Shannen Doherty goes full-on mommy dearest in her new horror film BETHANY! – FANGORIA

in: Home,Movies/TV,News | April 17, 2017 - 12:33 pm |by: Adam Lee Price | Comments Off on Shannen Doherty goes full-on mommy dearest in her new horror film BETHANY!

From witch, to bitch, Shannen Doherty has played her fill of memorable characters. If youre my age you probably know her as the annoying little sister in GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN, the bulimic bitch in HEATHERS, or, of course, the iconic Brenda Walsh in 90210. Now, Doherty can add psychotic/abusive mother to that list in her new horror flick, BETHANY.

BETHANY, also starring Zack Ward (A CHRISTMAS STORY, RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE) and Tom Green (FREDDY GOT FINGERED, CHARLIES ANGELS), is the latest project from indie filmmaker James Cullen Bressack and one of the first horror films for Doherty. Though this role may be a far leap from her other films, Doherty completely dissolves into her character, offering up a stellar performance worthy of a repeat watch. Now, Doherty gives Fango readers an exclusive look into what it took to get into the mind frame of her darkest character to date.

FANGORIA: So how did you find yourself working on a horror film?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: Its definitely notmy M.O.Im at a place in my life whereif it doesnt resonate with me in some powerful way,either pushing me as an actoror hitting a note within methat makes sense, then I just dont want to leave my house.I just dont want to be apart of anything I dont really believe in anymore, and thats more of a new thing to be honest.Before I always picked jobs that I really loved and did a few money jobs,which will go on named. Also, its probably the fifth or sixth movie Ive donewith James Cullen Bressack, and I guess we just love working with each other. We always have a really good time on setand he lets me explore creativelyand it was a fairlystraightforward sort of work schedule. And, he likes me. [Laughing]

FANGORIA: What was it about BETHANY that drew you into the story?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: This was something very differentand I hadnt really ventured into the horror movie genre before. To me, yes its a horror movie butits just so psychologically interestingthat I felt compelledto play Susan. And it was a challengeto be that vicious,to do the things that Susan didbut also to find that vulnerability within her. It was definitely one of those things where Im challenged and its really goodand I should just do this.

FANGORIA: So, Susan is an extremely dark character. What did it take for you to get to where you had to be in order to play her?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: For me I had to go into a very weird mind space.Ive never considered myself a method actor; Im definitely not that because I dont carry it with me on the weekends. But I think when you go into that sort of creepyspace, that emotional space, you do get a little method. I think I let every wall downandbuilding up to that, your mind set just has to go to some very dark, dark, unhealthy place.

FANGORIA: One scene in particular, which was hauntingly well done, was the scene where youre looking into a mirror and just basically lose your mind. Can you talk about what it took to get that scene out of you?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: You know, youre looking in the mirror youre berating yourself, berating how you look, and berating the fact that youre getting old. Emotionally, that takes you on the journey that you need to go on for a scene like that and originally there was a lot of dialogue.James wrote it whereI was staring at myself in the mirrorand saying like a lot, a lot of stuffand that felt very uncomfortable to me. I dont know many people who actually do, do that and even for Susan,I was just like, this feels so wrong. Then, on top of it all, it was right when I found out or maybeabout a month or two after I found out I had cancer. So, I just had to go in there, look in the mirrorand just convey, through emotion,what he wanted me to actually say.Forget the dialogue. Heres again why I love working with James so much; hes so flexibleand he also has a lot of trust in the actors.So he was like, I believe you can say it all with emotion, so lets just go shoot it and dont worry about any dialogue.It played and made it much more powerful.

FANGORIA: The film deals with some heavy psychological fears as well as the sort of eerie, supernatural horror. For you, which one is more terrifying?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: Out of those two? I was about to say, well theres real life. [Laughing]But, probably more eerie. In real life, Im that girlwhere if one thing is off or if I hear a weird noise, Im so freaked out and usually hiding somewhere. Im not necessarily scared of the physically intimidating.I mean Susan came off as physically intimidating to her daughter, butpeople dont necessarily scare me. I know people can behorrible and people can also be beautiful, but its more that eerie, oh my God the door creaks open and Im like, ahhh whats happening? Its that that scares me the most. I actually dont watch horror moviesbecause I have nightmares for like weeks;I cannot watch them!

FANGORIA: Did anyone on set use that against you; you know, play a prank or two and have a bit of fun?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: No. [Laughing] No, youve got James whos just the sweetestman in the worldand surrounded by such a great crew and Ive worked with these guys a bunch of times, so they all know me; so nothing scary on set.Again, just to get into the character, its just a mindset and everyone was very respectful of that mindset. So it was like, there has to be some peace, there has to be some quietso that way I can connectand Anna [HARR] can connect with me and James can connect.

FANGORIA: It seems like James had a huge impact over your experience of working on this film.

SHANNEN DOHERTY: You know its so, funny because I looked at him on the first dayand I had this sort of grin on my faceand I was like, yeah this is why I do what I do, I love it.James always reminds meof that and that probably is one of my biggest take-aways from the movie. He reminds me of that every single dayand inspires meto get back to doing what I love to do.Its his way of saying, go fightShan!

FANGORIA: If theres one thing you learned from this whole experience, what would that be?

SHANNEN DOHERTY: I think that the more raw and vulnerable I allow myself to bein my own life,the more raw and vulnerableI can beon camera.I tend to guard myself a lot,Ive been hurt and depressed and everything in between. Through all of it,I think that I had a thick guard up, a wall, but on BETHANY that wallwas so taken down. And it was pretty devastating to be told I had cancer and it kind of stripped me bareand Im really thankful that it stripped me bare. It made me raw and vulnerableonset and in my character. I was able to be Fearless.

BETHANY is in theaters and on VOD now!

Check out the eerie trailer below:

Stay tuned here at FANGORIA.com for more on BETHANY and Uncorkd Entertainment releases!

Adam Lee Price has an intense love of horror films and has since being a child. This love of horror has led him to focus on a career in writing films for the next generation of genre fans. Adam has recently completed writing his first feature length horror screenplay entitled THE MASQUERADE. Now, he looks forward to the next chapter of his life working alongside great writers in the horror industry and at FANGORIA Magazine.

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Shannen Doherty goes full-on mommy dearest in her new horror film BETHANY! - FANGORIA