Exclusive: Stephen Huszar Explains RABID as Metaphor for the Entertainment Industry
Josh Millican
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To my fellow entertainment journalists and bloggers, take this advice: Don’t let the ink dry on your “Best Horror Movies of 2019” lists until you’ve seen Rabid, the remake of David Cronenberg’s seminal body horror classic remade by Jen and Sylvia Soska (aka The Twisted Twins). It’s not only the first (and so far only) remake of a Cronenberg movie, it’s a gruesome and engaging romp that will leave moviegoers rapt and devastated.
Rabid arrives in US theaters and VOD this Friday, December 13th. Give the trailer a spin at the top of the article and peep the synopsis below.
Synopsis:
Horribly disfigured after a freak accident, doctors perform a radical medical procedure on an aspiring young fashion designer. But when the bandages come off, the side effects soon cause her to develop an insatiable appetite for human blood.
Related Article: EXCLUSIVE: TRISTAN RISK PROMISES HER CHARACTER IN RABID WILL CAUSE “SLEEPLESS NIGHTS”
On Monday, we shared an interview with the incomparable, multi-talented Tristan Risk, who explained what makes Rabid truly Canadian, and promising one of her three roles will lead to sleepless nights for many! Tuesday, we continue our Week of Rabid with an interview with Ted Atherton. Atherton plays Dr. William Burroughs (a nod to the American Beat Poet of the same name–and Cronenberg’s adaptation of Naked Lunch). Yesterday, we talked to Mackenzie Gray about “Schadenfreude” and today, we’re thrilled to grill Stephen Huszar who plays soap-opera actor Dominic. Read on!
Dread Central: I interviewed Ted Atherton and Mackenzie Gray and what I found interesting was they each play archetypical characters in Rabid and they were both able to talk about the film from those perspectives. Ted gave me a kind of thematic exploration of Rabid from a medical standpoint and Mackenzie was able to talk about Rabid and the fashion world and how the themes are intertwined. You also play a type of archetypical character: A soap opera actor. So, how would you explain Rabid through the lens of the entertainment industry?
Related Article: EXCLUSIVE: TED ATHERTON EXPLAINS THE PATHOLOGY OF BEAUTY IN RABID
Stephen Huszar: Wow, that’s a really interesting question. Let’s see… You know, Rabid explores how we can literally transform from an outside perspective. Entertainment relates a lot to the way you look, the way you react, but also, there’s a deeper connection to things when we’re talking about actors and performances. So, as a soap actor star, playing someone who is actually an actor in the movie itself, you’re kind of like breaking that fourth wall a little bit. It’s interesting to see the transformation that my character Dominic goes through; he’s getting a bit of work done so to speak, on himself but by being [in the hospital] he connects with somebody who’s going through a real challenge in Rose from an emotional standpoint, from what she’s going through and it’s something that’s passed on to Dominic. And then he goes through a similar thing. I often feel like this happens in the entertainment industry, where you get passed on certain energy or issues and we have to be careful in how we connect in certain ways because it can have a pretty drastic effect on the end result, if that makes sense at all.
Related Article: EXCLUSIVE: MACKENZIE GRAY EXPLAINS “SCHADENFREUDE” IN RABID
DC: Everyone else I’ve spoken with loved working with Jen and Sylvia. What was your Soska experience?
SH: Yeah, phenomenal. We hit it off right away. They’re very giving and open directors and I feel like they’re very much actors’ directors because they give us a lot of freedom on set. A lot of times sets are very controlled and there’s a preconceived notion of how you want scenes to go. Of course, there is preparation but also on the day, it’s wonderful to be on a set where there’s freedom to explore and that’s really my experience with them, from a professional standpoint. I think a lot of the magic that came from the scenes is because of that freedom they afforded to us as actors. From a personal standpoint, they’re amazing; it was nice I could meet all the other lead and supporting actors before we started shooting, which was very helpful. A lot of times you don’t have that opportunity on films. And they’re Hungarian, and I’m also Hungarian blood so we have that connection as well, so that worked out well!
DC: Is there anything else you want to tell us about Rabid before I let you go?
SH: I feel a lot of times people ask me, or are curious, about how actors can play different kinds of roles. I’m known quite a bit for my romantic comedy roles; I see a lot of that, and I enjoy making people laugh but on the other side of the equation, I love the opportunity to be challenged as an actor, to really go there, emotionally, psychologically and even physically in this instance, and really see a transformation. Like, when you’re introduced to the character to when the last time you see him on screen. This is an awesome opportunity to do that and a great challenge and I really appreciated the opportunity. I just really enjoyed that and I think as actors we are always really pushing each other, or ourselves, no matter what roles we have, so it was a pretty awesome experience to be able to do that.
Related Article: TRISTAN RISK LOSES FINGERS IN OUR EXCLUSIVE (NSFW) CLIP FROM RABID IN THEATERS & VOD FRIDAY + NEW PICS
Are you excited to check out Rabid this weekend? What do you think of our exclusive interview with Stephen Huszar? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
