Like many aspiring actors, Hunter Doohan had a bag and a dream when he first moved to Los Angeles in 2012 during his college gap year, initially planning to attend Oklahoma City University.
“I loved the illusion of blind optimism that I had to move to Los Angeles without a lot of evidence to support that decision,” he says. Hollywood Reporter. Although that gap year turned into a gap decade, it also turned into dreams becoming realities.
Doohan, now 32, admits that “it was a long time where nothing was happening,” but after several years, he finally got his break in the industry in 2019 playing the younger version of Aaron Paul’s character in the Apple TV+ drama Truth be told. He gained more attention after starring alongside Bryan Cranston in a fellow Apple show Your honor The following year.
But it was his next role that brought him to new levels of fame. In 2022, Doohan starred opposite Jenna Ortega in the series focusing on The Addams Family. Wednesdaywho plays Tyler Galpin, the show’s love interest turned monster Hyde. Since then, he has reprized his role for two more seasons, including season 3, which is currently in production in Ireland.
“I’ve always been afraid since Season 1, knowing my arc and being a villain in some people’s eyes, that death would be right around the corner,” he joked about his character’s storyline. “So to be here in Season 3 is amazing.”
while Wednesday It is a black comedy, and Doohan decided to lean more towards the dark with his latest role Evil dead burningthe harrowing sixth installment in the long-running horror series that just arrived in theaters and has grossed $17 million domestically so far.
There’s no doubt that Doohan has featured a wide range of characters on his film and TV resume to date, but there is one notable role missing from his list of credits. Despite being a gay man, Doohan has yet to book an LGBTQ character, but not for lack of trying.
He points out that it was completely out of his control as he auditioned for many gay roles. While Doohan still loves dealing with this type of character, he’s also grateful for the opportunities he’s received so far. “It’s kind of a little revenge on all the straight actors who play gay roles. I’m going to take some of their roles,” he joked, laughing.
Below, Doohan catches up with him THR To chat about Evil dead burningincluding how one of his scenes nearly earned the film an NC-17 rating, Wednesday The third season and his goals for moving behind the camera.
How did you first get attached? Evil dead burning?
2013 Alvarez single video[[evil dead]this is still one of my favorite horror movies. And I watched it for the first time Evil Dead 2 While we were doing the second season of Wednesday Because my friend Owen [Painter]It became a reference for his own fighting. [like how] Bruce Campbell does it brilliantly and bravely in this film. Then it was just an audition process and then a Zoom callback with Sebastian [Vanicek]the boss. I think it was already over in New Zealand. Then before the final release, I got the full script and said, “Oh, okay, I’m in. I really want this. I’ll do whatever crazy thing I have to do over Zoom in this movie.” (He laughs.)
Take me inside the set for a moment – is it as intense and terrifying as the final cut looks?
The number of my friends who were like, “I love it for you, I’m not going to watch it.” (He laughs.)…it’s so much fun. Or sometimes covered in sticky blood for hours, which is no fun. But it’s amazing. I mean, the practical effects and makeup they did in this movie was crazy. So it was nice to look at and made it a lot easier to get into. But no, when they call “cut” and suddenly “Lucien”. [Buchanan] She drops something from the Deadites and is the goofiest person in general, and she’ll snap out of it immediately.
When it comes to different directors’ styles, how quickly are you able to adapt to different styles of filmmaking, as is the case with Sebastian?
With Seb, I love him a lot now, but he told me when I first got there, he said: ‘Yes, you were my first choice.’ I said, “What are you talking about?” When I got off Zoom, I said, “This guy hates me because he’s French and you can’t tell what he’s thinking at all.” He is very dry and frank. But it’s become a great way to work, and we’ve been able to implement this shortcut very quickly. But I mean he could come and say, “That wasn’t right.” (He laughs.) Well, this isn’t personal. This is how he communicates.
What are fans most excited for to see? Evil dead burning?
You never know what the reaction will be, but we were thrilled when you rolled. I smash something over and over again. I know this scene had to be edited in particular because it got us an NC-17 [rating] Instead of just R for gruesome brutality. So I’m very excited to see how it turns out.
The horror genre is really having such a moment, especially since Sinners and Weapons Last year and now mania and Back rooms this year. Why do you think audiences resonate with it so much right now?
I feel lucky to be participating for the first time [the genre] At this moment because I feel like the fans were there. I feel like the industry is catching up. You said SinnersWith Oscar nominations and wins for horror films, it’s incredible and should have happened a long time ago. I mean, ridiculous Hereditary. [Toni] Colette should have been nominated for this for sure. Yes, it’s very exciting this moment we’re living in, especially with mania and Back rooms. All these young directors making their way into the industry and having great success when everyone is so sad and gloomy about the future of the industry and theaters specifically, it’s exciting.
Turn to WednesdayTyler sure was glowing in season 2. How do you react to fan reactions and edits on social media?
Very funny. We will send them to each other too (He laughs). I’ll send them to Owen, me and Emma [Myers] Always text each other really stupid and funny things we think about each other. This is great. I love her (He laughs)!
Did you expect this reaction from fans or was it surprising?
It’s kind of like horror, Jenna and I [Ortega] They were laughing and having a lot of fun. They literally come and spray me when I’m tied up, and she said, ‘This is ridiculous.’ And we laugh. Then I watched it and said, “Oh my God, is this even anything?” And then you see it and say, “Oh, it’s kind of BDSMy. What did we do?” But I’m glad people still find fun in it (He laughs).
with Wednesday Filming for several months in Ireland, are you used to being away from home for such long periods, and is it exciting to be in all these new places?
Exciting and exotic. This time I had a kind of déjà vu,The twilight zone Wait because I’m in the same apartment I was in last time, because it was the only place I could find that would let me have my cat here. So you walk in and say, “Wait, have you been here a year and a half or two weeks?” But it was good to get back into a routine pretty quickly. I brought my cat. This helps. I do have one-sided conversations, but at least I’m not in a completely quiet apartment. (He laughs.)
Can you tease anything for fans for season 3? I know Wednesday He’s headed to Paris, so could we see Tyler in the City of Love too?
Yes, it’s actually for a honeymoon. (He laughs.No, of course she’s there for her own dark reasons. I think it’s kind of a continuation of where you see her setting off in search of Enid (Emma Myers) at the end of season two. You have to see where [Isadora] Capri was picking up Tyler at the end of season 2, and this story was amazing to me because I’m a huge fan of Billie Piper and her work. So Yeah, anything else, and I’d probably get fired. (He laughs.)
Do you see yourself as a producer, director, or writer in the future in addition to your work in front of the camera?
certainly. I got into independent film production Wild Which came out last year I was there and loved it. And I’ve been writing mainly for the past 10 or 12 years. My three high school dramas were a play I wrote. Then I only wrote short films as real material when I was in Los Angeles for the first time. But yeah, I’ve definitely been writing a lot, and trying to get my first feature film off the ground that I wrote and want to direct.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have been able to overcome to get where you are today in your career?
Just finding great people to surround myself with back home in Los Angeles because I think the hardest thing in working life is overcoming that feeling of being stuck in your life. You’re pretty much living your real life on and off for six months at a time. But I have these relationships and people around me now that we’re prioritizing that, and whether that’s visiting each other more, or trying to figure it out, or just kind of friendships that pick up where I’ve been and can continue over text and FaceTime for six months. I also make a real effort to make friends quickly in whatever city I’m in and not treat it like I’m far away, but accepting that is part of my real life as well.
