Interview with the cast of “Chucky”

TV Interview!

 

NEW YORK COMIC CON -- "Syfy’s ‘Chucky’ Panel” -- Pictured: (l-r) Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Bella Higginbotham, Jennifer Tilly, Devon Sawa, Lachlan Watson at the Javits Center on October 7, 2022 -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/Syfy)

Interview with Executive Producer Don Mancini, actors Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Brad Dourif, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Devon Sawa, and Jennifer Tilly of “Chucky” on Syfy by Suzanne 9/15/22

“Chucky” Season 2: Executive Producer and Cast Share Behind-the-Scenes Insights

Virtual via Zoom – September 15, 2022 – In a fun TCA panel discussion, executive producer Don Mancini and cast members of the hit USA Network and SYFY series “Chucky” offered a glimpse into the upcoming season. The show, which garnered immense popularity in its first season, will return on October 5 at 9:00 p.m. on both networks. Fans of the film franchise and newcomers alike will be treated to a thrilling continuation of the story, as Chucky seeks revenge on those he holds responsible for foiling his plans in the previous season.

The panel consisted of Don Mancini, the showrunner and executive producer, along with actors Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Brad Dourif, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Devon Sawa, and Jennifer Tilly. The discussion covered various aspects of the show, including the Catholic background that influenced Mancini’s storytelling, the evolution of Chucky’s character, and the actors’ favorite moments from the series.

When asked about his Catholic background and its impact on the show, Mancini revealed that he was raised Catholic but attended an Episcopalian school in eighth grade, which exposed him to different aspects of the Catholic Church. This intersection between Chucky and religious themes intrigued him, as the character often subverts authority figures and challenges institutions.

Mancini also explained how Chucky seamlessly transitioned from the film franchise to the TV series format. He attributed the character’s enduring popularity to Brad Dourif’s unforgettable performance as Chucky and the skill of the puppeteers who bring the doll to life. Furthermore, the serialized narrative storytelling, which the films had already established, allowed the TV series to delve deeper into character development and explore different sub-genres of horror.

The cast members shared their own experiences and favorite moments from the show. Devon Sawa expressed his excitement about returning for another season and the joy of working with young actors. He particularly enjoyed the video game scene from the previous season. Alyvia Alyn Lind highlighted the scene where Chucky flips them off, as it showcased the characters coming together and created an unforgettable moment. Björgvin Arnarson praised Chucky’s manipulative nature and the surprising twists it brought to the story. Zackary Arthur mentioned the “Snug as a fucking bug in a rug” line and the creepy lullaby scene as his favorites.

Reflecting on the evolution of Chucky’s character over the years, Brad Dourif acknowledged Don Mancini’s creative vision as the driving force behind it. He commended Mancini’s ability to adapt to changing horror trends and continually challenge the character, making each season an exciting and daunting experience for him.

As the panel concluded, the cast expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to work on the show and their excitement for future seasons. Despite the challenges and emotions that come with wrapping up each season, the camaraderie among the cast and crew made the experience rewarding.

With the return of “Chucky” just around the corner, fans can anticipate an exhilarating second season that pushes the boundaries of horror and explores new depths of the beloved character. The series continues to captivate audiences and carve its own path in the horror genre, thanks to the creative genius of Don Mancini and the exceptional performances of the talented cast.

MORE INFO: Chucky

“Chucky” Season 3 coming Fall 2023 on USA & SYFY.

CHUCKY is a continuation of the iconic film franchise chronicling the murderous escapades of the notorious killer doll. In the TV series, Chucky crosses paths with archenemies, old allies and new prey, as he seeks to inspire fear and mayhem wherever he goes. After his diabolical plan to invade America’s children’s hospitals was foiled in season one, Chucky now seeks revenge on those he holds responsible: surviving teens Jake (Zackary Arthur), Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind), along with his ex Tiffany, now his sworn enemy. Meanwhile, can “Jevon” make it as a couple in the face of adversity at their new Catholic school, not to mention a brand-new onslaught of terror from the demon doll?

The series is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, and executive produced by Don Mancini, Nick Antosca, Alex Hedlund, David Kirschner and Jeff Renfroe.

Don Mancini

Executive Producer, “Chucky”

Don Mancini is the creator and an executive producer of the hit USA Network series “Chucky.”

Mancini created one of the most terrifying and iconic horror villains of all time with Chucky, the red-haired, freckle-faced doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer. Chucky slashed his way into the pop culture zeitgeist in 1988 with the premiere of “Child’s Play” and the franchise now includes six sequels.

Mancini is not only a standout figure in queer horror, he’s also one of the only franchise creators of any genre to continue overseeing his creation for over 30-plus years

Additionally, Mancini served as a writer and producer on “Hannibal” and “Channel Zero” as well as co-writer on “Tales From the Crypt.”

Brad Dourif

Chucky (Voice), “Chucky”

Brad Dourif plays the devilish title character in the hit USA Network series “Chucky.”

Over the course of a lengthy career, Dourif has appeared in more than 50 feature films, winning a BAFTA Award and being nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe Award for supporting actor in the iconic Jack Nicholson-starrer “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Other films on Dourif’s resume include “Dune,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mississippi Burning.” He is also known for his work on the “Lord of the Rings” franchises.

On the television side, Dourif played Doc Cochran on the mesmerizing HBO Western “Deadwood,” from David Milch. For his work on the show,” Dourif earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Jennifer Tilly

Tiffany Valentine, “Chucky”

Jennifer Tilly plays Tiffany Valentine in the USA Network drama “Chucky.”

Tilly received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Woody Allen’s “Bullets Over Broadway” and earned an American Comedy Award nomination for “Liar Liar,” opposite Jim Carrey.

Tilly’s film credits include “Bound,” “The Getaway,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Dancing at the Blue Iguana,” “Bride of Chucky” and “The Doors.”

On the TV side, Tilly has appeared on “Modern Family,” “Hill Street Blues,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” “Moonlighting,” “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “Drop Dead Diva,” and “CSI.” For the last 11 years, she’s been doing voiceover work for Fox’s “Family Guy” as well as the films “Monster’s Inc.,” “Monsters at Work,” “Home on the Range,” “Stuart Little” and “The Haunted Mansion.”

Equally at home on stage, Tilly has many theater credits under her belt, including “Tartuffe,” (LA Public Theatre) “Boy’s Life” (LAAT), “Baby With the Bathwater,” (LAPT) and “Vanities,” (Dramalogue Best Actress Award). She received a TheatreWorld Award for Best Newcomer for her performance in Second Stage’s “One Shoe Off” at the Joseph Papp Theatre. On Broadway in 2001, she co-starred in “The Women” with Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Johnson, and then returned to Broadway to co-star in “Don’t Dress for Dinner” in 2012.

She appeared with Miranda Richardson in the critically acclaimed world premiere of Wallace Shawn’s play “Grasses of a Thousand Colors” at the Royal Court Theatre in London. She then reprised her role in the American premiere at the Joseph Papp Theater.

Tilly is a skilled poker player and won a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker in 2005.

Björgvin Arnarson

Devon Evans “Chucky”

Björgvin Arnarson plays Devon in the hit USA Network drama series “Chucky.”

Arnarson is a globetrotting military kid, discovered his love for acting after he booked his first role on Bounce TV’s “Family Time” sitcom. His recent credits include the series “PEN15” and the feature film “The Seventh Day.”

He pursued acting from a young age, participating in theater and making short films. When Björgvin is not on set, he’s an entrepreneur and filmmaker, active in the local art scene. He also plays piano and studies digital arts.

Zackary Arthur

Jake Wheeler, “CHUCKY”

Zack Arthur plays Jake Wheeler on the USA Network hit series “Chucky.”

Most recently, he lent his voice to “Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog Splat” and was previously seen in “Mississippi Requiem.” Upcoming, he’s set to co-star in “Jill” with Tom Pelphrey (“Ozark”).

Arthur made his feature film debut in “The 5th Wave” and additional movie credits include “Hero Dog: The Journey Home,” “The American Boys,” “Don’t Come Back from the Moon” and “Mom and Dad.”

He’s perhaps best well known for his role in Amazon’s Emmy Award-nominated series “Transparent,” appearing in 19 episodes throughout the show’s five seasons along co-star and Emmy winner Jeffrey Tambor.

Arthur has also guest-starred on a variety of TV projects, including Jim Carrey’s Golden Globe-nominated comedy series “Kidding,” Pamela Adlon’s Peabody Award-winning FX series “Better Things” and David Hollander’s critically acclaimed Showtime series “Ray Donovan.” Additional television credits include “Borrasca,” “SWAT,” “Teachers,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Best Friends Whenever.”

He currently resides in Los Angeles with his family.

Alyvia Alyn Lind

Lexy, “Chucky”

Alyvia Alyn Lind grew up in Los Angeles in a houseful of actresses. She began her career at the age of 3 and at such a young age, has an impressive list of credits.

Alyvia is presently in production on the highly anticipated USA/SyFy television series “Chucky,” produced by NBC/Universal, playing the entitled, privileged “mean girl” ‘Lexy Cross.’

Lind is also a series regular in the popular, post-apocalyptic, genre-bending “Daybreak” currently streaming on Netflix, playing the role of ‘Angelica Green,’ a highly unstable kid genius.

Alyvia is often recognized for playing Anna Faris’s daughter in the remake of the comedy classic “Overboard.” She recently completed season 2 of “Futureman” with Josh Hutcherson, produced by Seth Rogen, airing on Hulu. She can also be seen in the Netflix original film, “Walk. Ride. Rodeo.”

Alyvia is best known for her portrayal of the living legend, Dolly Parton, in the NBC Universal telefilm, “Coat of Many Colors,” and immediately following, “Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love,” which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Alyvia was recognized by the prestigious Critics’ Choice Awards by being nominated in the adult category at seven years old, for Best Actress alongside Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Kirsten Dunst, and she was also nominated and won the Movieguide’s Grace Award for Best Actress. Not only did the MOW break records with 18.6 million viewers, which made COMC the highest-rated movie or miniseries on the broadcast networks in six years, the film walked away with numerous awards, including The Tex Ritter Award and the coveted Epiphany Prize given by the Movieguide Awards. One of Alyvia’s favorite parts of working on the film was singing her solos, and recording “Angel Hill,” an original duet with Dolly Parton.

Alyvia was also seen in the Amazon original movie “An American Girl Story – Maryellen 1955: Extraordinary Christmas” playing the lead character, a young girl who sets her mind to helping children with polio. In conjunction with the film, Aly teamed up with Lollipop Theatre Network to help bring awareness to children with life-threatening illnesses.

Alyvia is also known for the much publicized, campy Lifetime movie, “A Deadly Adoption” where she enjoyed the enviable role of Will Ferrell’s and Kristen Wiig’s kidnapped daughter.

One of Aly’s career highlights was playing Adam Sandler’s daughter in the Warner Bros. film “Blended” alongside Drew Barrymore and Bella Thorne. Alyvia plays the precocious and sweet ‘Lou Friedman,’ the youngest daughter of Sandler.

Alyvia’s television credits include the ABC hit series “Revenge,” playing the five-yearold ‘Amanda Clarke,’ the wisecracking ‘Charlotte,’ on the Nick@Nite comedy “See Dad Run” with Scott Baio, ‘Annika,’ a foreign exchange student (she learned to speak Swedish for the role) in the TNT comedy “Teachers,” “Gamer’s Guide” for Disney, ‘Sasha’ on “Alexa and Katie” for Netflix,’ Lily’ on the Ryan Murphy Fox hit “9-1-1,” and she can still be seen (since the age of 3) in the television daytime drama “The Young and the Restless” as ‘Faith Newman,’ in which she was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 at the age of 9 and is again nominated for her work in 2020.

On the big screen, Lind appeared in Dimension Film’s “Dark Skies” (2013) with Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton, and was seen in Universal Pictures’ “Mockingbird,” a thriller starring Spencer List, and the feature film “Shangri-La Suite” opposite Ashley Greene and Emily Browning in which Alyvia portrays Lisa Marie Presley.

Alyvia is also known for her recurring role, ‘Gracie,’ on the groundbreaking, award winning Amazon show “Transparent”, and the critically acclaimed “Masters of Sex” for Showtime, playing ‘Jenny,’ Michael Sheen’s and Caitlin Fitzgerald’s daughter.

Alyvia grew up with two older sisters, Natalie and Emily, (both actresses) in an animalloving home. She has a passion for dogs and her favorite pastime is being a mom to her rescued malti-poo named “Georgie,” and her new goldendoodle puppy, “Rocky Lou.” In her spare time, she likes to record songs and make movies with her sisters, practice guitar, write music and dance. Alyvia has grown up watching her mom, actress Barbara Alyn Woods (“One Tree Hill” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”) and looks up to her for acting inspiration.

Devon Sawa

Logan Wheeler / Lucas Wheeler, “Chucky”

Dewon Sawa plays Father Bryce on the hit USA Network drama series “Chucky.”

Born in Vancouver, Sawa is an industry veteran having gotten his start in such films as “Casper,” “Now and Then” and “Little Giants.” He soon became a household name after starring in the iconic horror franchise “Final Destination” as well as cult favorites “Idle Hands” and “SLC Punk” as well as its sequel, “Punk’s Dead.” He also starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Dave Bautista in “Escape Plan: The Extractors,” opposite John Travolta in “The Fanatic” and opposite Guy Pearce in “Disturbing the Peace.”

On the TV side, Sawa can be seen on the HBO Max series “Hacks.” He also appeared on the CW’s “Nikita” as both Owen Elliot and Sam Matthews, a Special Forces operative with multiple personalities.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page

 

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 08: Brad Dourif attends "Wildling" New York Screening at iPic Theater on April 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)NEW YORK COMIC CON -- "Syfy’s ‘Chucky’ Panel” -- Pictured: Don Mancini at the Javits Center on October 7, 2022 -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/Syfy)

 

Interview with the cast of “Chucky”

TV Interview!

 

Zackary Arthur, Brad Dourif, Devon Sawa, Jennifer Tilly and Don Mancini of "Chucky" on Syfy

Interview with creator Don Mancini and actors Zackary Arthur, Brad Dourif, Devon Sawa, and Jennifer Tilly of “Chucky” on Syfy by Suzanne 9/13/21

This was a very fun press panel for TCA about the new Syfy show “Chucky,” based on the “Child’s Play” movies. I was surprised at how my question was answered, but that’s okay…that’s part of the fun of interviewing – you never know what kind of answer you’ll get!
I’m not really a horror fan. I don’t mind some shows, like “Supernatural” or “Legacies,” but I find horror movies and many of the shows to be very depressing and too gross, so I avoid them. The “Chucky” first episode is not too gory, but apparently it does get more so, judging from what said here.
Also, I like to root for the hero, and in these type of shows, the horror entity (in this case, Chucky) usually wins. Or at least, he’ll kill off an awful lot of people before he dies.

NBCUNIVERSAL SUMMER 2021 TCA VIRTUAL PRESS TOUR
USA & SYFY Chucky
Zackary Arthur, Actor, “Jake Webber”
Brad Dourif, Actor, Voice of “Chucky”
Devon Sawa, Actor, “Logan Wheeler”
Jennifer Tilly, Actor, “Tiffany Valentine”
Don Mancini, Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer
Virtual via Zoom September 13, 2021

I asked this question: I haven’t seen any of the “Child’s Play” movies, but I assume that they have a lot more gore and violence than the TV show. Was that a decision you made, or did the network tell you not to make it too gory? Or how did that come about?”

They all laughed when I said that, which was a bad sign. Don Mancini, the showrunner, replied that I should just wait. In other words, it does get a lot more gory and violent. Oh, that’s too bad. Well, now I know not to watch any more of the shows. Stars Zackary Arthur and Jennifer Tilly chimed in to add that they have a whole “blood team” that works on the movie. Mancini continued to say that it was important to him to retain “all of the aspects of the franchise that the fans love, one of which is the gore, the other of which, of course, is Chucky’s propensity for dropping f-bombs. And the networks SYFY and USA, when we pitched the project, assured us that there would be no compromise in these departments.” He went on to explain that when he worked on “Hannibal” for NBC, and “Channel Zero” for Syfy (both for NBC/Universal), he was surprised at how far they let him push the envelope on this sort of thing. He mentioned that there will be “no compromises” in that regard. He went on to remind us that in the first episode, the first death that Chucky causes has no blood because he’d heard his new buddy Jake say that he doesn’t like seeing blood. He chuckled, “that’s Chucky’s idea of being thoughtful.”

Mancini was also asked if he’d ever thought of exploring the childhood of the original murderer, Charles Lee Ray (the ghost that inhabits the Chucky doll) for a movie sequel before. He concurred that fans have been wanting to see that for decades. this was one of the reasons he wanted to do a TV series, where there’s a lot more time to delve into his background and other “storytelling.”

Another reporter asked about other stylistic changes between the movie and the TV show. Mancini replied, it’s very important to me, and I try to have a different overriding, governing aesthetic for each film” and now with the TV show. This is the first time they’ve presented Chucky during the Halloween season. He wanted to really have a “luxurious and glamorous
autumn look with fall foliage …that became the central aesthetic principle.” This gave them some challenges because they shot it during the spring and summer seasons. They had to have trucks bring in artificial fall leaves for them to spread around the set. They had also shot drone footage least year of the fall outdoors, outside of Toronto, where they shoot the show. He added, “it looks like a Halloween horror movie as directed by Dario Argento or Brian De Palma. At least, that was our goal.”

Tilly praised their production designer and cinematographer, who made the show look beautiful. She feels that it looks very different from “Cult of Chucky,” which took place in the winter in a mental institution, where it was very sterile. She says that the set design looks very expensive, and maintains that it is, indeed, expensive. She was surprised at how much money they have for the series. Devon Sawa added in his two cents that he, also, was shocked when he arrived at how big their budget must be, since there were so many departments, and how many people that were working in them. He also praised at the beautiful job they did on the look of the show. “It looks stunning. It’s so beautiful to look at.”

Then a journalist asked Sawa and Zackary Arthur, who are new to the franchise, what their perceptions were before they joined, and what questions they’d had. Sawa admitted that he was already a fan, having grown up with the Chucky series of movies. He leaped at the chance to audition for it. He piled on the kudos to both Chucky and his voice, Brad Dourif, calling them “legends.” He said, Chucky belongs on the Mount Rushmore of horror with, you know, Krueger and Jason.” He was thrilled to be part of this show. Mancini jokingly gave him a hard time for not mentioned the script, too, but Sawa seriously added, quickly, that the script was great, too. He also loved playing twins in the show.

Tilly jokingly asked Arthur, “Do you have anything flattering to add about Don to that question?” and he replied that he always does. Then he continued in a more serious vein that he wasn’t allowed to watch gory movies when growing up, but he envied the cool kids in school who watched and loved the Chucky movies. Tilly added, “Yeah, now they’re all losers,” and he replied, also joking, “Yeah. That’s what happens when you watch violent movies.” He also said that he felt very cool auditioning for the series.

As they joked more about Mancini, he playfully told them to stop it. Tilly mentioned seriously that they’re lucky to have Arthur, and that Mancini had told her what a great actor he is. She gave us an example of a scene where he and another actor, Bjorgvin Arnarson (Devon), kiss. She explained, “They have a moment of human connection. And everybody on the set was
weeping because it was so touching.” She also said that she was excited about working with Sawa, whom she loved in “Final Destination.”

A journalist mentioned the 2019 remake, which none of them participated in. He/she wondered if doing the TV series was a way to reclaim it. Tilly answered that the TV series was already being considered long before that. Even though the film did very well, she compares it to the “New Coke vs. Classic Coke” situation. She thinks people will like the series better because they have the original Chucky, Brad Dourif, who thinks that he wouldn’t do the remake without Mancini. Dourif corrected her, though, saying, they didn’t call him, but he would have done that. Mancini joked, “Great story, Jennifer, but it never happened.”

Tilly went on, saying that the wonderful thing about the franchise is how loyal the fans are. She expressed that they’re twice as fanatical as Trekkies. The internet helped her realize how much of an icon Chucky is and how he and her character, Tiffany, are loved worldwide. She’s very grateful to Don for writing her so much into the TV show. She would have been happy to just have a tiny part, but he gave her much more. She gushed, I can’t help but blurt out things like, ‘Thank you, Don.
Thank you for the wonderful scripts. And thank you for putting me in the television series.’ Because his writing is so
amazing.” She also let us know that Brad Dourif’s daughter, Fiona, appears in the second half of the season, and we also see the return of Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) and Kyle (Christine Elise).

She also added that the show’s story is “just such a beautiful coming-of-age movie. I mean, you kind of don’t even need Chucky because the relationship between Zackary and the other kids is really just you’re rooting for them. You want to know where it goes.” She praises the actors who play the teens.

Another person from the press asked Arthur and Sawa whether they were worried when they signed on to the series whether their characters would be killed or not by Chucky. He/she also wondered if Sawa asked to play twins. Sawa had a funny answer: “Of course, my worry was dying on the show because both my characters are giant assholes.” He agreed that you do hope for the “best death scene possible” or that one of them will live.

Tilly added that she never worries about dying because Tiffany dies in every movie, and yet Mancini keeps bringing her back to life (just as he does with Chucky). She says that the franchise is “magical.”

Mancini jumped in the question to say that they also re-use the same actors frequently in other roles. He claimed, “We were doing that before Ryan Murphy started doing that with the repertoire company he put together on ‘American Horror Story.’ So even if someone dies, they can come back in another role.” He started that with Tilly in the 90’s. She’s gotten killed as both a person and as a doll, and brought back for four movies as well as the series. Brad has also died once or twice in eveyr movie. He half-joked that “if Zack and Devon play their cards right, the sky’s the limit, regardless of what happens to their characters.” Brad Douriff agreed to what he said.

Tilly hinted that a line of dialogue in the series refers to this point. She didn’t want to mention more due to spoilers.
She boasted that she’s been suggesting to Mancini for 30 years that they tell the origin story in a better way than they did in the movies (with younger actors). She and Dourif agreed that the fans will be excited to see this. She added that there is a lot of fan fiction about it — “the two of them before they became dolls.” Tilly teased that Don is the biggest fan of the “Chucky” franchise than anyone. She cites bringing back Andy Barclay as an adult as one example of the lengths Mancini goes to. She thinks that there is a lot more of a “throughline” in their franchise because of using the same actors, and that brings more “emotional impact.” Dourif added that it’s really worked well on “an acting level,” which he finds surprising. He added that he found Alex Vincent to be “hauntingly good.” He suggests that really living with the franchise may have affected him and his work… “Things get inside you and they mean something.” He mentioned that his daughter, who grew up with “Chucky,” did really well, probably because she “grew up in the house of Chucky.” Tilly and Sawa praised his daughter’s acting, which leds to Dourif joking that he done a great job of fishing for those compliments.

Tilly went on some more about how much she loved the first “Chucky” movie she did. She was not interested in it at first, but the writing in the script impressed her as did Brad Dourif’s acting as well as his daughter’s. She mentioned in passing that he was nominated before for an Oscar (For “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1976), which I’d forgotten. She had also never done voice-over, and she said it was a lot of fun, and they let them ad-lib there. She said, enthusiastically, that Brad is brillint. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m a doll and you’re a doll. Let’s knock this off and go spend our paycheck.’ He really took it seriously.” She gave an example from their filming of “Bride of Chucky,” where she dies, and she saw him cry in the booth, and she was crying, too. She points out that she’s learned from fans that they’re more often rooting for Chucky instead of his vicims because “They identify with his struggles” and love him.

Arthur answered the question, saying that he doesn’t worry about being killed off because he and Chucky are “buddies” who would “team up.”

Dourif was asked at what age he let Fiona watch his “Chucky” movie and whether he’s surprised that the franchise has lasted so long that she could play major parts in it.

Dourif first answered that no actor thinks that any movies or show will end up that successful. You just have to take it one at a time. It’s never a sure thing. He added that Fiona’s friends in school wanted him to talk like Chucky and do the laugh, so it was already a part of her life. She was very young when she came to the studio with him, when he had to do some additional dialogue. He was screaming and yelling while his character was being burned alive “in agony.” She got very upset and left, so they had to stop, so he could find her and reassure her that it was okay. He added, “So, she had her first kind of traumatic experience around me doing Chucky pretty young.” Tilly then make some jokes about his daughter being terrorized and having to go to therapy.

The last journalist asked Dourif to tell us the process in which he found the voice for Chucky. That’s a great question.

Dourif responded that he’s constantly having to adjust his Chucky voice because as you age, your voice changes. Mancini helps him and tells him what to adjust, such as getting higher in certain places. He added that Chucky originally was from Chicago, but now he sounds more like he’s from New Jersey. He will sometimes watch “Cult of Chucky” and mimic the voice he used there before they shoot again. Mancini said modestly that he doesn’t have to give Dourif any help.

MORE INFO:

In the new CHUCKY television series, an idyllic American town is thrown into chaos after a vintage ‘Good Guy’ doll turns up at a suburban yard sale. Soon, everyone must grapple with a series of horrifying murders that begin to expose the town’s deep hypocrisies and hidden secrets. Meanwhile, friends and foes from Chucky’s past creep back into his world and threaten to expose the truth behind his mysterious origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster. CHUCKY is produced by UCP and executive produced by creator Don Mancini, David Kirschner, Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund. Harley Peyton will also serve as executive producer. Mancini, who penned the film franchise, wrote the television adaptation, will direct the first episode and serves as showrunner.

CHUCKY is produced by UCP and executive produced by creator Don Mancini, David Kirschner, Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund. Harley Peyton will also serve as executive producer. Mancini, who penned the film franchise, wrote the television adaptation, will direct the first episode and serves as showrunner.

"Death by Misadventure" Episode 101 -- Pictured: (l-r) Devon Sawa as Logan Wheeler, Zackary Arthur as Jake Wheeler -- (Photo by: Steve Wilkie/SYFY)Zackary Arthur

Jake Wheeler, “CHUCKY”

Zackary Arthur plays Jake Wheeler in the new SYFY/USA Network drama “Chucky.”

Arthur was brought up in Los Angeles amongst a creative family whom all share a passion for the arts. As a young child, Arthur fell in love with the cinema and at the age of 6 quickly found the avenue of acting that he wanted to pursue.

Arthur’s career jumpstarted when he got one of the young leads in the feature film “The Fifth Wave,” opposite Chloë Grace Moretz. His television debut was a recurring role on the Emmy Award-winning Amazon series “Transparent” for all five seasons.

Arthur has subsequently starred in 30 film and television projects, including starring roles opposite Jim Carrey in “Kidding,” Nicholas Cage and Selma Blair in “Mom and Dad,” Natasha Henstridge in “Hero Dog: The Journey Home.” His latest film, “Jill,” is expected to be released shortly.

Brad Dourif

Chucky (Voice), “Chucky”

Brad Dourif does voiceover for the role of Chucky in the new SYFY/USA Network drama “Chucky.”

Dourif, who has been the voice of “Chucky” throughout the film franchise’s long run, won a BAFTA Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in the Oscar-winning film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” starring Jack Nicholson.

Dourif is also known for his role as Grima Wormtongue on the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. Other film credits include “Halloween,” “Jungle Fever,” “Color of Night,” “Murder in the First,” “Alien: Resurrection

On the TV front, Dourif received an Emmy Award nomination for his supporting role as Doc Cochran on the beloved HBO Western “Deadwood,” which ran for three seasons. Other TV credits include “Once Upon a Time,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Criminal Minds,” “Psych,” “Law & Order: SVU” and many others.

Devon Sawa

Logan Wheeler / Lucas Wheeler, “Chucky”

Devon Sawa plays Logan and Lucas Wheeler in the new SYFY/USA Network series “Chucky.”

Born in Vancouver, Sawa is an industry veteran having got his start in such films as “Casper,” “Now and Then” and “Little Giants.” He’s co-starred in the horror franchise “Final Destination” as well as “Idle Hands,” “SLC Punk,” “Punk’s Dead” and “Hunter Hunter.”

On the TV side, Sawa has had roles on “Nikita,” alongside Maggie Q, as well as “McGyver,” “Hawaii 5-0” and, coming up, “Magnum PI.”

Sawa lives in Los Angeles, with his wife and two children. He is an avid athlete and trained MMA fighter.

Jennifer Tilly

Tiffany Valentine, “Chucky”

Jennifer Tilly is reprising the role of Tiffany Valentine in the new USA Network/SYFY drama “Chucky.” She has recurred in the Chucky franchise throughout the years, starring in the “Bride of Chucky,” “Seed of Chucky,” “Cult of Chucky,” and “Curse of Chucky.”

Tilly received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Woody Allen’s “Bullets Over Broadway” and earned an American Comedy Award nomination for “Liar Liar,” opposite Jim Carrey.

She has two films set for release: “High Holiday,” a stoner comedy co-starring Cloris Leachman and Tom Arnold, and “Sallywood,” a parable of Hollywood based on a true story. Also this year, Tilly will co-star in the Disney Plus series “Monsters at Work,” reprising her role of Celia, Billy Crystal’s long suffering girlfriend.

Tilly’s film credits include “Bound,” “The Getaway,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Dancing at the Blue Iguana,” “Bride of Chucky” and “The Doors.”

On the TV side, Tilly has appeared on “Modern Family,” “Hill Street Blues,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” “Moonlighting,” “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “Drop Dead Diva,” and “CSI.” For the last 11 years, she’s been doing voiceover work for Fox’s “Family Guy.”

Equally at home on stage, Tilly has many theater credits under her belt, including “Tartuffe,” (LA Public Theatre) “Boy’s Life” (LAAT), “Baby With the Bathwater,” (LAPT) and “Vanities,” (Dramalogue Best Actress Award). She received a TheatreWorld Award for Best Newcomer for her performance in Second Stage’s “One Shoe Off” at the Joseph Papp Theatre. On Broadway in 2001, she co-starred in “The Women” with Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Johnson, and then returned to Broadway to co-star in “Don’t Dress for Dinner” in 2012.

She appeared with Miranda Richardson in the critically acclaimed world premiere of Wallace Shawn’s play “Grasses of a Thousand Colors” at the Royal Court Theatre in London. She then reprised her role in the American premiere at the Joseph Papp Theater.

Tilly is a skilled poker player and won a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker in 2005.

Don Mancini

Executive Producer, “Chucky”

Don Mancini serves at the showrunner and executive producer for the new SYFY/USA Network drama “Chucky.”

With the “Chucky” franchise, Mancini has created one of the most terrifying and iconic horror villains of all time. The redhaired, freckle-face doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer slashed his way into the pop culture zeitgeist in 1988 with the premiere of “Childs Play.” The franchise spawned six sequels, all of which Mancini wrote.

Mancini is not only a standout figure in horror, he is also one of the only franchise creators that has been attached to his creation for more than 30 years, and has no plans of slowing down.

Additionally, Mancini served as a writer and producer on “Hannibal” and “Channel Zero” as well as co-writer on “Tales From the Crypt.”

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Back to the Primetime Articles and Interviews Page

"Chucky" poster