Greyston Holt unleashes the beast in Bitten. Based on the novels by Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, the TV series finds sole existing female werewolf Elena Michaels (Laura Vandervoort) shunning her lycanthrope ways to lead a quiet, carefree life. That plan gets derailed when Elena’s pack calls her back to contend with an escalating threat.
Bitten casts Holt as pack member Clayton Danvers, a brooding enforcer-type who shares a special connection to Elena. Over the phone from Vancouver, the Canadian actor spoke to me about Clayton, what separates Bitten from the genre crowd and facing Jacob in See No Evil 2.
Bitten is based on the novels by Kelley Armstrong. What spoke to you about the material?
There was a certain rawness to my character Clayton, this primal instinct and drive that he has. It’s very interesting. A more animalistic side of being human. That was fun to play with.
The series sounds more mature than other takes on werewolves. Can you set up the premise?
We’ve definitely chatted about it being Soprano-esque. It’s the idea of a super-tight, strong, loyal pack that will do anything to save one of its own. That’s apparent in our first episode when Elena is trying to live a normal life in Toronto. She knows we’re in trouble and she comes back to help us despite everything she wants, but she does.
Why is there tension between Clayton and Elena?
I bit her. We were in love back when I was teaching university. I had to bite her to save her life. Now she’s the only known female werewolf.
Elena returns because of a new danger. What can threaten a werewolf?
That would be the Mutts. They are rising up and trying to take us on and create a Mutt empire. Being the only female werewolf, Elena can breed other werewolves. That’s a huge thing. She’s a very sought-after commodity.
How did you go about capturing the essence of a werewolf?
I didn’t really study other werewolf movies. When I found out I was going to screen test for Bitten, I went out into the forest here in Vancouver, just north of the city, went on a hiking trail and just ran around the forest naked. I took all my clothes off, ran around for an hour and howled and yelled. It was an interesting experience, but I think it helped.
Did you have to practice all the grunting and growling, or at least the movements of an animal?
I really don’t do much of that in the show. We have some changes into the werewolves and we’re going through the pain. It’s all VFX. I actually didn’t have to film a change in the first season. They insinuate I change, but you don’t actually see me change. I think Laura did and some other people.
Are the transformations triggered by the full moon?
No, what brings on the change for us is any kind of heightened sense like sexual desire, or if your safety is threatened or if you are angry. That makes it interesting because a lot of times it will happen when you don’t necessarily want it to.
Paranormal and mystical TV series are abundant this year. How is Bitten pushing the envelope?
The show has something for everyone. For women looking for a strong female lead, there’s that in Laura. For men, there’s this very manly pack mentality and manly atmosphere. There’s violence and fighting. There’s also the romance aspect between me and Elena. There’s wicked fight scenes. A lot of gore. It’s all good.
You also recently wrapped See No Evil 2. Were you a fan of the original and wanted to be involved in the sequel?
What attracted me to the project was the opportunity to work with the Soska sisters. They are rad. I’ve met them before. I saw American Mary, which was a really cool film. I was just psyched to work with them. They have a unique style of directing. It’s kind of organized chaos between the two of them, but it was a ton of fun.
Can you introduce us to your character and the set of circumstances he finds himself in?
I am the brother to Danielle Harris’ character. I’m her older, protective brother. We end up having this birthday party for her at her work, which is the county morgue. Jacob’s body is brought in. We think he’s dead, but he’s not, and calamity ensues.
What’s so menacing and memorable about Jacob?
I didn’t see the first film, but working with him on this one, he didn’t speak at all. It’s creepy. He’s just kind of there and he has a big body. I’m a big guy, but I felt like a dwarf. He just has a presence that is very creepy, especially once Kane gets the mask on.
There was little doubt Jacob was dead at the end of the previous film. Is he more supernatural in nature now?
No, no. he’s just a big, insanely strong man. I don’t think we touch on the supernatural aspect.
How brutal are the kills?
They are super-creative. Believe it or not, I’ve actually never died on camera. My characters have died, but I haven’t had the opportunity to die on screen. My scene is epic. It’s very bloody, and let’s just say, maybe a fountain of blood.
Is dying half the fun in these types of projects?
Oh yeah. It’s a ton of fun. The main gag, how I die, is a one-shot deal. There’s a pressure with that. You have to nail it. None of us know what it’s like to die, but it’s fun to take a stab at it, pardon my pun.
Casting and production seemed to come together fairly quickly. How grueling was the shooting schedule?
It was pretty tight. I was more of a supporting lead, but I know Danielle was in there every day, all day. It’s what we do.
Lastly, we have to ask. What would a grudge match between Clayton and Jacob look like?
Oh, Clayton would kick his ass. Are you kidding? Wolf against massive man? I think I’d beat him up in just my human form. Jacob doesn’t have any fighting skills. Clayton has some fine-tuned, martial artist skills. He has werewolf strength. Jacob is just a big oaf.