Much of Hokum is fairly claustrophobic for your character and presents a lot of upsetting imagery. I know it’s a job, and you’re just “playing pretend,” but was there any element on set that was genuinely horrifying to you?
It was more or less one large room we were working in. It’s dark in the film, and it was literally dark when we were in there making it. It was pretty clear that this was going to be unsettling. I thought the witch was frightening. To see her kind of go in and start running around is genuinely unsettling.
But more than anything, it was exciting to see what would be frightening. I knew that this was going to be effective because the set was so beautifully made. Damian had his eye on every single detail, down to those little guys that strike the bells on the clock, and the unsettling expressions on their faces. As an actor, since your control is limited, you never know really how something is going to turn out at the end of the day. Having so much faith in Damian and seeing all the components they put together on set, I knew there was a chance that this could work.
Are you usually drawn to horror? I believe your first major movie role was actually in Hellraiser: Bloodline, right?
It was, yeah. And I’ve been in a few horror movies over the years, but I’m not particularly drawn to them as an actor more so than any other genre. As an audience member, I do like horror movies, but it all depends on whether they actually frighten me or not. If I’m gonna see one, I want it to be something that really, really freaks me out. Hereditary was a perfect example of that, or The Strangers—movies that really pinpoint these nightmarish scenarios and then don’t look away. I’m not there to just see the most imaginative kills (which I also enjoy). I like them in the context of something that’s really working, character- and story-wise.
What does your work life look like between seasons of Severance? It seems as though you’ve kept very busy this year with Hokum, The Saviors, which is also premiering at SXSW, and the upcoming crime thriller, The Whisper Man, with Robert De Niro.
