In Chucky’s storied 25 year history, Andy Barclay has typically been the target. Then the focused shifted to Katherine Heigl, and last but not least, Jennifer Tilly. We all know how those stories ended though, and in Curse Of Chucky, Don Mancini has decided to introduce not only one strong female character, but two, in Fiona Dourif’s wheelchair bound Nica, and her pushy sister Barb (Danielle Bisutti). While I won’t expose their respective fates, let’s just say these two give Chucky a run for his money, one a little more so than the other.
While the two lovely ladies were promoting their latest Chucky sequel in New York City, I had the pleasure of exclusively interviewing them. I apologize for not having video capabilities, as the two spent oh so much time in makeup getting ready, but trust me when I say these two scream queens have the looks to dominate Hollywood – and the talent to back it up.
Read on to hear Danielle and Fiona discuss their long family history with Chucky, what an honor it was to be brought into such a franchise, and some general Q&A about all things horror. This was a blast to conduct – hope it’s just as fun of a read!
WGTC: How much of an honor is it to be brought into a franchise that’s been alive for 25 years?
Fiona Dourif: The coolest thing that ever happened to me, ever. I was bursting with pride to be attached to this. I’ve identified with Chucky my whole life, I’m so proud of my dad and his career, and to get to lead the franchise is so beyond cool.
Danielle Bisutti: There’s just nothing like Chucky. There’s no other horror legacy out there that has this doll coming to life and doing horrible things to people. Just knowing that it robbed my childhood and the childhood of many others out there, to be part of the legacy is pretty incredible. I’ve always had a strange one degree of separation with my uncle producing it and my dad doing set dressing on the third one, it was just a weird thing – like I always knew the doll would come and get me.
Fiona Dourif: Then he did!
Danielle Bisutti: He got me.
WGTC: So what was your first memory of Chucky? What movie was it, and what was your reaction?
Fiona Dourif: My first memory of Chucky is being young, I was like 5 or 6, being taken into the ADR session, and watching my dad [Brad Dourif] while listening to him get burned alive. From that, I was probably 14 when I saw the first one, and I thought it was really scary. I think the moment when Chucky comes alive in her hands is one of the truly scariest moments in horror. It was really effective.
Danielle Bisutti: The first one terrified me to the point where I promptly went home and got rid of my red-headed dolls, which included Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite and Ronald McDonald, they were history. There was not a chance that any inanimate object with red hair was going to be anywhere in my room or in my life. So yeah, the first one.
WGTC: What was it like seeing the doll around set. Were you nervous that it was still going to jump out at you?
Fiona Dourif: I have a different relationship with Chucky because he’s been on top of my bookshelf in the corner of my living room for my entire life. He was a great tool for scaring friends, and when I see him in different theme parks I’ve been to, or in commercials, my heart swells a little bit and i’m like, “Awww! It’s my Chucky!”
Danielle Bisutti: On set, we worked in this beautiful sound stage in Winnipeg, Canada, and I walked in while they were still crafting, they were still cutting wood and building this beautiful Victorian mansion, so I wasn’t anticipating it. I thought I’d have a proper introduction like, “Danielle, this is Chucky,” with a little shake of hand. While I was over at the craft services table, which I frequented, all of a sudden I turned around and there he was sitting on this plank of wood with five puppeteers around him dressing him – and it literally knocked the wind out of me. I may have only peered my pants a little, then I got over it. It’s like work.
**SPOILER ALERT**
WGTC: So Danielle, how was it being added to the list of Chucky’s victims? What did that feel like?
Danielle Bisutti: To me, and maybe everyone feels this way, my death is probably the most epic because there’s this history. Chucky says my eyes are too close together, and my parents always said, “Oh Danielle, you have such beautiful eyes, we can’t wait to see them on the big screen, our daughter with these beautiful eyes.” Little did they know, the first time they would see me in that light, there would be a butcher’s knife would be involved, and then of course the beautiful fall down a flight of stairs, and they eyeball – it was crazy.
**END SPOILER**
WGTC: Fiona, did you actually hear your father’s voice on set?
Fiona Dourif: Yeah, man!
WGTC: So when you’re hearing that, how did it hit you? Could you focus on Chucky, or were you picturing your dad?
Fiona Dourif: I asked Don Mancini, before we shot the climax, if we could maybe have somebody else read the voice because I thought it was going to throw me, and he said, “No.” I was like, “What do you mean, no?” He’s like, “No, I think it really helps everything if we play Brad.” It’s not quite my dad’s voice, and it was different enough that it just added this level of creepy, familial thing about it. I wasn’t conscious about why it was scary – it just was.