The latest revival in horror could not be complete without one of the most fan-favorite cult movies. This time Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez portray Maya and Ryan in The Strangers: Chapter 1, paying homage to the 2008 movie and bringing back the original characters, Pin-Up Girl, Dollface, and Scarecrow.
HOLA! had the opportunity to talk with the two actors, with Madelaine solidifying her status as a Scream Queen and Final Girl in the first installment of the franchise, and Froy detailing the physical preparation for the intense chasing scenes. Check out the full interview.
When it comes to preparing for a horror movie, is there a difference between preparing for maybe a rom-com or s comedy or just a different type of project?
Madelaine: I wouldn’t say so. It’s not so present in my mind that I’m shooting a horror film, but I do think when you’re shooting a horror film, you have to be kind of ready for anything and be present in every given moment in case something happens. And so to be as grounded in your circumstances as possible and be as familiar with your character as possible would be, I guess what I did. But I kind of feel like I do that for every movie so stamina maybe, running more than usual.
Froy: Yeah. I think it’s important for me anyway. When I got the script, I was like, “Okay, I know it’s a horror movie. I know I have to do X, Y, and Z. What can I do to play against all the tropes of it?” So for me, it was about leaning into the reason for survival and the reason… What am I fighting for and what is the love and what is the intimacy between this couple and what does it mean to Ryan and how does he navigate this in a way that what he values most, Maya, can be safe.
Is there something specific that you do to get into the character before filming a scene?
Madelaine: It just depends on the day. I definitely did lean towards meditating, especially after a very stressful day. The previous day, meditation was very helpful, but I was also, I’d wake up in the morning and do notes on the previous day of what we had just shot, so I could remember the headspace when we go back and shoot the previous scene before the scene that’s following it as well. That was very helpful.
Froy: I think music can be such a helpful tool to get you into an emotional landscape, but I found that I didn’t really have to use it that much for this movie because of the set decoration and because what was happening, it was already so loud in that way. And I think for me, it was about, I guess kind of dropping into the adrenaline of it. So if we’re coming into the house from a scene that we just shot outside, I would do pushups so I would be out of breath and things like that. A lot more physical in nature.
