From Don Mancini, who created both the film franchise and this series, Chucky (airing on both Syfy and the USA Network) follows Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), a bullied teen who finds a vintage Good Guy doll at a neighborhood yard sale, only to realize it’s really a serial killer that just can’t keep his murderous tendencies under control. Throwing his suburban town into chaos, there’s no telling who Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) might take out next.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, Arthur talked about what attracted him to this project, why he hadn’t seen any of the Chucky movies, the constant dialogue he had with showrunner Mancini, what it’s like to have a doll as a co-star, the evolving character dynamics, how he reacted to learning about where things end this season, and getting some of the backstory for the seemingly ordinary child turned monster who's trapped inside a doll.

Collider: I love the whole vibe of this show.

ZACKARY ARTHUR: Yeah, me too. But I’m biased.

When this whole project came your way, what was your level of familiarity with Chucky, as a property? Was it a situation where you had heard of the character? Had you ever seen any of the films? Did you feel like it was necessary to watch any of them, before doing this?

ARTHUR: I don’t think there’s a single person you could ask on the street, who doesn’t know who Chucky is. Growing up, my parents didn’t want me watching rated R movies, or anything like that, so I never really got to watch it. I thought that the kids who watched Chucky movies were the cool kids, so it just makes it so much more surreal to be on the show now.

In the very beginning, what was it about this that you most responded to? Was there something specific with this story and with your character that most stood out to you?

ARTHUR: When I found out that I was going to be playing the role of Jake, I felt like this script dealt with a lot of problems that are actually in the world today, like bullying and having a bad home life with a dad not accepting his sexuality. These are things that happen now, every day. While filming the scenes, I would sometimes stop and think, “People actually go through these things.” I just wanted to make sure that I represented everything correctly. Maybe somebody who’s going through it can empathize with the show and I hope it helps people.

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Image via Syfy

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How much did you know about, before starting this? Did you only have the first script? Did you get more scripts? Did you have any conversations about what the season would be?

ARTHUR: When I got the role, (show creator) Don [Mancini] gave me a lot of information. We talked, all the time. We didn’t get all the scripts until we were actually in Canada, which wasn’t that far from when I found out that I got the role. But we got all the scripts and I would stay up reading them. They were just so interesting . . . The show is eight episodes and each is an hour long, so you get eight hours of real estate to develop these characters.

Have you known since the beginning that your character in this is partly based on Don Mancini? Is that something you talked to him about?

ARTHUR: When I first got the role, I actually didn’t know that. I didn’t know that it was mostly based on Don’s life. It wasn’t until we started filming the first episode that he told me, “I put pieces of myself in this script, your character especially.” And then, he started calling me his mini me, which made me even more nervous and put a lot more pressure on me. But I’m super happy with it.

Is there also a comfort level there, in the sense that you could use him as a resource, if you have any questions about your character?

ARTHUR: Yeah. He’s the all-time creator of Chucky, so he knows exactly what he wants and exactly where he wants it to go. The day we were filming the scenes where my dad confronts me, we broke for lunch and I wanted to get back into the character because I like to put myself in the role as I film it. I remember going up to him and asking him, “So, I know you said this is based off of your life. This scene, is this something that happened to you?” I thought he could help me get into that mode, so he talked to me about it and it really did help me.

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Image via Syfy

What’s it like when you have to actually drag the Chucky doll around set and you’re carrying him in scenes? Is everyone very protective of Chucky? Do you have to hold him a certain way?

ARTHUR: He has a whole team of five people who would come up and work on him between scenes. He has his own little tag team. When there’s no electronics in it and he’s not moving, it’s not that heavy. But the talent show scene, when he had all of the robotics in him, that’s 30 pounds. I was sitting there for two hours, holding that thing up, and my forearms were killing me.

What’s it like to have a doll as a co-star? Is it anything like you thought it might be, to have to interact with him?

ARTHUR: People would think that it’s hard to act with inanimate objects, but he’s more advanced now. He can do a lot more expressions. It’s almost like working with a whole other person. It never really felt like I was just working off of a doll.

Is it extra surreal, knowing that it’s not just a doll, but it’s a famous doll that everybody knows?

ARTHUR: Yeah. Sometimes, if you look too deep in his eyes, it’s freaky. You really get in a trance, looking at those eyes. It’s super freaky. Even filming on set and being able to see how it works, that doesn’t make it any better. It’s too freaky for me. Chucky’s big blue eyes are always watching. It’s freaky.

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Image via Syfy

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In what ways does this character most challenge you, as an actor?

ARTHUR: I’ve always liked doing darker, deeper roles. Devon Sawa is such a great actor. It’s easy to act with him because it’s not really acting, it’s actually scary. The hardest part is when you’re doing intense scenes and you’re breathing a lot, you feel like you’re gonna pass out, every single take, because you’re doing so much hyperventilating. It was a little traumatizing.

There is some heavy material in this series, especially when it comes to Jake being bullied, whether that’s from classmates or in his own home. What has it been like for you to explore that?

ARTHUR: Because all of the kids get along and we’re nothing like our characters, when we film those scenes, I know it has nothing to do with our real-life relationships. They’re such nice people that it’s not that hard to get over it, but it does feel pretty shitty while you’re filming it.

Even in just the first four episodes, the dynamic between Jake and his classmates changes quite a bit. It seems like Chucky can really bring people together. What have you enjoyed about exploring that evolving dynamic from enemies to friends?

ARTHUR: Don is a beautiful writer and he created these characters that have these wonderful arcs. As well as seeing how Jake deals with being bullied, you also get to see why the bullies became bullies, and that makes it so people can actually sympathize with the bullies too. Most of the time, people who are like that, it’s because of something and this show hits all of those points.

The dynamic between Jake and Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) is so interesting and I love how that is being handled on the show. What can you say about how that evolves this season and what we’ll continue to see from their relationship?

ARTHUR: Without giving too much away, it’s interesting because, in this show, Chucky has created all of this chaos, but because of that, we do see that it brings all of these characters together to fight off the big bad guy. That’s all I can really say.

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Image via Syfy

On the sillier side of things, this is a franchise that has a lot of gore and a lot of language. Those are two things that Chucky is really known for. What’s it like for you, as someone who is younger, to take on more R-rated and adult material, on a weekly basis? Is that fun? Is there a freedom in getting to play in a world that allows for that?

ARTHUR: It is freaky. It is weird to see all of that, almost every single day because it’s Chucky. This show does not spare any blood and gore. It’s very, very messy. It’s definitely weird, having to see all of that.

Is there a particularly wild scene that you’ve done in the show, that most stands out to you as a real Chucky moment?

ARTHUR: There’s one scene that I filmed, where Don made a reference to one of the older movies he did, Child’s Play 1, where the girl’s like, “Talk to me. Talk to me, dammit!” And then, he slaps her. We actually ended up doing that again. Getting slapped by a doll, multiple times, is definitely an experience.

What was your reaction to learning about where things were headed, by the end of this season? How did you react to where this all ends up?

ARTHUR: It’s super crazy. With the character arcs, you get to see people change throughout the whole season, some for the better and some for the worst. You’ll have to find out who [by watching]. When I was reading it, I binged all of the scripts because they were so good. Honestly, it’s like the perfect amount of being satisfied, but also wanting more.

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What do you think it is about Chucky that has made him such an enduring character with all of these movies and with this TV series, so many years after he was first introduced?

ARTHUR: One thing that sets this show apart, besides the fact that it’s a killer doll, is that it’s not just murders and it’s not just blood and gore. Chucky is not a typical killer. He’s funny about it and he’s smart about it. Some movies are just kill, kill, kill, and there’s nothing else going on. This story has a lot of exposition. In this series, you even get to see how Charles Lee Ray became a killer. I bet people are gonna be really excited about that.

Chucky airs on Tuesday nights on Syfy and the USA Network.