Cast
We are proud and delighted to have the three lead characters already cast: Terrance Zdunich, Michael Chieffo and Beth Grant.
Terrance Zdunich - "Tanner"
Photo by Suthi Picotte
(pronounced zuh-DOO-nitch)
Most people know Terrance Zdunich best as the co-creator of the Lionsgate & Twisted Pictures film Repo! The Genetic Opera, in which he plays the cult- favored role of GraveRobber. The 2008 film became an instant cult classic, earning him a large, fiercely loyal fan base. He has been described as "powerful and spooky" by the LA Weekly, "a great voice" (thelamusicscene.com) who "struts the stage with imposing ambiance" (OC Metro).
Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Terrance studied acting at the South Coast Repertory Theatre. While there, he met Darren Smith, and the two began writing and performing ten minute rock operas. These ten minute operas grew into longer performance pieces, and eventually morphed into a stage version of Repo! The Genetic Opera, with Terrance playing GraveRobber. Darren and Terrance were soon making the rounds on the Los Angeles rock club circuit with a full cast performing Repo! onstage. They quickly gained a legion of fans.
Most people know Terrance Zdunich best as the co-creator of the Lionsgate & Twisted Pictures film Repo! The Genetic Opera, in which he plays the cult- favored role of GraveRobber. The 2008 film became an instant cult classic, earning him a large, fiercely loyal fan base. He has been described as "powerful and spooky" by the LA Weekly, "a great voice" (thelamusicscene.com) who "struts the stage with imposing ambiance" (OC Metro).
Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Terrance studied acting at the South Coast Repertory Theatre. While there, he met Darren Smith, and the two began writing and performing ten minute rock operas. These ten minute operas grew into longer performance pieces, and eventually morphed into a stage version of Repo! The Genetic Opera, with Terrance playing GraveRobber. Darren and Terrance were soon making the rounds on the Los Angeles rock club circuit with a full cast performing Repo! onstage. They quickly gained a legion of fans.
Lionsgate photo
Repo! The Genetic Opera – The Movie
The stage version of Repo! soon caught the eye of Saw II, III and IV director Darren Lynn Bousman and Lionsgate. Terrance was cast in the film version alongside Paul Sorvino, Anthony Stewart Head and Sarah Brightman. Midnight showings of Repo! now play across the country, with many fans showing up in costume as Terrance’s GraveRobber character. He is in high demand at horror and sci-fi conventions, attending as many as half a dozen a year. He is usually greeted onstage by enough fan screams and pandemonium to rival any rock star.
Watch the trailer for Repo!
“The best number is performed by co-writer Zdunich, who, as the ghoulish GraveRobber, may be the pic's most engaging character, despite his unpleasant occupation.”
Variety, July 2008
“The biggest surprise of all is co-writer Terrance Zdunich as the GraveRobber, a sort of troubadour character who appears intermittently and introduces the epilogue. He has a wonderfully dark singing voice and a commanding presence that makes you wish he was in the film more.”
Film Threat Magazine, November 2008
“Terrance Zdunich…who, it is worth mentioning, gives one hell of a performance as GraveRobber - a sinister yet heroic drug dealer who functions as a narrator of sorts throughout the film.”
Ain’t It Cool News, March 2008
“Terrance Zdunich is the biggest surprise of the film in his role of GraveRobber…. Terrance truly embodies the dark charisma of his role and punctuates his narration of the drama with a uniquely memorable vocal performance.”
Hollywood.com, 2008
“A standout in a relatively small role, Zdunich brings a jaunty, seductive, and pithy vibe to this dynamic and wildly entertaining sci-fi, rock and roll horror opera.”
Buzzine Magazine, 2008
“Every moment in Repo! oozes with talent….in fact it wouldn’t be fair for me to single out anyone in particular…though I do think that Zdunich is going to get a lot of attention for his goth rock god portrayal of GraveRobber.”
Alternative Film Guide, 2008
“It’s Zdunich’s first feature film role, but if the fates are kind it won’t be his last – his GraveRobber belts out some of the film’s best songs, functioning as macabre narrator, and inviting comparisons to both The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Richard O’Brien and Cabaret’s Joel Grey.”
FEARnet, 2008
Terrance's song "Zydrate Anatomy" was a massively popular song with Repo! fans:
The stage version of Repo! soon caught the eye of Saw II, III and IV director Darren Lynn Bousman and Lionsgate. Terrance was cast in the film version alongside Paul Sorvino, Anthony Stewart Head and Sarah Brightman. Midnight showings of Repo! now play across the country, with many fans showing up in costume as Terrance’s GraveRobber character. He is in high demand at horror and sci-fi conventions, attending as many as half a dozen a year. He is usually greeted onstage by enough fan screams and pandemonium to rival any rock star.
Watch the trailer for Repo!
“The best number is performed by co-writer Zdunich, who, as the ghoulish GraveRobber, may be the pic's most engaging character, despite his unpleasant occupation.”
Variety, July 2008
“The biggest surprise of all is co-writer Terrance Zdunich as the GraveRobber, a sort of troubadour character who appears intermittently and introduces the epilogue. He has a wonderfully dark singing voice and a commanding presence that makes you wish he was in the film more.”
Film Threat Magazine, November 2008
“Terrance Zdunich…who, it is worth mentioning, gives one hell of a performance as GraveRobber - a sinister yet heroic drug dealer who functions as a narrator of sorts throughout the film.”
Ain’t It Cool News, March 2008
“Terrance Zdunich is the biggest surprise of the film in his role of GraveRobber…. Terrance truly embodies the dark charisma of his role and punctuates his narration of the drama with a uniquely memorable vocal performance.”
Hollywood.com, 2008
“A standout in a relatively small role, Zdunich brings a jaunty, seductive, and pithy vibe to this dynamic and wildly entertaining sci-fi, rock and roll horror opera.”
Buzzine Magazine, 2008
“Every moment in Repo! oozes with talent….in fact it wouldn’t be fair for me to single out anyone in particular…though I do think that Zdunich is going to get a lot of attention for his goth rock god portrayal of GraveRobber.”
Alternative Film Guide, 2008
“It’s Zdunich’s first feature film role, but if the fates are kind it won’t be his last – his GraveRobber belts out some of the film’s best songs, functioning as macabre narrator, and inviting comparisons to both The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Richard O’Brien and Cabaret’s Joel Grey.”
FEARnet, 2008
Terrance's song "Zydrate Anatomy" was a massively popular song with Repo! fans:
Photo by Suthi Picotte
The Tutor
In addition to being a talented performer, Terrance is also an accomplished artist. In 2010 Terrance starred in a 14-part series of tutorials entitled Painting a Still Life with Terrance Zdunich directed by Shem Andre Byron. It is described as “a series of online how-to videos, a seemingly innocent collection of art lessons from ‘The Tutor’. Pupils will notice, however, that their instructor’s methods are…less than traditional and, like the lives of his characters, deceptively darker than imagined.” The series is based on Terrance’s graphic novel The Molting.
As the “Bob Ross meets Ted Bundy” character called simply “The Tutor” his performance is creepy, yet humorous and charming at the same time. Though his artistic endeavors and class assignments become increasingly darker and more disturbing each week, viewers were so enthralled by The Tutor that they not only viewed his sessions each week, but devotedly completed whatever homework he asked them to do and posted it online for his approval.
In addition to being a talented performer, Terrance is also an accomplished artist. In 2010 Terrance starred in a 14-part series of tutorials entitled Painting a Still Life with Terrance Zdunich directed by Shem Andre Byron. It is described as “a series of online how-to videos, a seemingly innocent collection of art lessons from ‘The Tutor’. Pupils will notice, however, that their instructor’s methods are…less than traditional and, like the lives of his characters, deceptively darker than imagined.” The series is based on Terrance’s graphic novel The Molting.
As the “Bob Ross meets Ted Bundy” character called simply “The Tutor” his performance is creepy, yet humorous and charming at the same time. Though his artistic endeavors and class assignments become increasingly darker and more disturbing each week, viewers were so enthralled by The Tutor that they not only viewed his sessions each week, but devotedly completed whatever homework he asked them to do and posted it online for his approval.
Count Tarakan
In the fall of 2011 a strange and wonderful music video suddenly and mysteriously appeared on the internet. It was a cover version of the song Istanbul, Not Constantinople by a scary “bad ass Russian” known simply as “Count Tarakan.” No one knew who he was, but the video went viral.
“This is one music video we absolutely couldn't pass up, not only because it's brilliantly funny, but mostly because it's one of the most bizarre things we've seen this week... you'll have to watch the clip to fully experience the glory that is Count Tarakan (a.k.a. Bad Ass Russian). There's so much awesome packed into this three-minute clip it staggers the imagination.”
FEARnet.com, September 2011
“Count Tarakan is the original Bad Ass Russian in this amazing and insane rendition of Istanbul!”
FunnyOrDie.com, September 2011
Only several months later did Terrance reveal that he indeed was Count Tarakan. It is a credit to his versatility that even hardcore Repo! fans (and personal friends!) did not recognize him. Terrance says, “I was floored by one encounter where I played the music video for a friend—after telling him that I was involved in the project—and then bit my lip when he innocently asked, ‘So, were you the one in the Repo Man costume in the corner?’”
In the fall of 2011 a strange and wonderful music video suddenly and mysteriously appeared on the internet. It was a cover version of the song Istanbul, Not Constantinople by a scary “bad ass Russian” known simply as “Count Tarakan.” No one knew who he was, but the video went viral.
“This is one music video we absolutely couldn't pass up, not only because it's brilliantly funny, but mostly because it's one of the most bizarre things we've seen this week... you'll have to watch the clip to fully experience the glory that is Count Tarakan (a.k.a. Bad Ass Russian). There's so much awesome packed into this three-minute clip it staggers the imagination.”
FEARnet.com, September 2011
“Count Tarakan is the original Bad Ass Russian in this amazing and insane rendition of Istanbul!”
FunnyOrDie.com, September 2011
Only several months later did Terrance reveal that he indeed was Count Tarakan. It is a credit to his versatility that even hardcore Repo! fans (and personal friends!) did not recognize him. Terrance says, “I was floored by one encounter where I played the music video for a friend—after telling him that I was involved in the project—and then bit my lip when he innocently asked, ‘So, were you the one in the Repo Man costume in the corner?’”
Empire Film & Entertainment Group photo
The Devil’s Carnival
In 2012 Zdunich’s army of fans were elated to learn about another collaboration with Repo! director Darren Lynn Bousman called The Devil’s Carnival. Darren directed, and Terrance stars, but also wrote the script and co-wrote all of the songs in this musical, best described as an off-kilter heavy metal gothic burlesque horror film.
The colorful cast comes together to tell the tale of three recently deceased people who arrive in Hell at The Devil's Carnival, a sinister amusement park run by Lucifer. Forced to relive the sins that brought them to Hell, the three dead souls ultimately much watch Lucifer's entire carny band perform an unforgettable stage show.
In the spirit of the live-film experience, and emulating their marketing technique that made Repo! a success, the cast and crew of The Devil's Carnival embarked on a cross-country tour, screening The Devil's Carnival at theaters in select cities. Shows have been sold out and sometimes ever overbooked to accommodate the lines of fans that line up for hours before the shows.
“Hell is nothing more than a carnival ruled by whacky wayfarers and the big man with the horns himself, played brilliantly by none other than Zdunich himself.”
ArtistsDirect.com, April 2012
“The three souls must now face their flaws firsthand in the carnival, as arranged by the imposingly-horned Lucifer, impressively portrayed by Zdunich himself.”
GothicBeauty.com, April 2012
“As Lucifer, though, Zdunich really comes into his own; while he may have won fans over worldwide with his portrayal of Graverobber in Repo!, it’s here where as a performer Zdunich seems to be more confident, and his command over every scene is astonishing to behold.”
Horrorchick.com, April 2012
“Zdunich has the strongest presence and best voice in the cast.”
Horror.com, April 2012
In 2012 Zdunich’s army of fans were elated to learn about another collaboration with Repo! director Darren Lynn Bousman called The Devil’s Carnival. Darren directed, and Terrance stars, but also wrote the script and co-wrote all of the songs in this musical, best described as an off-kilter heavy metal gothic burlesque horror film.
The colorful cast comes together to tell the tale of three recently deceased people who arrive in Hell at The Devil's Carnival, a sinister amusement park run by Lucifer. Forced to relive the sins that brought them to Hell, the three dead souls ultimately much watch Lucifer's entire carny band perform an unforgettable stage show.
In the spirit of the live-film experience, and emulating their marketing technique that made Repo! a success, the cast and crew of The Devil's Carnival embarked on a cross-country tour, screening The Devil's Carnival at theaters in select cities. Shows have been sold out and sometimes ever overbooked to accommodate the lines of fans that line up for hours before the shows.
“Hell is nothing more than a carnival ruled by whacky wayfarers and the big man with the horns himself, played brilliantly by none other than Zdunich himself.”
ArtistsDirect.com, April 2012
“The three souls must now face their flaws firsthand in the carnival, as arranged by the imposingly-horned Lucifer, impressively portrayed by Zdunich himself.”
GothicBeauty.com, April 2012
“As Lucifer, though, Zdunich really comes into his own; while he may have won fans over worldwide with his portrayal of Graverobber in Repo!, it’s here where as a performer Zdunich seems to be more confident, and his command over every scene is astonishing to behold.”
Horrorchick.com, April 2012
“Zdunich has the strongest presence and best voice in the cast.”
Horror.com, April 2012
Photo by Suthi Picotte
Through art-based projects such as The Molting and Painting a Still Life with Terrance Zdunich he has attracted a whole new fan base. Coupled with his Repo! and The Devil’s Carnival fans, he has many devotees who will undoubtedly rush to see any new film he is in. Terrance lives in Los Angeles, California with his pet Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
www.TerranceZdunich.com
The role of Tanner was written specifically for Terrance by screenwriter Jan Wilson. Terrance has already signed a letter of intent to star as Tanner in The Mercy List.
www.TerranceZdunich.com
The role of Tanner was written specifically for Terrance by screenwriter Jan Wilson. Terrance has already signed a letter of intent to star as Tanner in The Mercy List.
Michael Chieffo - "Marty"
Michael Chieffo’s first paid performance was when he was three years old. He learned early that being the youngest of eight children meant he had to be pretty entertaining in order to get attention in the crowd that was his family. On a family trip to Niagra Falls, three year-old Michael danced and cavorted so much that a complete stranger gave him a quarter for being so entertaining. An actor was born.
Even the mere location of Michael’s upbringing ensured that he would be drawn to the entertainment business. He was born in Huntington, New York, about 30 miles north of New York City and the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and the house in which the Chieffo clan lived was once owned by Fanny Brice, the 1920s star comedienne of the Ziegfield Follies and the subject of the feature film Funny Girl starring Barbara Streisand.
In junior high Michael joined the magic club and started doing magic shows for children’s birthday parties. He was then cast in the lead role Harold Hill in the ninth grade musical The Music Man. It was a big success and from that point on he was known as the “Actor” of the school. It was a mantle he was happy to wear.
Michael studied drama at the Juilliard School attending in the fall of 1973. He was in Group VI, and John Houseman was the dean. He was blessed to study with incredibly talented fellow classmates including Robin Williams, Kelsey Grammar, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, and Diane Venora to name a few.
After Juilliard he studied with Herbert Berghof at HB Studios and took a scene study class with Julie Bovasso. After moving to Los Angeles he joined The Harvey Lembeck Comedy workshop and was later accepted into The Ensemble Studio Theatre West moderated by John Randolf. Other coaches and teachers have been David Kaplan, Ernie Martin, Todd Danieluski and Catherine Carlen.
He has worked as an actor for over thirty years on stage, screen and television. Most recently Michael was seen on Mad Men, The Defenders, The Mentalist, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, and Bones. Other guest star television appearances he has enjoyed are The West Wing, Boston Legal, CSI, Roswell and The X-Files just to name a few.
Favorite roles include playing the great Art Carney opposite Brad Garrett’s Jackie Gleason in the CBS movie Gleason and playing Dave Madden/Reuben Kincaid in Come On Get Happy (The Partridge Family Story) on ABC. Film roles include Crimson Tide, Disclosure, Natural Disasters and L.A. Confidential as the coroner, and most recently the Academy Award-winner for Best Picture Argo.
Even the mere location of Michael’s upbringing ensured that he would be drawn to the entertainment business. He was born in Huntington, New York, about 30 miles north of New York City and the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and the house in which the Chieffo clan lived was once owned by Fanny Brice, the 1920s star comedienne of the Ziegfield Follies and the subject of the feature film Funny Girl starring Barbara Streisand.
In junior high Michael joined the magic club and started doing magic shows for children’s birthday parties. He was then cast in the lead role Harold Hill in the ninth grade musical The Music Man. It was a big success and from that point on he was known as the “Actor” of the school. It was a mantle he was happy to wear.
Michael studied drama at the Juilliard School attending in the fall of 1973. He was in Group VI, and John Houseman was the dean. He was blessed to study with incredibly talented fellow classmates including Robin Williams, Kelsey Grammar, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, and Diane Venora to name a few.
After Juilliard he studied with Herbert Berghof at HB Studios and took a scene study class with Julie Bovasso. After moving to Los Angeles he joined The Harvey Lembeck Comedy workshop and was later accepted into The Ensemble Studio Theatre West moderated by John Randolf. Other coaches and teachers have been David Kaplan, Ernie Martin, Todd Danieluski and Catherine Carlen.
He has worked as an actor for over thirty years on stage, screen and television. Most recently Michael was seen on Mad Men, The Defenders, The Mentalist, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, and Bones. Other guest star television appearances he has enjoyed are The West Wing, Boston Legal, CSI, Roswell and The X-Files just to name a few.
Favorite roles include playing the great Art Carney opposite Brad Garrett’s Jackie Gleason in the CBS movie Gleason and playing Dave Madden/Reuben Kincaid in Come On Get Happy (The Partridge Family Story) on ABC. Film roles include Crimson Tide, Disclosure, Natural Disasters and L.A. Confidential as the coroner, and most recently the Academy Award-winner for Best Picture Argo.
Michael Chieffo on "The Closer"
Michael recently finished a year run, in the stage production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, playing Dr. Bob at Theatre 68 in Hollywood. Other favorite stage productions include The Ahmanson’s, Christopher Reeve and Christine Lahti production of Summer and Smoke in the role of Roger Doremus, and Uncle Luigi in the L.A. Production of Tony and Tina’s Wedding.
Michael is very happily married to actress, writer, producer Beth Grant and is the extremely proud father of their talented actress daughter Mary Chieffo. They all live happily with their pets in Valley Village, California.
The role of Marty was written specifically for Michael by screenwriter Jan Wilson. Michael has already signed a letter of intent to star as Marty in The Mercy List.
Please view this clip of Michael in an episode of "The Closer."
Michael is very happily married to actress, writer, producer Beth Grant and is the extremely proud father of their talented actress daughter Mary Chieffo. They all live happily with their pets in Valley Village, California.
The role of Marty was written specifically for Michael by screenwriter Jan Wilson. Michael has already signed a letter of intent to star as Marty in The Mercy List.
Please view this clip of Michael in an episode of "The Closer."
Watch Michael discuss the craft of acting on "The Method Actor Speaks" with host John Solari.
Beth Grant - "Brenda"
One of Hollywood's most recognizable faces, Beth Grant has starred in over seventy feature films including Best Picture Academy Award nominated Little Miss Sunshine. She delighted in creating the character you love to hate, Pageant Official Jenkins, making Beth the happy recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast In A Feature Film. She was Best Picture Academy Award winner No Country for Old Men as Carla Jean's cranky mother, Academy Award winner Crazy Heart, and Best Picture Academy Award winner The Artist.
Other popular studio pictures include Donnie Darko, Rock Star, The Rookie, Matchstick Men, Rain Man, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, A Time to Kill and Speed.
Beth has appeared in over thirty plays from Los Angeles to New York including two productions at The Ahmanson, William Inge's Picnic (with Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke (with Christopher Reeve) under the direction of Circle Rep's Marshall W. Mason. She has created roles in the world premieres of Holy Ghosts by Romulus Linney, On A Southern Journey by Maya Angelou, The Day Emily Married by Horton Foote, Sordid Lives, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife by Del Shores and Grace and Glorie by Tom Ziegler.
Beth is a recipient of The Los Angeles Drama Critics Award and The L.A. Stage Alliance Award and The Backstage West Garlan Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Del Shores' The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, and an Ovation Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Colony Theater's Grace and Glorie.
On television, Beth was a favorite on the Six Feet Under episode Six Feet Under: In Case of Rapture. She married then cheated on Jason Lee on My Name Is Earl. She has been a regular or recurred on many television shows including Malcolm in the Middle, King of the Hill, Yes, Dear, Everwood, Delta, Wonderfalls, Jericho and The Mindy Project.
She has guest-starred in hundreds of hit television series such as Friends, The X-Files, Angel, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Pushing Daisies, Medium, Criminal Minds, Modern Family, American Dad, The Office and Dexter. Grant starred in Tony Hillerman's A Thief of Time, produced by Robert Redford, The Image with Albert Finney, Switched at Birth, and Fall from Grace.
Beth has produced documentaries, comedy reviews, and television; she has run a theatre company, raised money for schools and was a celebrity coordinator for Jimmy Carter's first presidential campaign. But what she really loves to do is act. Grant is a student of Milton Katselas at The Beverly Hills Playhouse. She is married to actor Michael Chieffo, they have one child, Mary Chieffo.
The role of Brenda was written specifically for Beth by screenwriter Jan Wilson.
Other popular studio pictures include Donnie Darko, Rock Star, The Rookie, Matchstick Men, Rain Man, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, A Time to Kill and Speed.
Beth has appeared in over thirty plays from Los Angeles to New York including two productions at The Ahmanson, William Inge's Picnic (with Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke (with Christopher Reeve) under the direction of Circle Rep's Marshall W. Mason. She has created roles in the world premieres of Holy Ghosts by Romulus Linney, On A Southern Journey by Maya Angelou, The Day Emily Married by Horton Foote, Sordid Lives, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife by Del Shores and Grace and Glorie by Tom Ziegler.
Beth is a recipient of The Los Angeles Drama Critics Award and The L.A. Stage Alliance Award and The Backstage West Garlan Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Del Shores' The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, and an Ovation Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Colony Theater's Grace and Glorie.
On television, Beth was a favorite on the Six Feet Under episode Six Feet Under: In Case of Rapture. She married then cheated on Jason Lee on My Name Is Earl. She has been a regular or recurred on many television shows including Malcolm in the Middle, King of the Hill, Yes, Dear, Everwood, Delta, Wonderfalls, Jericho and The Mindy Project.
She has guest-starred in hundreds of hit television series such as Friends, The X-Files, Angel, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Pushing Daisies, Medium, Criminal Minds, Modern Family, American Dad, The Office and Dexter. Grant starred in Tony Hillerman's A Thief of Time, produced by Robert Redford, The Image with Albert Finney, Switched at Birth, and Fall from Grace.
Beth has produced documentaries, comedy reviews, and television; she has run a theatre company, raised money for schools and was a celebrity coordinator for Jimmy Carter's first presidential campaign. But what she really loves to do is act. Grant is a student of Milton Katselas at The Beverly Hills Playhouse. She is married to actor Michael Chieffo, they have one child, Mary Chieffo.
The role of Brenda was written specifically for Beth by screenwriter Jan Wilson.
Beth Grant with Jason Lee on "My Name is Earl"
