Welcome to “Wholesome Content with Heartless Villains,” where evil geniuses share their warm and fuzzy secrets.
You don’t want to mess with Audrey, the uber-powerful, not-to-be-crossed queen of Southern California vampires in Day Shift. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Jamie Foxx’s pool cleaner/vampire hunter Bud Jablonski does in the beginning of the film, siccing the vengeance-thirsty baddie on him as he gets back into the bloodsucker-busting business.
Karla Souza might play the most dangerous vampire on screen, but in real life she’s a devoted mom of two who gets emotional over bedtime stories and likes to curl up on the couch with a glass of vino on a rainy day. Which is why it was so exciting for the actor to play the power suit-clad villain, a baddie with a massive real estate empire and the ambition to expand her territory as much as possible.
“I loved that she wasn’t being sexualized,” Souza tells Tudum of Audrey. “She was just a bad guy being aggressive and violent and claiming back her land as a Mexican claiming back California.” The actor continues, “I grew up an athlete, so I had a lot of fun doing all the stunts. It’s the first time I did action, and it was very, very delicious.”
Maybe not as delicious as the blood Audrey drinks from her victims, though. In real life, Souza has a sweet tooth, a soft spot for rom-coms and spending time with her family, as you’ll see as you read on and learn more about the soft, chewy center beneath her character’s hard, insatiably nasty outer shell….
What’s your favorite rom-com?
Pretty Woman. My Best Friend's Wedding. Anything with Julia Roberts.
Who was your first-ever pop culture crush?
Devon Sawa, Casper. Hello! Just like the eyes and the blond, and the... yes.
What do you do on a date when you want to impress?
I wear no makeup and I come with, like, wet hair from the shower.
Whose phone numbers do you know by heart?
My husband and my mom.
What is your current phone background?
My son just had his first day of school. He’s 2. My son and my daughter’s first day of school.
Describe your ideal cozy rainy day at home.
Oh my gosh. A glass of white wine, watching a film and eating chocolates.
What is the last book or movie that made you cry?
There’s a book my daughter had me read called The Invisible String, about [how] even though mom isn’t there, you can tug at the string and she’ll feel it in her heart, and I cry every time.
Okay, final question: puppies or kittens?
Puppies.
