The cackle. The punch lines. The unbridled rage. There is no Chucky without Brad Dourif. Just as Freddy Kruger will forever be entwined with Robert England, it’s impossible to imagine anyone but Dourif as Chucky. Somehow the actor is able to take a five-foot doll and turn him into a character that is both hilarious and terrifying. The most impressive feat: Dourif does it all via only his voice.

Talking with Dourif on the set of the newest in The Child’s Play franchise Curse of Chucky, it’s apparent just how serious the actor takes the role. When asked what he makes of people actively rooting for Chucky as an anti-hero, Dourif seemed completely taken aback. “If anyone is [rooting for Chucky], then I have failed as an actor.” It’s this unflinchingly intense read of the character that makes Dourif just as vital to Chucky now as he was when the series debuted in 1988. For the full interview with Dourif – within which he also discusses the difficulties in performing ADR death scenes, how much control he has in the creative direction of the series and how he keeps Chucky from ever feeling repetitive – hit the jump. Of note: there are mild spoilers in the following interview.  Curse of Chucky hits DVD & Blu-ray October 8th.

curse-of-chucky-2

Brad Dourif:

  • Dourif on the difficulties of performing Chucky’s death scenes
  • On performing the ADR of Chucky burning to death and terrifying his daughter
  • On gaging his vocal performance in relation to the actors in the film
  • On Chucky becoming the ‘anti-hero’ of the series
  • On how Curse of Chucky returns to the original Child’s Play tone
  • On the moment he realized Chucky was a horror icon
  • On the trick to performing Chucky’s voice
  • On whether he has an influence on the creative direction of the series
  • On returning to play the corporeal version of Charles Lee Ray for Curse of Chucky
  • On how he keeps Chucky from ever feeling repetitive

 

curse-of-chucky-blu-ray