Jody Quigley has had a versatile career exploring everything from acting to restaurant management. Now he is back on the big screen as tortured Civil War Soldier Daniel Glassman in Impuratus.
After making his leading man debut as Doug in Apparition, Jody realized his love and appreciation for horror films, leading him to star alongside the late character actor Tom Sizemore in writer-director Michael Yurinko’s latest supernatural film, produced by Jody’s father, Guy Quigley, of Thundersmoke Media of Doylestown.
The riveting indie film follows Jody’s character Daniel Glassman who not only witnesses the horrors of war but something far more sinister when he is rescued by a reserved but hospitable couple, (Lew Temple and Silvia Spross).
The film had its first public screening in late February at The County Theater in Doylestown, only a short distance away from The Hattery Stove & Still at the Doylestown Inn which is owned and operated by Jody Quigley, his father and mother, Guy and Wendy Quigley, Samantha Quigley McCarty, and her husband Todd McCarty, with the operations under the control of Samantha, Todd, and Jody.
Many of The Hattery’s employees came out to support Jody and his family including Lily, Emma, and Lauren from Chalfont who all work at the popular restaurant.
“Impuratus was super scary,” Emma remarked. “I was not expecting to be that scared by Jody…I could see that he’s a really good actor.”
Lily said that she “loved the movie. I was freaked out a bit during certain parts…but Jody’s performance was the best.”
The County Theater was not only bustling with friends, patrons, and family members but due to excitement over the new film, the screening was oversold so a second theater was opened for additional seating.
Jody Quigley’s performance as both a deranged, crazed 90-year-old dying man, and 50 years earlier as a terrified, injured soldier was riveting throughout, causing viewers to scream in terror along with Jody when faced with the various supernatural forces in the film.
Such a performance is something to behold when considering the demands of the role. Not only was Jody faced with prosthetics that had to be applied and removed multiple times over the course of filming, but also the harsh temperature inside and outside of Pennhurst Asylum.
You play Daniel Glassman who’s sort of an enigma throughout the film. What was your experience playing this character?
Jody Quigley: It was definitely weird bouncing from someone younger to having to play someone on their 90-year-old deathbed.
I heard that there were a lot of prosthetics involved and the movie was made in the bitter cold.
Jody Quigley: Yes, in the bitter cold. I was there at 6 o’clock in the morning getting the prosthetics on for about two hours and then the cast would show up. It was by the fifth day, I think I did six or seven days of prosthetics by the fifth day I was over it. Because the only way they can get it off is essentially rubbing alcohol.
It’s actually kind of funny because once it’s on even our makeup expert Dylan Sides said it’s almost like a pillow on your face. So that kind of helped in regard to the cold because it kind of gave me another layer, like a mini blanket. Getting it on wasn’t as bad as taking it off because it was rubbing alcohol every time. When I walked out of Pennhurst it was 28 degrees outside and it was lovely to feel the wind on my face.
Had you met Tom Sizemore before Impuratus?
Jody Quigley: No, it was my first time. He was a very down-to-earth, super nice guy; and not some Hollywood guy who is full of himself. God rest his beautiful, talented soul.
We would sit there and we would chat about life, He always came to set knowing his lines and he even gave his own two cents of, “Hey, maybe we’ll try it this way and see how it pans out.” So, he brought his [acting] chops to the table and he delivered. It was great working with him.
Had you seen a lot of Mr. Sizemore’s movies either before you worked with him, or have you seen some of them since the film shoot?
Jody Quigley: Absolutely. It’s been ages since I’ve seen some of them because he was really big in the late 80s/early 90s with all the movies he was in. Tom is a solid actor and he knows what he’s doing. This acting game is a game, so you’re hot one minute and cold the next.
I’m glad that Tom wanted to make this film because it took him out of the tough/bad guy parts and gave him an acting role with lots of meat on it. Tom said that he believed Impuratus was a ‘comeback role’ for him; a return to his former popularity. It is a shame he passed away before he could see it come to fruition. I firmly believe our movie really benefitted from his experience.
Talk about the Pennhurst Asylum. Had you been there before? What was it like filming there?
Jody Quigley: Oh, I’d been there multiple times for their haunted house. I never really got freaked out or heard anything about it. I mean it’s definitely a desolate, scary, quiet place and cold given the concrete walls.
But my biggest fear sometimes was lying in the bed and looking up and thinking is that lead paint gonna chip off and fall into my eyeball? And it was my first time wearing contacts too! Even Dylan, our makeup guy said “Well, you got to practice with these [contacts]. They’re gonna be in your eyes for eight hours.”
Do you have any creepy stories to share? Were there any things that you saw? Airen told me a couple of crew stories.
Jody Quigley: Yes, I know some of the crew might have seen some stuff, but I didn’t see anything disturbing. Because there were certain areas we weren’t allowed to go to, and I don’t think they knew off the bat. Because we were supposed to stay on the main level and they went to the third floor I think the one time.
And I heard that one of them had a camera or something and they said they felt that there was a presence of sort, the hair on the back of your neck standing up. But there was a couple of them and they all felt the same thing.
But just driving to and from that place is extremely eerie. You know you’re going somewhere that holds some sort of spirits to a degree because that whole drive it is pitch black, there are no lights; there’s nothing there.
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