Anna Camp Reveals How ‘True Blood’ Ready Her For Her Position In ‘Hysteria’
Anna Camp is buying and selling in her trademark blonde locks for a “mousy and muted” mom-wig from the Nineteen Eighties in Peacock‘s new thriller/horror collection Hysteria, through which she performs Tracy Whitehead — an devoutly non secular mom keen to do something to maintain her teenage daughter out of hassle, even when it’s on the expense of others. Sound considerably acquainted? This isn’t Camp’s first time taking part in an antagonist zealot. Many might also bear in mind her function as Sarah Newlin within the HBO horror collection, True Blood.
“I grew up within the South. I grew up round very non secular girls’s communities and a sure approach that ladies offered themselves to the world. And I really feel like Sarah Newlin was actually form of like a primary stepping stone into constructing on to Tracy,” Camp advised DECIDER in a current Zoom interview, admitting that she will get “chills” pondering of how her earlier function helped “put together” her to play the villain in Hysteria, which takes place throughout the Satanic Panic of the Nineteen Eighties.
Whereas Tracy initially seems to be your stereotypical holy-roller within the Peacock collection, we quickly be taught that she has a a lot darker aspect to her. Tracy decides to have her rebellious daughter “re-programmed” by a legal who refers to himself as “The Reverend” — the identical man her household shipped her off to when she was a teenage stowaway residing at a hippie commune with a thriller man. However when her daughter’s secret boyfriend is killed within the kidnapping course of, a terrified Tracy scrambles to cowl up the homicide with false accusations.
“I’m at all times drawn to characters like that which have this kind of inside battle the place they’ve this masks that they current to the world and the way they need to be seen,” Camp stated, earlier than including, “I believe on the finish of the day, [Tracy] was taught to be shameful of who she actually is as an individual. So these are essentially the most improbable characters to play as a result of they’re such a problem and there’s a lot happening within them.
In DECIDER’s new interview with Camp, she additionally talked about that epic wig she wore in Hysteria and which heavy metallic music from the ’80s she would’ve preferred to see the Barden Bellas carry out in Pitch Excellent. Try our full chat under.
I really like this present and I particularly love the best way it captures the ‘80s, whether or not it’s by means of the soundtrack or the hair. What was your favourite half about going again in time to this period?
ANNA CAMP: Oh, my gosh. So many issues. However positively for my character of Tracy, I liked my wig. I liked my hair. It was so thrilling. On daily basis I acquired to enter the hair and make-up trailer and kind of turn into this different individual. Katie Ballard is our hair designer, and actually, when she places it on my head, like the whole lot shifts and adjustments and it’s that quintessential mother hair from the ’80s. In order that was positively my favourite half.
I’ve to ask about that wig you wore, as a result of it took me a number of seconds to even acknowledge that that was you. What was your first response while you placed on the wig?
It’s a loopy course of since you learn a script and then you definitely get the function. And, you recognize, I had an thought of what possibly I used to be going to appear to be, however it wasn’t actually what it turned out to be, which was actually, actually enjoyable. And it actually knowledgeable who I used to be. I assumed they have been going to make use of a blonde wig, like, actually, you recognize, that form of, what I’m identified for as being a blonde. And it’s form of acquired some grey in it and it’s very mousy and muted. And it simply made me really feel like a completely completely different individual. In order that’s an enormous praise that you just didn’t acknowledge me. I had some associates of mine come go to me on set and so they walked previous me. They’d no concept that it was me. In order that’s why I really like performing as I get to kind of actually remodel into completely different individuals. And I simply love taking part in Tracy a lot.
Tracy is an excellent advanced character. Whereas she begins off as this very non secular, godly girl, we be taught that she truly has a a lot darker aspect to her. What was it wish to play somebody so multifaceted? What helped you get into character?
It’s an actual reward to get to play roles that you just anticipate them to be one factor after which the writers kind of provide you with this unimaginable backstory. I acquired to find extra about Tracy as I performed her as a result of, you recognize, you don’t get all of the scripts straight away. You get to kind of learn them as you’re taking pictures. So it was actually thrilling to see what was actually effervescent beneath the floor of her. And I’m at all times drawn to characters like that which have this kind of inside battle the place they’ve this masks that they current to the world and the way they need to be seen. It’s an actual protecting factor. Like even her hair, her wardrobe, the whole lot is actually buttoned up as a result of I believe on the finish of the day, she was taught to be shameful of who she actually is as an individual. So these are essentially the most improbable characters to play as a result of they’re such a problem and there’s a lot happening within them. So it was really an actual reward to get to play her.
Your function as Tracy is in some methods harking back to your iconic True Blood character, Sarah Newlin. Is that one thing you have been aware of? Have you ever been seeking to get again into the style area?
I really like style. I at all times have. I simply did a horror film like a yr and a half in the past, and it was my first time actually delving into horror, aside from, True Blood was very style. However as I used to be going by means of this with Hysteria, I felt like in a approach, taking part in Sarah Newlin ready me to play Tracy. True Blood was clearly a bit extra campy, no pun supposed. However yeah, I grew up within the South. I grew up round very non secular girls’s communities and a sure approach that ladies offered themselves to the world. And I really feel like Sarah Newlin was actually form of like a primary stepping stone into constructing on to Tracy. You realize, I’m older now. I’m like, that’s like over ten years in the past. So I’ve grown as an individual and I felt just like the function was simply one thing that was prepared for me to step into as a result of it has been some time since I’ve performed any individual so comparable as Sarah. So it was actually thrilling and I get chills fascinated by how I used to be making ready to play this function again on True Blood.
The music in Hysteria is so good. In fact, you’re no stranger to an excellent soundtrack along with your work within the Pitch Excellent franchise. What’s your favourite metallic music? Is there one you’ll have preferred the Barden Bellas to carry out?
Oh, my God. Properly, you recognize, I listened to this music lots throughout my preparation for the function. There’s Danzig’s “Mom.” I really like that music. It’s so good. And like, I suppose it might have been form of rad to see the Barden Bellas sing “Mom” and all of our moms may come up and we get all these issues collectively, so it might be form of a full on Bella. After which the Bellas moms singing “Mom” from Danzig. That will be tremendous rad.
We’re a web site that celebrates all issues streaming. Since spooky season is developing, what’s your favourite scary film?
My gosh. My first scary film that I watched at a extremely younger age, which I most likely mustn’t have watched, however I like it a lot and I don’t know if it actually holds up as a lot anymore, however I liked Poltergeist. I actually was affected as a result of I believe I used to be, like, the identical age as Carol Anne, you recognize what I imply? And I used to be like, afraid to look at TV for some time. I used to be going to get sucked into the TV, however I just lately watched it possibly a few years in the past, and I don’t know why I used to be so afraid of that home and the monster, like, the spinning factor. As a result of now while you have a look at it, it appears so low-cost. However on the time, I had by no means seen something like that. And it was so loopy. So I really like Poltergeist. I believe it’s an excellent film.
Hysteria is at the moment streaming on Peacock.
