Pup turns ruff start to Hollywood stardom
Scared Stella has found her big break thanks to a Kiwi horror film, writes Brooke Bath.
A timid and frightened pup who was adopted from an Auckland pound has transformed into a movie star sensation after getting her big break in a Kiwi horror film.
Stella, a bearded collie cross, was a scared and anxious dog after being abused when she was a puppy.
But her rough start in life lead to a loving home and eventually a star role in the the short slasher film, No Caller ID, which was the only Kiwi movie to be accepted at the prestigious Hollywood Screamfest Horror Film Festival this year.
Stella’s anxious, guarded and submissive character fit the role of a cautious canine perfectly, said film producer Harley Neville.
So much so that horror movie reviewer Michael Klug, who attended the film’s release in Los Angeles in October, praised Stella’s convincing performance.
‘‘I asked [star and producer] Harley Neville about the dog – cause frankly, I was pretty impressed with the pooch’s performance,’’ Klug wrote in his review.
‘‘The fact that the canine convincingly appears very scared, is because the dog is generally on edge in real life.
‘‘So, let’s all send kudos and belly-rubs to that four-legged starin-the-making,’’ he said.
Owner Shelley Butt said it was ‘‘a leap of faith’’ when she adopted Stella at six-months-old from the Silverdale pound in 2011.
Stella was scared and uncertain. Nervous of where she was going and who she was with.
Butt admitted it took some adjusting and she almost returned her after struggling to break through her anxiety and aggression barriers.
But in what would be the first of many surprises, Stella turned a leaf and relaxed with her new owner.
She also learned to trust the film’s director Guy Pigden who ended up casting her in the role.
‘‘She’s photogenic and Guy BEVAN READ / FAIRFAX NZ always thought he’d have a role for her,’’ Butt said.
‘‘She relaxed with the lead actress and I was behind the scene with peanut butter and she’d follow me on direction, she was really good.
‘‘She’s a wonder dog... a good guard dog... she has a bright things in her future.’’
Neville said it was easy work with Stella, especially with cast and crew who ‘‘loved her’’.
‘‘We have worked with other dogs but Stella by far is the best professional pooch. Her image is all around the world. She’s a starlet dog,’’ he said.
Pigden, Neville and the star of No Caller ID, Jocelyn Christian, also teamed up for the 2014 horror film I Survived a Zombie Holocaust.
Stella’s performance will be seen in at festivals in Sydney and Barcelona where the film will screen next, but is not yet available to New Zealand audiences.