Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies | Tagged: danny trejo, Efren Ramirez, exclusive, interview, John Gulager, quiver distribution, Seven Cemeteries

Seven Cemeteries Star Efren Ramirez on Gulager, Ensemble Cast & More

Efren Ramirez (Lightyear) spoke to Bleeding Cool about his latest action horror comedy in Quiver's Seven Cemeteries, Gulager, Trejo & more.

Efren Ramirez has been active in Hollywood for 30 decades since his debut in the 1994 indie comedy film Tammy and the T-Rex. He's also appeared in Jury Duty (1995), Kazaam (1996), the TV adaptation of Dangerous Minds, Boston Public, Judging Amy, and ER before landing his breakout role as Pedro in the 2004 Searchlight comedy Napoleon Dynamite opposite Jon Heder. With over 80 titles in his filmography, Ramirez remained busy with roles on Pixar's Lightyear (2022), Satanic Hispanics (2022), CBS's FBI: Most Wanted, and Saban's Due Justice. The actor's latest is Quiver Distribution's action horror comedy Seven Cemeteries from writer-director John Gulager, which stars Danny Trejo, who plays Bravo, a recent parolee who gets a Mexican witch (Maria Canals-Barrera) to resurrect his old posse so that they can help him save a woman's ranch from a ruthless drug lord. Ramirez spoke to Bleeding Cool about

Seven Cemeteries Star Efren Ramirez on Supernatural Action-Comedy Homage to Akira Kurosawa

BC: What intrigued you about Seven Cemeteries?

ER: It's an ode not only to The Magnificent Seven, but it's also an ode to Seven Samurai. We know the story about people rethinking their lives and wanting to do something for others. If you can't make a difference in your life, then at least you can make a difference in somebody else's life, right? I like working on projects with interesting characters and it so happens to be a twist with horror and comedy with dead people. I'm like, "Great, I get to be dead! [laughs]" It'd be a lovely spin to that, and trusting Gulager, who directed the film, I knew I was going to be in good hands.

Speaking of Gulager, how do you describe the set he ran?

I had worked with Gulager before on another film with a different director; he was my co-star. We both played not murderers, per se, perhaps "cleaners." I loved his sense of humor and I've seen his films. He reminded me of John Landis, who directed An American Werewolf in London, and [Michael Jackson's] Thriller. He had a keen eye for shooting his style and format. To be able to work with him in such a way was something that allowed me to not only experiment with but there are moments where we're doing themes and were like, "That didn't feel right. Let's try to find some dialogue," and you're able to trust those moments, which is good because the art of storytelling is a collaborative effort with not only the actors but also the director and cinematographer involved. Also, working with Trejo, I mean, come on! What an opportunity, right?!

Aside from John and Joel Soisson's script, did you have an opportunity to do any improv in your role as Miguel, or are there some inspirations for your performance you infused for Seven Cemeteries?

For every actor, the script is a blueprint for the world. I was allowed to explore not only the story itself but also its direction. Even the character of Miguel, because as an actor, I'm exploring not only his present moment while dead, but I must ask what his life was like when he was alive, the mysteries of how he died, and what he wishes he could have done when he was alive. It's a love story between Miguel and his wife, the witch (Maria Canals-Barrera), and the hopes of possibly coming back, which is interesting. Love makes you do some crazy things, so being able to explore that along with the director and writers, I was like, "You know what? Let's try this for a change." I haven't seen the finished product, so I'm excited to see what ends on the cutting room floor.

Was working with Danny everything you imagined? What about your other co-stars?

I wanted to work with Danny because he's a veteran actor. What I learned from Danny is I tend to forget sometimes because I still focus on the character and the story itself. When you're working on films, it's about the technique of working on a camera, whether you're working on an 85, 50, or anamorphic lens, you must understand different cameras, right, because they shape the scenes into the evolution of the story itself. The other part is working with an ensemble cast, like Emma Ramos, Samantha Ashley, Vincent [M. Ward], Lew Temple. Man, that guy, and all the actors with Sol Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, his son, Gilbert, who has a part in the film, and see the work and commitment. It allows me to not only honor their work but also for them to trust the work I'm doing and be a part of something beyond me. It's not only entertaining the audience, but they also get to experience learning a lesson from the story itself.

Is there another type of project you're hoping to do in the future?

I have two coming up that I will be doing next year, and they'll be coming out in 2026. I must be careful because I have a bunch of NDAs, but I will say this. Every project I work on, and every character I play will be different. It takes time to select what I want to do next. I'm grateful for that, but it also allows me time to work at a place where I can explore the depth of storytelling in a way I can add or capture that on film with different directors. Whether I'm doing that for my creative sake or when I get to work with different directors and studios, I get to have some input and change where the story is going so that the point is learned and seen from an audience point of view, whether they're entertained or informed.

Seven Cemeteries, which also stars Richard Esteras is in theaters, digital, and on-demand.

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