‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ Interview: The Dashing Dana DeLorenzo Part II

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Dana DeLornezo and Ray Santiago as Kelly and Pablo in ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’-Courtesy of Strz

1428: That is super awesome. Just awesome. And it only speaks to how down-to-earth Campbell is. He just seems like such a regular guy, in the best and most complimentary of ways. While he’s brilliant in his craft, he seems like the basketball coach at the local high school.

DD: He is brilliant! It takes someone highly intelligent to play someone as dumb as Ash Williams. You can’t be stupid and play stupid.

1428: What a quote. I love that

DD: It’s true haha, The guy has an endless memory. He has so many stories, and tells them in amazing detail, in such captivating ways. The same way Sam (Raimi) does. Just anecdotes of either his life, or his experiences, to the current book he’s reading. I could just listen to him telling stories around a campfire all day. It’s honestly been one of my favorite experiences on the show, just being around Bruce. When he just talks, gives advice, or makes us all laugh. He’s a very brilliant man.

1428: Awesome, that’s what I like to hear. You never hear anyone in the industry every say anything negative about the guy.

DD: The thing is you can’t!

1428: Haha cool cool. So I just have a few more questions. I know you’re busy and I don’t want to take up too much of your time.

DD: No no, we can go over. I want you to get all of your questions in.

1428: You are too kind. Alright, so Kelly Maxwell is arguably the best female character on TV. In fact, I think she is one of the best characters on TV, regardless of gender. Period.

DD: I love that.

1428: Well thanks. So Kelly, in the hands of other writers and producers, could have been simply eye candy for Ash vs Evil Dead. But, as we all know, she’s so much more than that. Was she always on paper that way or did your personalty inform how she was written? I know how she was in Season 1, but she’s so much more badass in Season 2.

DD: Well there are a couple things you touched upon that I will touch upon as well. First of all, I love and want to thank you for saying “just one of the best characters on TV.” Because I hope we get to a point where, in entertainment, we don’t have to qualify the difference between male and female. I think we need to encourage and keep cheering on well written characters, who just happen to be female. So I love that you pointed that out and thank you for that. Also, I’d like to say thanks to the writers.

More from 1428 Elm

In terms of Kelly and what she was on paper, you know, again, it has to do with the natural transgression with creating original characters and having them go on a journey. And now that we have two seasons under our belt, we are seeing where they come from to where they’re going.

But on paper, yes, she was always going to be the sarcastic, ball busting, tough chick. Who has this wild past and has a rock-and-roll vibe. To go toe to toe with Ash and call him out on his antics. Because I think the creators knew, if you’re going to maintain this character (Ash), who has a very damaged of the world and maybe antiquated views of women, you needed a strong female to go toe to toe with him. And not in a nagging way, but a respectful way.

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