The actor’s breakout role was starring in the 1995 movie version of Casper.
But that was only the beginning of a career fully stocked with ghouls, vampires, and killer dolls.
Some actors with horror movie credits can be a little embarrassed about dabbling in the genre.
Devon Sawa in ‘Black Friday’.Screen Media Films
“I went through my closet,” says the actor.
“I was going, ‘I’m doing some horror stuff today.’
First I had anEvil Deadshirt on, and I was like, ‘Nah.’
‘Black Friday’.Screen Media Films
Then I put myMonster SquadT-shirt on.
But I ended up withReturn of the Living Dead.
This poster was on my wall when I was a kid for many years.
It really is a great film.”
“I’ve been a fan of Bruce since I was a little kid,” says Sawa.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use a lot of Bruce Campbell inIdle Hands.
I was just a gigantic fan.
Also, he is a super-nice guy, there from the minute we start ‘til the minute we end.
What you’d think he’d be like is what he’s like.
He’s justthatguy."
“It means a lot to me,” he says of his breakout role.
“I was working in Vancouver on Canadian stuff, and they did a nationwide casting call forCasper.
Somehow my cassette was given to Spielberg.
We walked onto this massive stage and met Spielberg.
It was a magical time.”
Here, Sawa looks back at a career fully stocked with ghouls, zombies, and killer dolls.
Idle Hands (1999)
“I remember it being like summer camp.
I was fearless at that age.
I didn’t care what people thought.”
I think those filmmakers, James Wong and Glen Morgan, were geniuses.
There were so many things they were doing that they didn’t discuss.
They had a vision.
They didthe bus sequence, and I didn’t know what they were doing.
When I saw the film, it was like, ‘Oh my god,that’swhat they were doing!’
For many years, I thought I couldn’t [imagine being in anotherFinal Destinationfilm].
I thought that ship had sailed.
But I think seeing how they rebootedHalloween, I would be interested.
I love that they redo the premise at the beginning it’s always this one person having a premonition.
I love to see these new cast members come and seeing their take on it.
If I come back, I come back.
If I don’t, I don’t.
We’ll see."
I liked doing the film.
I’m actually talking to the director, Steven Monroe, about another script he’s got."
It was like, ‘I’m not trying to be the young hotshot lawyer or hotshot cop.
‘Hunter Hunteris really special to me.
We had a crew go into the woods in Winnipeg.
You felt that on set."
Thank god Eli Roth was there because at the beginning I was kind of scared.
It was not the typical way of filmmaking.
Eli was just like, ‘We’re going to be part of something.
We’ve just got to enjoy this!’
And that’s what did it.
We had fun."
They probably didn’t know what I would think.
But when it came through my emails I was like, ‘Oh my god,Chucky!’
Like Bruce Campbell, this is something that’s nostalgic to me it means a lot to me.
Black Friday (2021)
“I hadn’t done comedy in a long time.
I didIdle Handsand then a few years laterSlackers.
To be quite honest, onSlackersI felt a little out of my element.
It hadJason Segeland Jason Schwartzman, who are comedy geniuses and very much into improv.
It just felt like a good fit, like a time to revisit comedy again.
There’s something about being on set and having buckets of different-colored bloods and people in prosthetic face masks.
It just feels real.
It feels good.”
Black Fridayis in theaters and on demand Nov. 19.
The film’s cast also includes Ivana Baquero, Ryan Lee, Stephen Peck, and Michael Jai White.
Watch the trailer for it above.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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