The Boogeyman star Sophie Thatcher talks design of the creature and filming challenges, as well as Yellowjackets and working with Pedro Pascal.
The Boogeyman is absolutely terrifying, which should come as no surprise since it is based off of a Stephen King short story. There is something about not knowing what is hiding in your closet, and what goes bump in the night. Don’t be fooled by it’s PG-13 rating, this feels more like R (in a good way).
Sophie Thatcher stars as Sadie Harper, who is dealing with the sudden loss of her mother. On top of her grief, he sister Sawyer starts to see something, however Sadie pushes it off as not real. Her father, Will, is a therapist that works from home. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
Related: The Boogeyman First Reactions Say It’s Terrifying
Mama’s Geeky sat down with Sophie Thatcher to discuss her new horror film, The Boogeyman. She reveals her reaction to first seeing the design of the creature, working with the talented Vivien Lyra Blair, and shooting some of the stunts. She also discusses her Yellowjackets‘ character Natalie and what it was like working with Pedro Pascal for the film Prospect.
Sophie Thatcher Talks The Boogeyman, Yellowjackets, & More
Mama’s Geeky: What was your reaction to watching The Boogeyman for the first time?
Sophie Thatcher: I was scared watching myself, because I think every actor is scared of that. But about ten minutes into it, I was like, no, that’s Sadie. Because it was so well done and so well shot, I was able to take myself out of that. It’s interesting knowing everything that’s going to happen yet still being surprised during your first time watching it. It was really special. I felt proud. I think we’re all proud.
Mama’s Geeky: Is there pressure that comes along with portraying a Stephen King story?
Sophie Thatcher: There’s a lot of pressure. But also we know that because it is a Stephen King story it has well written characters and it is going to be terrifying no matter what. We had his thumbs up from the get go. So that just felt like we were able to go into it safely, and hope to make him happy. It’s definitely daunting knowing that it’s a Stephen King story, because he’s the king of horror, but also nice to know that.
Mama’s Geeky: I love the sisterly bond in this film, can you talk about your relationship with Vivien?
Sophie Thatcher: Vivien is a genius. We were just doing press together all day today, and she’s more articulate than I am. She answered most of the questions. I love her so much. I’ve never had like a younger sibling, and so I was scared going into working with a younger actor. But she’s so smart. She’s so empathetic. She’s so present to as an actor, which kept me on my toes. It was refreshing to work with her.
Mama’s Geeky: Can you talk about finding the character of Sadie?
Sophie Thatcher: I was very keen on making her simple and depressed, but also believable depressed. I feel like sometimes when people write depressed female characters, it’s sexy, but with Sadie, you can tell she hasn’t changed her outfit in like a week. Little specifics like that make it feel well lived in and you buy it. I was very specific with how she carries herself. Her posture isn’t great because she’s very insecure. Little things like that and making her different from my other roles. I’ve played pretty different characters in the past, I play Natalie in the show Yellowjackets and they’re pretty polar opposite. It’s more exciting to play roles that aren’t like you.
Mama’s Geeky: What was it like filming the scenes with the boogeyman. It was a mo-cap suit, right?
Sophie Thatcher: For some of it was that, for some it was like a silver ball. Other times it was a head they created. I preferred using my imagination because I feel like I’m just used to that. I come from the era of self tapes and doing everything on zoom, and using your imagination. I was more used to that, but see him when he was contorting his body in really strange ways just immediately puts you in this uneasy headspace.
Mama’s Geeky: What did you think when you first saw the design of the boogeyman?
Sophie Thatcher: I saw it about a quarter of the way into filming. It was something where I was like, oh, maybe I don’t want to see it. Maybe I just want it to be some abstract figure to me. But I was terrified. I was like, you guys did a good job. That’s classy. That was my first thought. I was like, You guys made it classy if that makes any sense, because it can go so camp. And it wasn’t camp.
Mama’s Geeky: I’ve got to tell you, I am a big fan of the movie, Prospect. It must have been awesome working so closely with Pedro Pascal.
Sophie Thatcher: Hell, yeah! Thank you. He’s f*cking awesome!
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About The Boogeyman
The Boogeyman is a horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain.
When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
The Boogeyman comes exclusively to theaters June 2nd.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.