Known for guest roles in “Nashville”, “Vampire Diaries”, “Sleepy Hollow”, and “Under the Dome”, talented actress and singer-songwriter splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville. Katie will be rocking the role of "Phantom of the Opera"s Christine Daee in the upcoming series "Party Monsters", and plays Catherine Turner in Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation."
Colleen Bement: Let’s talk about your role in Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation." Tell me about your role as Catherine Turner, and all about your experience making this amazing film.
"Birth of a Nation" is more than a film
Katie Garfield: It was an absolutely incredible film to be a part of, and every step of the journey from filming to our premiere on September 21st, has been wonderful. I believe in the people behind this film, and its message is clear and relevant. It’s a true masterpiece of a film, and I’m really excited for the world to see it on October 7th. I play ‘Catherine Turner’, daughter of the Turner family. It was my first time doing a period drama, so there was a lot of research involved in learning who I was as a character. I was blown away by the talent of the other actors in the film, and felt so blessed to be on set with them.
I’m so proud of Nate and the rest of the cast- they deserve this huge victory and I think this film is coming at a time when the discussion of racism and social injustice in our country is out on the table. This is so much more than a film- it’s a movement toward justice and righteousness.
"Party Monsters"
CB: You play the role of Christine Daae in the cool upcoming TV Movie “Party Monsters." You also wrote and performed an original song for the pilot. Tell us more.
KG: Thank you! “Party Monsters” was an incredible project to be a part of as the concept is so cool. It’s basically a modern spin on old storybook characters, like "Jekyll & Hyde", "Phantom of the Opera" and Christine, and Dorian Gray.
“Phantom of the Opera” was one of my absolute favorite films growing up, so I was SO excited to channel a modern Christine. She’s a sweet and tender-hearted girl who, as the story goes, is oblivious to Phantom’s love for her. It was a really fun story to tell. It was also awesome that Tyler, our writer/director, let me write an original song for Phantom and I to sing together. When I first read the script, I saw that there was a part in the script for a song, but Tyler said they didn’t have it yet. So I asked if I could have a shot at writing one for the scene. I listened to the original "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack over and over and sat down at the piano in my parents’ house. I was really happy with the finished product, and so was Tyler.
It was really great for me to be able to pull my two loves, film and music, together.
CB: Let’s talk about your music. I listened to your single "Put Me Back on My Throne". Wherever you are, do you feel at home with a guitar in your hands?
KG: Thank you! I absolutely feel at home with a guitar, or any other music-related object. I usually write lyrics first, and I always have my notebook with me. Lyric ideas hit at the most random and unexpected times, so I feel so much better when I can just pull my notebook out of my bag and jot it down.
CB: I read that you teach classes to adults with special needs in North Carolina. How fulfilling is that?
KG: It’s an incredible group that my good friend and mentor Terri Dollar started many years ago.
It’s an arts class for adults with special needs, and it is truly a transformative experience. The guys and gals in the class have the sweetest souls and they are so loving and kind to one another. Life moves so fast sometimes, and I find that sometimes I need to slow down, ground myself, and be grateful for all the blessings I have. Spending time with people who are so kind to one another is really inspiring to me, and I think I’m speaking for all the other volunteers when I say that working with the group is healing and wonderful.