Kyra Sedgwick is a fan of horror movies – really.
I point that out only because I wouldn’t have pegged her as one, and also because a great many actors of her stature – even those I’ve spoken with who are actually out promoting their role in a new fright flick – tend to look down their noses at the genre. But not Sedgwick.
“I’m definitely a fan of the genre,” said the “Closer” actress, speaking to me about her role in the upcoming supernatural horror film “The Possession.” “I think I saw ‘The Exorcist’ when I was eight in the theaters. And you know, it scared me…it scared me to death. I was afraid for my life, actually. I was a little young for that movie, I think. [But] ‘The Omen,’ and ‘Poltergeist’ and, I mean, all of those movies always resonated with me, and I loved them. I mean, they were just terrifying and great.”
In “The Possession,” helmed by Danish director Ole Bornedal (“Nightwatch,” “Just Another Love Story”), Sedgwick plays the role of Stephanie Brenek, a recent divorcee whose 11-year-old daughter Em (Natasha Calis) begins exhibiting strange behavior after Em’s father Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) purchases a demon-infested “Dibbuk box” for the pre-teen at a local yard sale.
As the plot progresses, the girl’s demeanor grow increasingly violent and bizarre, and the film boasts several harrowing scenes that were no doubt a demanding physical and emotional experience for the young Calis, whose performance is by far one of the highlights of the film. With that in mind, I asked Sedgwick whether she ever felt concerned for her co-star’s well-being during shooting.
“I did worry about her,” she answered. “I also saw in her someone who had a very deep well, and I didn’t need to worry about her, you know what I mean? And she wanted to go there. She wanted to go deep every time.”
To check out the rest of my interview with the wonderfully warm and lovely Sedgwick, you can click on the video above.
“The Possession” hits theaters this Friday.