The Big Picture

Perri Nemiroff speaks with Blair Underwood about his new Neon horror,
Longlegs
.
Underwood discusses working with Oz Perkins and Maika Monroe, finally joining the horror genre, and which franchise he’s eyeing next.

Longlegs
hits theaters on July 12.

Blair Underwood has worked in film and television for four decades, but this summer marks his horror debut in Longlegs from writer-director Oz Perkins. Underwood plays F.B.I. Agent Carter in the highly-anticipated occult thriller, working alongside Maika Monroe’s Agent Lee Harker to stop a Satanic murderer on a killing spree (Nicolas Cage).

An actor whose career has toggled between film and television, Underwood has played law enforcement officials before but never in a world so psychologically chilling as Oz Perkins’ Longlegs. Excited by the project and the prospect of working with the son of famed Psycho star Anthony Perkins, Underwood signed on before the screenplay had a proper ending.

In an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, Underwood praised Perkins’ ability to merge genres and prod audiences before sharing his secret desire to join the family of a long-running horror film franchise. You can watch their full conversation in the video above, or you can read the transcript below.

Longlegs In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.Release Date July 12, 2024 Cast Maika Monroe , Nicholas Cage , Alicia Witt , Blair Underwood Runtime 101 Minutes Studio(s) C2 Motion Picture Group , Saturn Films Distributor(s) Neon Expand

Blair Underwood Signed On to “Longlegs” Before it Had an Ending

PERRI NEMIROFF: When you first took this role in Longlegs, what part of making the movie were you most looking forward to? But then also, is there a part of the process that wound up being more creatively fulfilling than you ever could have imagined at the start?

BLAIR UNDERWOOD: The thing I was looking forward to the most was I’ve never really done a horror film like this, so I was excited about diving into the horror genre, number one. I felt like I was in great hands because Oz Perkins, our director, is the writer also. His father is an iconic legend in Tony Perkins, the star of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, so he’s got that in his pedigree, which was exciting. But also the fact that when I first spoke to Oz after reading the script, he hadn’t finished writing the film, so he had not finished the final scene. I didn’t know where it was going, but he had ideas, and I signed on based on his ideas. And then he sent me this scene when he finished, and he says, “What do you think?” I said, “Man, I think this is phenomenal, and it’s gonna be fun. Let’s go. Let’s go.” So I was surprised by that, and I was excited at the same time.

You not knowing where it ends when you sign on — my brain can’t compute that right now.

UNDERWOOD: Well, I’ll tell you, it’s because it’s an FBI character. I’ve played Federal Agents before but I’ve never played an FBI agent in the context of this world — horror film genre, but the world that Oz created. So that made it very unique and different for me. I would have been happy to do it just leaving it at that. But then, when I saw it was going someplace else that was even more exciting and challenging as an actor and fun to play, it made it worthwhile.

When you get the full script from Oz, what would you say your biggest burning question for him was about what’s really going on here?

UNDERWOOD: See, the problem is I can’t say that. [Laughs] I’ll be giving it away. But I had a lot of questions. I said, “What’s up with this? What’s up with that? Why is she not asking these questions? Why am I not asking these questions? And why am I asking this question?”

I can tell you this. I can tell you this because we know because there’s a website that has birthdays of murdered families. You have fathers who are killing their wives and children. Specifically, fathers who are killing their wives and children. Why? Why is Longlegs doing it, and if he is, how is he doing it? He’s not even around. The mystery. The burning question. So, that was my primary question.

Here’s a “why” question that’s probably safe to answer because it happens early on in the film. It’s a choice of his that says so much about who he is and how he operates. Why do you think he’s so insistent on Lee coming into the house and meeting his family at the beginning after they have the drinks?

UNDERWOOD: I just think he’s trying to get to know her. Because at that stage of his journey, if there are other things going on, he doesn’t know it. Around him.

He doesn’t know so much at that point!

Leaning into the not knowing, what was it like for you trying to wrap your head around the fact that he embraces Lee’s abilities but also eventually draws the line in terms of how much he’s willing to believe?

UNDERWOOD: I think the very question you’re asking is what Oz asks of the audience. How much are you willing to believe? And do you — can you believe that this can happen? We know we’re dealing with supernatural because he’s merged many different genres — police procedural, supernatural, horror, and psychological thrillers. He’s merged all of that. And I think the fact that my character is asking these questions, there’s only so much and only so far he’ll go in terms of what he believes in, what is even possible. I guess I should leave with that.

Fair enough. I love watching a character toe that line. I find that mentality so interesting.

I’m curious about your experience working with Oz as an actor’s director. What is something he did for you on this set that you’re excited for even more actors to get to experience when they work with him on his future films?

UNDERWOOD: We really hit it off. Like I said, I didn’t know where that final scene was going, and once we talked, he really gave me more than I expected, so I was happy about that. I appreciate his easygoing sense of self because that sets the tone on a set. Whenever you’re doing intense films like this, you’re dealing with some very dark aspects of life — spirituality, the occult, devil worship — and combating all of that. It can be challenging spiritually and physically, emotionally, all of that. But when you have someone like Oz — you’ve talked to him — he’s laid back and easygoing and funny, it just makes it all much easier to walk through.

Image via Neon

I always say the people who make the most twisted horror films are usually the kindest, biggest teddy bears in the industry.

UNDERWOOD: That’s right. That’s very true. [Laughs] I don’t know why that is, but it’s very true.

They get it out on screen, and then it’s nice and relaxed in real life.

UNDERWOOD: That makes sense.

Blair Underwood Wants to Join the Saw Franchise

Obviously now I want you to do more horror movies, so if you had the opportunity to join the long-running horror franchise of your choice, what franchise would you pick and why?

UNDERWOOD: Oh, I wanna do a Saw. There’s like 18 of them. But, yeah, I’d love to do a Saw film.

You can! They’re continuing. They’ve got another one coming out again.

UNDERWOOD: I know, they keep going. I’ve got some calls to make.

I like saying these things and manifesting them.

UNDERWOOD: I’m glad you asked that because I’ve not articulated that.

I’ll take it. Solid choice there.

Blair Underwood Sees Why Maika Monroe is a Screen Queen
“She’s got a level head as a human being and as an actress, and then the work is just exceptional.”

We’ve sung Oz’s praises. I love him in the genre space. I also love Maika’s work in this particular space. She has really emerged as quite the force in horror. Can you tell me something you saw her do on the set of this film that might speak to why she has this next-level ability to soar in genre storytelling?

UNDERWOOD: My favorite horror films are the ones that are rooted in reality. It’s not the jumps scares necessarily; it’s definitely not special effects. It’s the human, spiritual, psychological character work that goes on, and that’s what I saw in Maika so much. She’s really incredible. She’s really incredible, because when Oz would say cut, she would just be chilling and kicking back and just being real easygoing. But when he called action — you’ve seen the film — she’s got an offbeat oddness, quirkiness to her. Where that comes from, only she can say. Her history, maybe. Being traumatized? Who knows? Who knows where it comes from, but what she created was fascinating to watch in the context of Longlegs. In terms of her career, it’s great to see because she’s got a level head as a human being and as an actress, and then the work is just exceptional. So, it makes sense to me that she’d have this kind of trajectory and success.

Longlegs opens in theaters on July 12.

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