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There’s a moment late in The Intruder that caused the entire audience to yell at the screen – an ‘Oh, no… Please don’t… Oh, he’s going to… No, NO, NO…” There’s no blood or violence in the scene—just two actors and, well, some ‘licking.’ Yeah, The Intruder isn’t afraid to get a little nasty.

In the film, Michael Ealy and Meagan Good star as a happy couple just looking to lay down roots in a new home. The only problem: the disturbed former owner (Dennis Quaid) is none too pleased about giving up his abode. Quaid seems to relish playing the ‘bad guy,’ his face contorting into Cheshire cat grins and mad-eyed stares. It’s a go-for-broke performance and one that drives the entire film. But what is it like to act opposite a performance so unhinged and big? To both Ealy and Good’s credit, they always stay in the moment, becoming our (audience) surrogates. Just as we shout at the screen— ‘Oh, he’s not going to… Oh, no, no, no’ — both Ealy and Good react the same; horrified and shocked at the audacity of Quaid’s performance.

In our interview with Michael Ealy and Meagan Good, they discuss working opposite Dennis Quaid, how their performances changed in the moment, and that ‘licking’ scene. For the full interview, watch above.

Michael Ealy and Meagan Good:

• Meagan Good discusses the ‘licking scene’
• How much did Ealy & Good’s performances change in reaction to Dennis Quaid?
• Has starring in The Intruder affected how they view security in their own homes?

Here’s the official synopsis for The Intruder:

When a young married couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) buys their dream house in the Napa Valley, they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motivations beyond a quick sale.