Tania Raymonde Talks ‘Walden,’ ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ And Indie Filmmaking

Walden centers on Walden Dean (Emile Hirsch), a stenographer who takes justice in his own hands in order to make a difference. Tania Raymonde is Detective Sally Hunt, one of the officers who believes Walden is a prime suspect in a series of murders within their small town. Raymonde talked to Deepest Dream about her latest film and she also reflects on her time working with Billy Bob Thornton in Goliath.

Along with Tania Raymonde and Emile Hirsch, Walden co-stars Kelli Garner (Walden’s prospective love interest), David Keith (the town judge) and Shane West (Sally Hunt’s police officer partner). The feature is now available On Demand and On Digital. We reviewed Walden on this week’s CinemAddicts; co-host Eric Holmes and I both recommend the feature. Bruce Purkey was not in agreement with our praise. Most importantly, let us know your thoughts on the film!

On my CinemAddicts Facebook group, someone mentioned this film called The Shop Around the Corner starring James Stewart. I remember as a kid thinking, I really want to be somewhere involved in the movies just after watching that film. I haven’t seen that movie for maybe 40 years and it just brought back some memories. Do you remember just right off the top, a movie that maybe inspired you to go into this artist track or this acting track when you were a child? 

Tania Raymonde: Yeah, well, I didn’t really watch too many movies as a kid. I kind of watched the same movies obsessively over and over. I was like, totally almost blind. Like really, really bad eyesight. So I would stare at the TV, like inches from the screen and watch. 

The first thing I ever watched hundreds of times over was The Wizard of Oz. It was a masterpiece. The best movie ever made, like I couldn’t think of. I didn’t even think it was a movie. I probably believed it was real life!

But in terms of film (that inspired me) to be an actor, it’s got to be Chinatown. That’s like the best movie ever made in my opinion. It’s still my number one. It’s the movie my dad watched with me when I was a kid. He had really good taste in movies, and we love Roman Polanski. I think I must have been like 12 years old when I first saw it.

I watch it every month, every year, forever. 

Because it was a twisted love story, or the film noirish stylings of it all?

Tania Raymonde: Being from LA, (it’s) a really great movie about Los Angeles. I grew up here. I lived here my whole life. I love the kind of Raymond Chandler-esque film noir genre. I always have. 

Even when I was young, I found it very glamorous. Jack Nicholson – we watched all of his movies, too, when I was a kid, and he’s just he’s so perfect in that movie.

And the writing, like the intrigue in that crazy puzzle box of story that keeps unfolding, where you’re always just one step behind what’s really happening. I like to like to read a lot, too, and it just followed the story so beautifully. (It has) the perfect rhythm and flow (for a) thriller. 

If I’m perfectly honest. Yeah, that’s my number one. That’s the one I keep going back to always.

I feel there is a puzzle box element to Walden. I see a lot of films, and I always felt a step behind the narrative, which is a great compliment, I think. And. Did you feel that this was a very unique story, as far as the reason why you wanted to be a part of this whole ensemble? 

Tania Raymonde: I kind of felt the same way too, especially even watching it at the screening. It was surprising because the movie does really kind of take a very weird turn. And that was sort of, I think the intent of the director and the actors. 

What drew me to this was I just found the profession so fascinating. I never even paid attention to stenography or what a stenographer really did. I always found it to be such a weird job in the courtroom, and no one ever really paid attention to them. And what are these people like? Typing all day long. 

From someone who has acted in courtroom dramas and played lawyers and played defendants and prosecutors and people accused of crimes, I never, ever thought about the stenographer. So to put that kind of person at the center of a bloody revenge thriller, I found kind of funny and charming. I like the tone of the script. So yeah, that was a huge draw for me. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tania Raymonde (@tania.raymonde)

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

A bloody revenge thriller is a way to get people to watch this movie. And I think that’s a really great way to as a genre, it works. But were you surprised when you saw it yourself that there’s a little bit more layers to this than meets the eye? And can you speak to that? Because in a twisted way, this is also about trying to stand up and make a difference in your own life and moving past trauma. 

Tania Raymonde: Well, yeah. And, you know, the justice system is very frustrating.  I think that’s why these, like, crime vigilantes, like sort of Robin Hood’s for that try to, you know, give back to the people who deserve it and punish the ones who don’t. That (type of story is) really attractive to people. 

You almost wish sometimes that justice system could have worked more swiftly that way. Of course. Look, (Emile Hirsch’s character is) a little bit of a psychopath, let’s be honest. 

But there’s an interesting moral question to be asked. And I think that coupled with the Emile performance, which was really not emphasizing him as some kind of a creep. (He was) a troubled young, quirky man that had been through trauma and is really trying to do the right thing. That’s when it makes it interesting. 

That’s what differentiates this from him just being some mindless serial killer that’s perpetrating violence because that’s stupid and boring. The movie kind of begins in a slower pace of like a small town, like cute little southern town drama is sort of what it feels like, and things slowly start just getting more and more warped as it gets, as it goes on. 

What was Mick Davis  like as a director? Because again, I’m going to watch rewatch this again and try to pick up some clues along the way. I just thought the performances were all really wonderful, no matter how big or how small. It was just a very perfectly balanced film, just what it was like collaborating with him. 

Tania Raymonde: Oh, he’s like a he’s like a rock star director. He’s got tons of energy, he’s Scottish. So he’s like, you know, he does not have an American disposition. Which is really fun, because these movies you shoot relatively quickly. 

Indie films are always very fast paced. You don’t have a lot of time. You know, you’re moving multiple locations all the time, and there are  always challenges involved in making an indie film. He was always on Walden’s side or every protagonist’s side in the story and never condemned anyone and wasn’t really interested in super gratuitous violence. 

He sort of  reveled in the gleeful aspect of of of Walden’s killing sprees, which is good. That’s kind of what the movie is for and what it’s about. But yeah, I had a great time with Mick. I think everybody did. 

What was it like working with Billy Bob Thornton on Goliath? And what are people who have not seen the show missing?

Tania Raymonde: Firstly, if you are a fan of Raymond Chandler and film noir, this TV show is literally the TV embodiment of that. That was always the case since the beginning. 

On a personal level, I’ve never had more fun acting with anyone in my entire life. Billy Bob is truly the coolest cat on planet Earth. I miss acting with him so much. If someone told me like, you can do like two movies every year for the next 20 years, but they’re only going to be Billy Bob movies and you would not do anything else, like I’d say, “yeah, sign me up!”

Just from an acting perspective and him being such a cool person – I’ve never, ever had a better experience on anything I do. I’ve worked with really, really lovely people. I’ve been super lucky.  Our characters’ relationship in (Goliath) was a really lovely one, and it mirrored the friendship that we had in real life. 

It was just it was a big pleasure to be able to work with them for so long and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And he’s just fantastic in the show because he’s Billy Bob, like. It’s effortless for him. And yet I think he’s one of the greatest actors that ever lived. 

When you work on such an acclaimed production like Goliath, does it change the way you look at your job, or maybe the stuff that comes along your way?

Tania Raymonde: I think the only difference is that, you know, when you work on something like Goliath with guys like Billy Bob Thornton, William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Maria Bello, I mean, we had Amy Brenneman, Bruce Dern was in the last season. (It was an) incredible cast, J.K. Simmons, etc.. Nina Arianda is one of the main characters in the show. She’s fantastic.

When you work with these guys, they make your job so easy. You really have to do nothing. That’s what’s so nuts. The best actors give themselves to you almost completely, to the point where you’re like, am I doing anything? Is this even good? Because it’s like a cakewalk with these guys. And that’s their genius, you know?

But does it inform my choices moving forward? Maybe I wouldn’t want to play the exact same character in some show that was the exact same. But I mean, to be honest, there’s so many scripts out there and so many variations on the on the theme that like, I can’t really think that way, to be honest, because I also personally have very eclectic tastes. I don’t only just want to do one kind of thing, I don’t need to just be on prestige TV shows. if I’m interested in the character and the project, I’ll do it. That’s the only thing that matters to me. So, you know, hopefully it’s I’m able to continue that way.

So obviously I’m going to recommend Walden. I will eventually see Goliath. From your resume, can you recommend maybe a movie that you’ve worked on that you feel is maybe underrated and you would like us to check out?

Tania Raymonde: This is a little while ago. I’ve got a couple of movies that are coming out soon that will be good. But they’re not, they’re not released. I was in a really, really weird movie. This will be the weirdest storyline you’ve ever heard in your life. Okay, here’s the logline. A group of kind of druggy, deadbeat janitors in Seattle that clean out office buildings at night, clean out the trash, and the office building of of a food testing company and eat some of the genetically modified cookies out of the trash.

As a result, the male janitors get impregnated with little blue fish that they give birth to out of their a**. What do you think about that?

I think I’m going to buy the pitch!

Tania Raymonde: Yeah. So it’s a so it’s a crazy movie by this artist named David Russo made that went to Sundance, and it’s called The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. So if anybody’s looking for a weird movie that’s hilarious and you will never see this kind of movie ever again – I would suggest that one.

Thanks so much for your time. I really enjoyed Walden as well.

Tania Raymonde: Oh, good. I’m so glad. Thank you!

Catch Walden on Digital and On Demand! Let us know your thoughts on the movie!

***We receive a slight commission if you purchase/rent Walden on Amazon.