Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: 20th century studios, exclusive, interview, Obi Wan Kenobi, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair

The Boogeyman Star Vivien Lyra Blair on Embracing Stephen King Horror

Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi) talks to Bleeding Cool about her latest horror film in Stephen King's The Boogeyman for 20th Century.

Vivien Lyra Blair is emerging as a one-of-a-kind talent as a young actor since her debut in 2017's Band Aid. Maturing beyond her years, she's burst into the scene with memorable roles across film and television, including Netflix's Bird Box and We Can Be Heroes, ABC's Station 19, Showtime's Waco, Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction, and Disney+ Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Her latest film in 20th Century Studio's The Boogeyman, based on the Stephen King short story, follows two sisters, Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Blair), who are dealing with a sadistic presence in their home following the death of their mother, and trying to get the attention of their grieving therapist father Will Harper (Chris Messina) before it's too late. Blair spoke with Bleeding Cool about her initial reluctance at the Rob Savage film, if she's read any of King's works, and bonding with her castmates before filming.

Why Blair Took a Chance on 'The Boogeyman'

Bleeding Cool: what intrigued you about 'The Boogeyman?'
Blair: I was a little hesitant at first because I didn't want to play another character that had to be saved. I said, "I don't want to play that character again." When I read the script (from Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, and Mark Heyman), Sawyer is so much more than that. She is a brave soul, and she protects her family from this creature, even though they don't believe her, which is just such an amazing act to do. I looked up to her, and I knew immediately, once I read the script, that I wanted to be a part of this project.

Have you read any Stephen King before taking this?
I haven't read him before, but now that it's coming out, I just finished reading the original short story of 'The Boogeyman', and I have a full copy of 'Night Shift' so I can read the other ones as well.

How do you describe the set that Rob ran?
Rob was a fantastic director. He ran that set wonderfully. The cinematographer, Eli Born, is amazing at what he does. Those shots turned out beautiful. All the actors on set were so nice and good at what they did, and it was a fun set to be on.

Can you break down the work with Sophie [Thatcher] and some of your costars and what they were like?
They were all super nice. We would do these little family trips, me, Sophie, and Chris, to bond before we started shooting so that we would have memories. And build that relationship between sisters and dad. We went to the aquarium and bowling. We had these fun experiences that brought us closer together.

What was the hardest part about doing 'The Boogeyman?'
I guess acting scared because it's probably the emotion I'm least into as an actor, but it was all fun and simple on set.

The Boogeyman, which also stars David Dastmalchian, is currently in theaters. You can check out our interview with her about Obi-Wan Kenobi here.

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