American Horror Story Asylum Releases Official Featurette on Pepper The Pinhead – Watch “Meet Pepper” Now!

“I found out kinda late what I was getting myself into.” -Actress Naomi Grossman

Well, it’s about time – after we  scoured the internet for information on American Horror Story Asylum’s resident Pinhead, Pepper– and the brave actress who plays her– “Inside The Asylum” just released as official featurette! Warning: it’s rather surreal seeing Naomi Grossman in her full-on Pepper makeup and costume, but out of character, chatting away in her pretty, semi-valley Girl voice. Check it out below!

They also show some clips (“RATS!”). It’s funny how, when her character first popped up, I thought the same thing some people on set did – Holy shit, did they somehow find an actual pinhead with a SAG card Then I figured it was CGI. Then  I went looking, and started posting! I’m still amazed at the job they did, and the whole American Horror Story Asylum make-up effects team deserves an Emmy. If anyone we talked to didn’t think they deserved an award, then they haven’t seen this video.

Gabba Gabba HEY!

You know, she is actually kind of cute. Still not leaving her alone with a baby, though.

See Proof Brave Actress Shaved Her Head To Play Pinhead ‘Pepper’ In American Horror Story Asylum!

Well well, it looks like Naomi Grossman has her own You Tube Channel! Cool. She’s done a lot of skits for Funny Or Die, as well as quite a few short films. First, she put up a video of herself stylin’ on the Red Carpet for the American Horror Story Asylum Premiere event (and yes, that’s a wig, you’ll find out why soon):

Here she is being asked about American Horror Story Asylum at the same event (though she can’t give up many details, of course) in a short interview:

Aaand  here she is being incredibly brave, getting all that hair off except for that little ponytail on top… WOW.

Any actress that dedicated deserves all the attention she’s getting for her role. She did say in an interview I posted a link to earlier that when she was on set without her costume/makeup, no-one recognized her. That’s definitely a good thing! Glad her character is becoming a fan favorite and getting so much attention. Ms. Grossman sure as hell earns every last bit of it!

“Pepper’s not harmless. She drowned her sister’s baby and sliced his ears off.”

American Horror Story Asylum’s Sarah Paulson Says Life Will Get Even More Terrifying and Nightmarish For Lana Winters!!

…according to Sarah Paulson, who plays lesbian reporter turned Briarcliff patient Lana Winters, “It’s so only just begun. What happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

Source: The Huffington Post Online  ©Jaimie Etkin, 2012.

Here are some juicy tidbits from an interview with Sarah Paulson (who plays Lana Winters) dated 11/07/2012 (in other words, the night episode 4, “I Am Anne Frank” aired).  Here she discusses Evan Peter’s junk, whether episodes are hard on her health, how much worse and blood-curdling it gets for hapless Lana, and that as of this writing, they’ve just wrapped Episode 8, ready to shoot #9 or 13. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT BEGINS (highlight to read): In a recent interview with Chloe Sevigny, she stated she has wrapped for the season and hasn’t read any of the scripts past episode six. So, it may very well be that our poor Shelley will only survive till the end of episode 6. I wish she’d stick around longer …mainly because I would love to see her give some payback to Dr. Evil Nazi Prick – and up close and personal. I do know that another character who is on their way to becoming a fan favorite will get revenge for her this season, though!

(END SPOILER)

American Horror Story Asylum Sarah Paulson
“…given what I know happens and what we’ve shot, it’s so only just begun and it’s so horrifying that what happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

If you’ve been watching “American Horror Story: Asylum,” chances are … you’ve been scared shitless. But, according to Sarah Paulson, who plays lesbian reporter turned Briarcliff patient Lana Winters, “It’s so only just begun. What happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

On the series’ fourth episode (Wed., Nov. 7 at 10 p.m. ET on FX), things take a turn for Lana, Paulson told HuffPost TV. Even Chloë Sevigny, who played Shelley on “Asylum”, told us, “What happens to Sarah Paulson’s character [later on] is what’s scariest to me.”

Below, Paulson, who also recurred on Season 1 of “American Horror Story,” explains why “Asylum” is far more terrifying than its predecessor, upcoming guest stars, how the show can make an impact in terms of gay rights (even though it’s set 50 years in the past) and what it’s like being flashed by Evan Peters, which made her and Jessica Lange burst into laughter. Seriously.

Will Lana find out about Wendy’s murder?
[Laughs.] I can’t answer that yet because that doesn’t happen until much later … in Episode 5.

I was kind of looking forward to Lana being out in the non-Briarcliff world for a while. Were you surprised she was committed so early on in the season?
Well, I feel like in true Ryan Murphy form, it’s going to be an assault, not a slow burn. The show to me — even the style in which it’s edited — is very in your face. I feel to draw it out would have been antithetical to the way he does things. I think now that she’s in there, what happens to her is so insane and so extreme that if we waited a few episodes to get her in there, all this stuff wouldn’t have happened. I can understand why a viewer would think, “Wow. That was quick!” But at the same time, I sort of feel like, given what’s coming for Lana and what happens — we’re about to shoot Episode 9 — given what I know happens and what we’ve shot, it’s so only just begun and it’s so horrifying that what happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.

Q: I‘m officially terrified now.
A:  Yeah. You should be. [Laughs.] It’s just really terrifying, I have to say.

Does Lana’s lack of friendships affect her mental state in the asylum?
…Lana Winters is a fighter so she’s not going to go down without a fight, that’s for sure. Boy, I wish I could tell you everything. [Laughs.]

“American Horror Story” alumni Frances Conroy and Dylan McDermott are all also coming back to guest star this season. Have you done scenes with either of them yet?
Um, I don’t know if I’m allowed to answer that question. Dylan, no and I’m going to plead to fifth on the other one.

There was an interview with Evan Peters on Vulture and he said he flashed you and Jessica on the first day of shooting “Asylum.”
… Yeah, but listen, there are worse things to look at than Evan Peters from behind, I gotta say. I mean, Jessica and I blew a couple takes, we were laughing so hard because we just looked at each other and thought, “What the hell are we doing?!” We’re looking at these bare asses of these people and I’m handing her canes from the closet. [Laughs.] At one point, we were completely off camera — the camera was just pointing at Lizzie and Evan and we just literally could not get through the scene we were laughing so hard.

Well, now I’m scared to watch.
You should be. We can talk again after Episode 8 or 9 and you’ll be like, “Um. OK. Now I understand. OH MY GOD!”

Jaimie Etkin
©Jaimie Etkin, 2012.

jaimie.etkin@huffingtonpost.com

I don’t even want to know… but I can’t look away! Image taken from the preview for “I Am Anne Frank, Part Two” airing November 14th.

FINALLY! American Horror Story Asylum Fans, We Found An Interview With Actress Naomi Grossman – AKA “Pepper the Pinhead”

Wow, I did a ton of searches but missed this …until now!

To read the interview on the great Monsters and Critics site, click on the below composite/comparison photos.

If there is a glitch and this does NOT take you to the interview with actress/performance artist Naomi Grossman, please reply below and let me know so I can fix it. Cool?

Here’s some of the highlights from the interview Again, my source is the article American Horror Story: Asylum exclusive: Naomi Grossman’s amazing transformation to Pepper from Monstersandcriritcs.com and written by April MacIntyre, © Nov 8, 2012 – NOT Horror Boom!

So how the HELL do they get her to look like that? Read on:

 

MONSTERS AND CRITICS: Please, what are the prosthetic and makeup devices they do to you to transform?  How long does it take?

NAOMI: The make-up process is quite long, though they’ve gotten it down to about 2.5-3 hours.  Those first make-up tests took at least twice that though– they are incredibly meticulous– during those first couple times, I remember them very carefully placing freckles almost as if were a work of art!  The prosthetics are of course made of silicon, made specifically for my face, and consist of a forehead complete with punched-in eyebrows, a nose, ears, and even a bumpy little spine-piece for my back.  Again, depending upon the wardrobe, no one even sees that, but that’s the kind of detail-oriented professionals they are. I have fake teeth, which of course change the shape of my face (and speech).  There’s even a wacky lens for one of my eyes– it’s subtle, but effective (it’s disturbing having someone look at you, but not quite look at you, you know?).
It seems the only thing that’s truly mine is the hair!  At first they toyed with a bald-cap, but given Pepper’s condition, it was important to make my head look as small as possible.  So, it was obviously better for them to not have to stuff a bunch of hair into a cap.  Though the bald caps they gave me initially looked incredibly authentic as well.

Yup, Naomi Grossman was brave, dedicated and fearless enough to shave her head (except the very top –you know, to be able to add that pretty little ribbon) for the role of Pepper.*

I think at one point they’d talked about using CGI to actually shrink my head, but I’m sure it was easier and probably much cheaper to have me shave my head than [to] have to employ such advanced special effects.  Besides, the makeup crew takes pride in not having to rely on such tricks.  So instead of making my head small, they built up my body by putting me in a fat suit.  And well, the end-product is well worth the head-shave and hours in the chair.  …I actually have to introduce myself when I’m there out of costume.  I’m going to be the girl no one knows at the wrap-party!

Is Naomi Grossman aware of what happens for the rest of the season… and how much does she know?

 

M&C: What, exactly, is Pepper’s back story? What insight did Ryan Murphy give you?
NAOMI: Not a lot!  They’re so secretive.  Not even in the audition did I know what I was reading for!  It wasn’t until I’d gotten the part
and was meeting with makeup, that they told me what I’d look like …which obviously informs the character.  So I spent a lot of time watching and reading about Schlitzie from “Freaks.”  That was the inspiration behind Pepper, after all.  And though Schlitzie‘s time was well before Pepper’s, he no doubt had a similar, marginal existence. Other than that, I only get the sides I’m in!  Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe)’s line about me slicing the ears off my sister’s baby was about all I knew too!

This is BEFORE…

M&C: …does she make it all the way to the end of the season?

NAOMI: Well, I can’t tell you that!  In fact, I don’t even know myself.  They keep us very much on our toes!  I only know what I’m shooting on Monday.  And well, I don’t die Monday anyway!  It seems like Pepper’s pretty popular, so hopefully they’ll keep me around… Though who am I kidding?  No one’s safe in “American Horror Story!”

I wholeheartedly agree with that! Check out the entire interview here on Monsters and Critics.

aaaaaand this is AFTER.

Here is the real-life character Pepper was based on – who was actually a man. I recommend this article for more about Schiltzie.

Schlitzie

Schlitzie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

*When I say brave, I mean brave. The least amount of money it would take me to shave my head would probably be in the VERY high five-figure range.