As one of Stephen King’s very first novels,Salem’s Lotholds a special place in many horror fans' hearts. After already being adapted a couple of times over the years, director Gary Dauberman’s newest version of the story is set to launch on Max 20 years after the previous adaptation. Featuring a cast that mixes experience and youth, theHBO Maxadaptation of this epic vampire story is set to scare fans of the genre in plenty of new ways.
Game Rant sat down with Lewis Pullman, who plays Ben Mears; Mackenzie Leigh, who plays Susan Norton; Alfre Woodard, who plays Dr. Cody; and Spencer Treat Clark, who plays Mike Ryerson,to discussSalem’s Lot. They talked about some of the challenges they faced, some of the new aspects of their characters that they brought out, and the difference that a setting can make to an actor’s performance.This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Salem’s Lot’s Cast Discusses The Upcoming Movie
Q: Alfre, you’ve played a wide range of strong, multi-faceted characters throughout your career. Did your character, Dr. Cody, have any scenes inSalem’s Lotthat you found particularly powerful, or challenging to perform? If so, how did you bring your personal touch to those scenes?
Alfre Woodard: A lot of times it was challenging not to laugh! When you do horror, that can be tough. As a little kid, I always got sent outside to play. Before we had all this technology, you made up stuff to keep yourself entertained. Characters, worlds, my friends and I believed it all. There is such freedom in that. As actors, we turn our talents into skills, but it’s the same concept. All these things can come into play the same way that you’d play an instrument in an orchestra. Doing horror, you bring all of that to it, but it is the quintessential ‘go outside and play’. There’s so muchfreedom and fun in horror movies.
Of course,actors always have bloopers during filming, but there’s nothing funnier than what’s meant to be a horrible, scary moment turning funny on set. Then you have to control yourself and try not to laugh when the scene starts again. But you know, nothing is ever hard if you’ve got good writing. I don’t go to work unless the writing is tight and of a caliber that doesn’t insult the viewer. It gives you something to build on. As actors, we are like relay runners. You can either run the relay, or you can’t. You take the baton, run with it, then pass it on. The hardest part of working is getting a job. Getting to the point between action and cut is the hardest part. When you’re in the middle of that, it’s like a holiday! We do all the things we do just to be in that space of freedom.
Salem’s Lot’s Characters Are Varied and Relatable
Q: Stephen King’s works often feature flawed, but relatable characters. Were there any particular aspects of Ben Mears or Susan Norton’s characters that you wanted to bring to this adaption that audiences perhaps haven’t seen in previous ones?
Mackenzie Leigh: I don’t know if audiences haven’t seen this in previous adaptations, but for me, Susan is a girl who really wants to get out, to escape her life. That sometimes feels like the thing that has driven me in my own life, so I wanted to make sure that that came through in my performance.
Lewis Pullman: I found myself trying to hone in on the parallel between my character, Ben, and Jordan Preston Carter’s character, Mark Petrie, at the end. He loses his parents just like Ben did, which leads to Ben almost becoming the thing that he wished he had when he was a child. I spent a lot of time trying to really set that up so that it landed at the end, as it felt like a really important plot point.
Q: Spencer, the setting ofSalem’s Lotplays a crucial role in creating the atmosphere. With regards to the setting and locations, did they add anything to your performance while filming?
Spencer Treat Clark: Great question. I feel really fortunate that they chose to set the movie in the 70s. It’s a period piece now, but when Stephen King wrote it, it was contemporary at the time. It was one of the first books he wrote. I’m glad they kept the1970s aesthetic. They gave me sideburns that I didn’t even know I could grow! It all makes a difference. We filmed in the fall. There are locations that we used in early September when everything was green, but then, paralleling the decay of the town, by the time we finished shooting, the leaves had fallen, and the trees were bare. That makes a real difference to us actors.
The area itself has this kind of spookiness. It’s New England, it is old, and colonial, there’s history to it. The part of Massachusetts where we filmed it, we were in a small town with a couple of restaurants we would go to and hang out. We had a real small-town vibe, not just with each other but the others in the crew as well, and all of that stuff makes a huge difference, and makes it more fun!
Q: Spencer, other than your character, Mike Ryerson, who is your favorite character in the movie, and why?
Spencer Treat Clark: Bill Camp’s character, Matthew Burke. I love Bill so much as a person, and it’s a bit of a cop-out because Mike works so closely with Matt, but I think that character is super fun and identifiable. Everyone has had that universal experience with a teacher they love. He’s got a sort of dry wit, and he’s just so relatable. I imagine that Mike was probably a fifth grader in his class at one point. It’s a great question, but there are so many great characters inStephen King’s bookthat you aren’t able to touch on in a movie of this format, so that would be my answer.
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Salem’s Lot, based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, will stream on Max on October 3.
