats some of us got! LOL!!
6.) I'll be honest, I never heard of the 1989 Canadian flick "Quarantine," (not an easy film to locate) what was that film all about since it is, I gather, your one main lead film role? The 1989 Canadian TV Movie "Matinee" was your sole TV lead role, correct?
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| Boepple in 1989's Quarantine |
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| Boepple in 1989's Matinee |
7.) What role did you play on the TV series "21 Jump Street" considering you were appearing with another Elm Street alum, Johnny Depp?
BB: I played the role of Kerri Munroe on Episode 9 of the first season. Kerri was a high school student, who’s class Johnny’s character joins, and he & I end up on the school’s Scholastic team that wins our way all the way to the championships. Though Johnny was very friendly to me, he seemed like a bored trouble maker, and I was frustrated by the pranks he kept playing on set. In hindsight, he must have been frustrated being cast in such a run-of-the-mill teen heart throb role where he didn’t have room to show his true, much richer acting chops, which we all have seen in his wide array of characters he has played ever since!
8.) Are you looking to return to acting in these visual mediums or in any other capacity?
BB: I have thought about returning to acting, in about 3 years or so, when my kids are all off to college. I would love to play a really scary, creepy old lady (or even an old man – the wonders of makeup & wigs! And chest binding, I suppose!). I’m looking forward to an age where I don’t have to worry about being the “pretty young thing”, and can focus 100% on just being GOOD! LOL!
9.) Aside from say a "dream" role such as a full-scale Amanda Krueger movie, what dream role would you have loved to have played in your career?
BB: Well, I am still alive (knock wood!) so we don’t need to keep it in past tense. What dream role would I LOVE to play? A really strong character that gets to really explore a wide range of emotion, and a character that somehow changes/grows within the film. I don’t care so much about the genera of the film; just that it is well written and the characters are multi-dimensional, as we all are! Anyone have a script for me??
10.) Is it fun going to conventions and meeting fans, possibly 90 percent who know you as Amanda Krueger?
BB: My goodness YES!! I LOVE meeting fans. And Elm Street fans are so devoted and enthusiastic! It is purely the fans that have kept this franchise alive! If not for the fans, 90% of us who were in these films would be long-forgotten. It’s such a blessing to learn that work I’ve done so long ago has had such an impact on so many people, and to know that our work touched people’s lives. I only wish I got invited to more conventions! If any of you want to meet me in person for a chat, a photo, an autograph, get your friends and anyone you know to write to a convention you plan to go to, and do a writing campaign requesting me. THAT is how we get to these conventions. Fans, and/or awesome agents who plug their clients!
