The month of October is a favorite for horror fans for several reasons, and this year is especially exciting because a long-living horror franchise is ending one of its most epic storylines — or is it? Halloween Ends hits theaters on October 14, and audiences will come face to face with one of the most epic battles in scary movie history.
Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode will face Michael Myers in an all-out war as the two fight for the ultimate title: Survivor. Their journey first began in 1978, and this next chapter will add some interesting characters to the storyline. One of which is named Nurse Deb, and she’s played by an actress you’ll be familiar with: Michele Dawson.
Dawson has been in the entertainment business for years and played roles in everything from Criminal Minds to Ben & Betsy, and her latest character in the Halloween franchise is one she felt lucky to bring to life.
We were lucky enough to get to chat with Dawson bringing life to Nurse Deb and the exciting journey it was in the horror realm. From working with Jamie Lee Curtis to bringing different levels of herself to various projects, Dawson is ready to share more about her career with fans and her soon-to-be iconic horror role.
WGTC: The Halloween franchise is something next-level, not just in the horror community but in film generally. What was it like to be invited into a project as multifaceted as Halloween Ends?
Michele Dawson: “It is literally a dream come true that honestly is still sinking in, months later. When I first agreed to be in the film, I didn’t even know what it was, because they had done such a great job keeping it secret and casting it under a fake title. I don’t like getting too emotionally attached to projects before I definitely have the role, so I hadn’t even done any research on the tiny bits of information that I had from the casting. It wasn’t until I read my sides after booking the film that I realized that I was going to be a part of this special franchise in film history. I’m still pinching myself.”
Your character, Nurse Deb, is described as someone who might be easy to brush off as just “beautiful.” However, she’s also said to be a step ahead and quite fearless — how did you bring such a layered character to life?
Dawson: “Ooo, yes, Nurse Deb was so much fun to play! Bringing life to her was natural for me in a way. Her determination and need to be in constant motion were easily accessible for me as I’m a very driven, goal-oriented person myself. Then adding some of her nuances that make her different from me in situations was pure delight. Diving into her unfiltered nature allowed me to create a character who can be quite unpredictable, thus giving her the freedom to do what she wants.”
What was your favorite part about playing Nurse Deb?
Dawson: “She has some great one-liners! The script already had some juicy lines for Nurse Deb. While filming, David — as directors do, ha! — would get inspired to have me try additional lines, which I hope make the final cut because they were so fun to say. This brought a lot of playfulness to the role.”
How would you describe Halloween Ends in 3 words without giving away any spoilers?
Dawson: “Can I give four? Terrifying, Surprising, Conclusive….SATISFYING.”
We’ve got Criminal Minds on the brain after news about the upcoming reboot. What was it like working on the set of the series as Tara?
Dawson: “Oh, yes, it’s so great seeing the Criminal Minds series get rebooted. That was my first TV credit, so it has a very, very special place in my heart. What was it like? Well, it was personally thrilling to be among such a rockstar cast that worked so fluidly together. That was inspiring to see. Also, we filmed outside in the dark, but I remember riding to set with cast members while the sun was still up, and it occurred to me that, “Hey, I’m about to go on tv with no makeup on.” Ha! It was great filming outside. Very raw. Tara’s character served her purpose in what I think may be the best episode of the original Criminal Minds series.”
You’ve also done theater acting in productions such as pursuing roles in Macbeth and South Pacific; what drew you to stage performances?
Dawson: “I am someone who loves to study and train and also strives to be excellent in whatever I take on. So, getting involved in theatre just seemed like a natural step in my development as an actress. Macbeth was the very first proper theatre performance that I was in and South Pacific was the first musical theatre production that I was in, so both are very dear to me.”
We were already fans of Dawson, but this next response? She quickly grew in our hearts; growing up watching The Golden Girls is everything that makes a person great!
Your bio says you’ve always wanted to be an actress. Do you remember a film or tv show that really began to ignite that passion? Was it something else entirely?
Dawson: “I absolutely loved watching old reruns of shows like The Golden Girls growing up as well as tons of sitcoms. Also, I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s house during the summer when I was young, and she always had soap operas on throughout the day. I loved keeping up with the storylines on Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.”
You also used gymnastics to overcome being shy, which is just incredible. Do you think the focus required to perform the routines helped with your nerves?
Dawson: “Definitely! Gymnastics really taught me how to focus. I would sit and envision myself performing the routine perfectly minutes before going up. Obviously, your mind has to be on what you physically want your body to do when performing a gymnastics routine, so there’s less space to think of other distractions. Nerves were just something that I learned to work through as best I could. Typically, if I was too nervous about a skill then it wasn’t going to go well, so self-talk became super important for hyping myself up to nail skills. The problem was that I became so good at faking my confidence with my gymnastics posture that people didn’t realize how shy I was, which was often misinterpreted.”
Your love and passion for gymnastics also come full circle in Halloween Ends as you perform your own stunts. What was it like to not only act but to get to really give it all to your character in the movie?
Dawson: “I developed so many muscles at an early age with all my gymnastics training and conditioning, and I’ve been very intentional at maintaining my strength and agility over the years, so doing my own stunts seemed like a no-brainer. The director and I spoke about the stunts over zoom before we started filming, and he had confidence in me, so when we got to set, I was ready to go. I wanted to do my part to make sure we filmed the best movie possible and felt confident about what was required. You couldn’t have said it better; I felt like I was really able to give Nurse Deb my all by embodying her full physical journey.”
Are you a horror movie fan? If so, who’s your favorite horror villain?
Dawson: “The horror world is new to me. I can probably count on one hand the number of horror films that I watched prior to booking Halloween Ends because I scare easily. However, I jumped into watching multiple movies in the Halloween franchise upon booking the film. Of course, Michael Meyers is my favorite horror villain. That mask and his psychopathic tendencies make him terrifying and dangerous. He’s that pure, tangible evil that doesn’t explain himself. And really, what more could you ask from a horror villain?”
What was it like to work with Jamie Lee Curtis in a role as important as this one? Did you all feel like you were part of something larger than life as the story concludes?
Dawson: “I was a bit intimidated by Jamie Lee Curtis at first because she is such a Hollywood heavyweight. The fact that this role of Laurie Strode launched her massive career over four decades ago is something that I never forgot while filming. Playing a character for that long is unheard of and so special. Watching Jamie in her world as Laurie and how comfortable she is in it was incredible. I definitely felt the gravity of the situation. Even just sitting in the makeup trailer, where there were pictures hanging from the previous films, reminded me of where I was and how this opportunity was so unique and special. I’m so honored to be a part of this epic conclusion.”
When you think about it, horror movies require a lot of physical discipline. You’re in life or death fights; you’ve got to throw your body around or throw others around (depending on which side of good or evil you’re on). Did you add any extra training to your regimen for this role?
Dawson: “No, I didn’t have any extra training for this role. I stay fit and physically ready doing partnered acrobatics regularly, and the demands were not outside of my wheelhouse. I’m accustomed to collaborating with a partner to make physical challenges possible. Also, the team guiding me and our stunt coordinator were so wonderful at walking me through step by step.”
What role do you feel like you’ve learned the most from?
Dawson: “I feel like I learn something new with every role I play. However, I would have to say that I learned the most from my very first short film that I starred in called Watching Closely. I played a goth teenager who was acting out for attention. I feel like I really learned the basics of filmmaking on that film. The director would always compliment me on how good I was at maintaining continuity which I learned was something that productions really covet. The fact that the actor is about to remember and repeat the movements that they did in one take over multiple takes is very valuable to a production. Of course, on larger productions, you have wonderful people who are able to help actors remember their movements, and their jobs are to make sure that all the continuity is consistent from take to take, but I always try to make their jobs easier by remembering my movements as best I can… that is, unless the director says to switch it up, then I’ll play with giving the director some different options.”
What character did you bring the most of yourself to in your acting history?
Dawson: “What a great question! I bring elements of myself, even if only small, to all the roles that I play. I did a mini streaming sitcom with some friends called Ben and Betsy, and I would say that Betsy has the most Michele in her out of any of the roles I have played thus far.”
What genre of acting would you most like to explore in a future project?
Dawson: “I absolutely love comedic moments in all genres. I have been studying comedic technique for years and believe that all the sitcom watching I did as a child gave me an understanding of timing and pacing.”
If you could give any advice to someone who dreams of acting but feels too shy to dive in, what would it be?
Dawson: “I would encourage them to find a community of people who are creating and start collaborating.”
You can see Dawson’s epic entrance into the Halloween franchise family as Nurse Deb in Halloween Ends on Oct. 14. Here’s to the ultimate horror villain and an exciting final showdown.