Blair Underwood terrified me last weekend to the point where my Sunday was ruined.
Yes, I am talking about that Blair Underwood –– the Peabody, Grammy, Emmy Award-winning actor from “L.A. Law,” “Set it Off,” “Origin” and countless other film credits. And no, he didn’t jump out of the bushes or pop up wearing a bright red MAGA hat on my social media timelines. I brought the terror on myself by going to see his new film “Longlegs.”
“Longlegs,” written and directed by Oz Perkins, is a horror-thriller starring Underwood, Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, about a bizarre serial killer with a talent for recruiting unlikely accomplices. Underwood takes on the role of Agent Carter, a stand-up American boss who transitions from protector and hero to demonic adversary.
After seeing “Longlegs,” I met Underwood for a “Salon Talks” conversation. He carried his signature good-guy look — a stark contrast to his “Longlegs” character. If you’ve followed his career you know what I mean. He’s typically the dreamy, clean-cut brother that mothers and fathers hope their daughters meet in college. In “Sex and the City,” he played a doctor who treated Miranda with the utmost respect. In “Set it Off,” Underwood courted, loved on, and swept Jada Pinkett Smith off her feet, even though she was using him to rob a bank.
Of course, he’s perfectly capable of playing the bad guy, too, as he did in “Just Cause” and in other roles. But how many times have you found yourself rooting for his character’s demise? I did in “Longlegs.” My wife and I strode into theater with no expectations and were blown away by the end of Act One, confused but locked in by the end of Act Two, and as freaked out as we were terrified by the end of Act Three. We were not alone; “Longlegs” has been going viral since we left the theater and earned an impressive $22.6 million on its first weekend.
“$22 million is $22 million,” Underwood explained. “People say, ‘Ah, it’s not $100 million or $50 million.’ But the thing is, for a horror film, that’s an original story that was made for $10 million, to do $22.6 million the first weekend is phenomenal.”
This is Blair Underwood’s first horror film, but it won’t be his last. He said he enjoyed the process of going dark. “It’s a dark film,” Underwood said. “You’re dealing with satanic worship. I stayed prayed up before I went to work, and when I left work, I stayed prayed up.”
Watch my “Salon Talks” episode with Blair Underwood here on YouTube or read our conversation below to hear more about his love for the horror genre and his upcoming new show, “Three Women,” based on Lisa Taddeo’s frank nonfiction book about real women and desire. He calls it his most “overtly intimate” and sexual role yet.
The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
“Longlegs” did $22 million over the weekend. Did you know it was going to be that successful?
No, no idea. You know, it’s become the story of the weekend. You know, $22 million is $22 million and people say, “Ah, it’s not $100 million or $50 million,” but the thing is, for a horror film, that’s an original story that was made for $10 million, to do $22.6 million the first weekend is phenomenal. And a lot of that, it’s based on the strength of Oz Perkins as the writer and director, definitely Nicolas Cage and his brand all over the world, and the rest of us bring what we bring.
I went and saw the film this weekend, and then my wife and I had to make two or three stops on the way home and we’re telling people about, “Yo, we just saw this film,” and people in a restaurant who we don’t even know are like, “Oh, s**t, you’re talking about ‘Longlegs’?”
And the other cool part about it is that every person that we encountered, they all have their own takeaways or different things that they saw, that one scene that sticks out to them.
That’s dope.
I’m not going to tell everything, but I’m just going to say: I don’t ever want to hear a person sing “Happy Birthday” to me again.
What’s dope about it is that Neon, who distributes the film, they were very smart in not showing Nic Cage’s face.
I noticed that.
I should say, it’s a film about a serial killer played by Nicolas Cage, who’s a satanic worshipper, he’s into the occult, and the female lead played by Maika Monroe is following him. I play Maika’s boss. But you never see his face, so just the mystery of that and the film itself is so damn scary. So I think all those elements together have created this kind of surge and viral moment, which is exciting for all of us.
Agent Carter seems like a pretty solid guy, good guy to work with, good family man. Take us into his world.
“This is some creepy stuff.”
Agent Carter, the character I play, is an FBI man, been doing it for years, playing by the rules and everything, and has a good instinct on the world and what he does and is good at what he does. And then this young woman, FBI agent, comes in and she’s very intuitive. You saw the movie, so you know she’s kind of very odd in the way she presents herself, but she’s very deep in her thinking, and he clocks that in her. He says, “Well, she’s onto something,” because whatever she senses is right on point. So he rocks with it.
The chemistry was good. It seemed like you guys have been working together for a long time. Was it natural or was it something that you got a chance to build on set?
Thanks, man. No, it was natural. We had never even met before, but I think we have a very similar approach to the work, which is just do the work. It ain’t that deep, it’s not curing cancer. You do your work, I do my work. And then when they say action, we play. And again, because you saw, it’s a dark film. You’re dealing with, like I said, satanic worship and some dark elements. I often say, which is true, man, I stayed prayed up before I went to work, and when I left work, I stayed prayed up.
It deals with so many demonic references. And I don’t rattle easily at all, but when I left the film, I felt kind of heavy. Someone walked past my chair in the middle of the film and I thought it was Nicolas Cage. How does one prepare themselves to step into this world?
You know for me it was great that Oz Perkins was the writer and the director. This is a world, it’s completely original, that he created. We’re not taking from a “Saw” franchise or any other kind of franchise. He created this world and these characters. So as an actor, you walk into that world and he’s the sounding board, all the answers are within him. So it’s like, “What do you want? What are you looking for? What’s the world?”
It always helps whenever you step into any kind of project, and I’ve been very blessed to have done many different genres, it always helps to get an idea of [the] visual. I’m a visual learner, visually to see, “What does the world look like?” And if you can see what it looks like, you can see what it feels like. So I came in three days after they were filming, so there were already some dailies or photos of what they shot. So I can look at this, “Okay, this is a different texture. This is eerie. You know, this is some creepy stuff.”
It’s like an advantage kind of, you get to just come in and you already see what’s happening.
It’s definitely an advantage. And then you literally step into that world. If it’s a Disney movie, it’s going to be a whole different flavor.
One of the things that stood out to me in the film that separates it from so many other horror films: this whole underlying idea of family. How we need family, the dangers of not checking in and failing to properly nurture those relationships. Can you speak to that theme of the film?
Family, I think, is one of the most vital and critical and visceral dynamics you can put in a film. One of my favorite movies is “The Godfather.” It’s a crime movie, it’s an action film, but ultimately it’s about family. And you get the same thing here. We were shocked. You asked if we were ready for this? Oz will tell you — we’re all shocked, the response to the film. But then when I started talking to people who had seen it, one of the things that made it so eerie is that you’re dealing with family, and I’m not giving really a lot away because they have a whole website, but the issue in this film is that fathers are killing their children and wives. Fathers are killing their families.
“Family is the most important thing to me.”
So you look at something and see, Oz Perkins is the son of Tony Perkins, who’s a star of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” One of the most iconic moments in cinematic history is Janet Leigh, the female lead, in a shower. Shower curtain opens, you see a knife, that’s all you think of with “Psycho.” What made that so scary was the fact that you are your most vulnerable in the shower. You’re butt-naked, you’re wet, you’re vulnerable.
Same thing with this movie. You’re dealing with family. Where should you be the safest? In your home. Who should you feel safest with? Your father, your mom and dad. The strength in that, how the physical strength in that house is the father. So you put all of that in jeopardy and it gets under people’s skin.
Yo, it’s so bugged out. But I also want to congratulate you because you broke the stereotype. They normally kill the Black guy first.
In the first 30 seconds.
You held it down for us!
I made it through. I made it through.
You had some longevity.
I was like, “I’m going to do my first horror film, is the brother going to live? OK, cool.”
Was that something that your agent had to go in and negotiate and say, “Look, we are interested, but he’s going to make it past Act One.”
I was ready for it. We need more Black [horror] roles actually, come to think of it, so we all survive.
Yeah, but I feel like this is going to just open a door. I watch a lot of film, I watch a lot of television, I read this stuff and people who never have conversations about horror films, they’re talking about it.
Wow, that’s cool.
You mentioned you watched the film with your family, and your daughter in particular loved it. What was that like for you?
You know, it’s great. Again, family. Family is the most important thing to me so my wife Josie, and my three kids, were at the premier and they hadn’t seen it. I hadn’t told them a lot. I usually share everything with them as they walk through life, they see these experiences and…
Well, you just wanted to ruin their night a little. You wanted them to have a good night, but you wanted to freak them out a little bit.
Yeah, but wanted to freak them out a little bit, that’s right, and did. Because [with] this one, I didn’t tell them anything. And you saw the movie, so everything that happens in that third act at the end of the movie, they didn’t see coming. But yeah, my daughter Brielle said, “This was one of my favorite projects, if not my favorite project you’ve done.” And I think my boys co-signed on it, my two sons.
When you leave set, are you able to just shake it regardless of whatever role you’re playing?
Yeah, not always, but a film like this, it’s harder to do because [of] those elements you’re dealing with, you know those spiritual elements. The scary stuff, things jumping around the corner, that’s funny — you know the mechanics of that. But it’s the stuff that is real. And the ultimate message of this film really is that evil persists.
It’s the ultimate battle between good and evil. Evil persists, but so does God. Goodness and righteousness persists. But those battles will always persist and that’s what the message is at the end of this movie. I think that in and of itself is unsettling because you want to see evil just kind of beat down and be done with by the time the curtain goes down.
Your body of work is all over the place, you did everything. Like, I didn’t even know you directed Tony Terry’s video?
Yeah, “With You”.
Yo, “With You”!
[singing] “When I’m with you.” I directed that 30 years ago, but that was our first dance when I got married in June, and he came in and sang it live, to her surprise.
“When I got the opportunity to play something dark and sinister, I jumped at the chance. I always loved playing bad guys.”
Oh, that’s fire.
We’re talking about your wife buying your clothes, you buying her jewelry. I bought her Tony Terry for the day. I’m done for the next decade!
He still had a flat top or did he let it go?
No, he let that go.
So did you imagine horror being part of your body of work? Because this is the first time you did a horror film, right?
Yeah, I did a satirical one, a comedic one called “Bad Hair” which was great fun to do, but this is the first time. Done a couple of psychological thrillers, “Just Cause” and “Asunder”, but nothing that is smack dab in that genre of horror.
What made you take the step?
I did “Krush Groove” in 1985. It’ll be 40 years in this business.
Beautiful.
Thank you, thank you. And I thank God, literally thank God every day for that because I don’t take longevity for granted. But the only way you can have longevity is to reinvent yourself and do different things. So to me, it’s something different to try. And I’m a horror fan myself. I’ve never been in one until now, but I’m a fan of horror films.
Over the 40 years, what projects stick out?
The ones that challenged me. I’ll say the next one, but the ones that challenged me the most.
That’s such an actor answer from an actor.
Yeah, yeah. You know, the ones that you love. Really my favorite roles are the ones on stage. Playing Othello, doing “Streetcar Named Desire” here on Broadway, “Soldier’s Play.” Film, probably “Just Cause” because that meant a lot to me professionally and personally. I played a serial killer, a pedophile. You didn’t know until halfway through the movie, you think this guy’s innocent. He does a twist on you. So because that was unexpected, because I wasn’t allowed or given those opportunities for 10 years prior to that, when I got the opportunity to play something dark and sinister, I jumped at the chance. I always loved playing bad guys. They’re the most interesting to play.
How has the industry changed since you played Denise’s boyfriend on “The Cosbys”?
Man, you taking it all the way back. Yo, the biggest change is social media and everything that comes with this. This movie, “Longlegs,” they didn’t buy any ads on TV. Everything was done [on] social media. A couple of billboards, they had like Nicolas Cage, half of his face and an evil number that you could call and then you hear his voice, but almost all of it was done through viral marketing. That was never the case before.
People are probably going to want your skincare regimen. I don’t think anyone’s going to believe you’ve been in the industry for 40 years. A lot of times, when you get asked about aging in Hollywood. They talk about the pressures, but we don’t really have that conversation with men. Did you think about that? Or you have that magical cream?
What did Chris Rock say? “Rich is the new lotion.” But I’m not rich, so I can’t really say that. So nah, of course you have that conversation because really, your body of work is your brand, but also what you present physically is your brand. So I just want to stay healthy before I can even get to the profession and what I do in front of the camera. I just want to stay healthy and I want to kick Father Time in his throat as often as possible and as long as possible.
A lot of people don’t know about your activism. Could you talk about just the role of an artist and a person who cares about change and cares about us living in a country we deserve during these wild and crazy political times?
Yeah. I would tell you that my mentor, who’s passed away, is the great Sidney Poitier. But I watched people like Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, and they’re very active, especially in the ’60s and [the] Civil Rights movement. Harry Belafonte, really, his whole life. But I learned from them, watching them from afar as a kid and then getting to know them as an adult. And it just inspired me that you have a say.
Before we are artists, or maybe celebrities, you’re a person, you’re a citizen of these United States. You are a man of God, or whatever. But there are many different categories we are in addition to just being an artist. So because of that, we have the right to speak up. And then you have a platform — if you’re blessed to have a platform — in front of cameras or whatnot and you can reach people, to speak to that audience. I don’t tell people what to think, but I’ve been involved in a number of voting registrations. And just speak your conscience, but vote. Get involved in the system, in the process.
What’s next for you?
The next thing is a series on Starz called “Three Women.” And this is deep, man, because I play the husband of one of the women played by DeWanda Wise. Her character’s name is Sloan.
Maryland chick. That’s what’s up.
Yeah, yeah, that’s right. That’s right. She’s much younger than me. She’s real frisky, the character, and she’s very fluid. She likes to be with men and women. And our agreement is we’re basically swingers — old term — polyamorous today. But my agreement is so you can be with whoever you want to, but I got to control it. I want to know. I want to watch and I might get involved. So it’s drama. This is based on a true story. So it is going to funky because she’s going to start dancing outside those realms. You know that’s coming.
That’s the conflict.
But I’ll tell you, I’ve never done anything this overtly intimate or sexual and yeah, it was pretty wild. It was pretty wild.
Watch more
“Salon Talks” with D. Watkins on YouTube