‘Cocaine Bear’ Star Keri Russell On The Scariest Movie She’s Ever Seen
From Dark Skies to Antlers, superstar Keri Russell is no stranger to horror films. Now, she’s wandering into even stranger territory in Elizabeth Banks’ new film Cocaine Bear, which is about a bear who eats cocaine and goes on a killer rampage that Michael Myers would be jealous of. It’s a balls-to-the-wall horror-comedy experience, to say the least.
Dread Central spoke with Russell about her wild new movie, her mom’s love of horror movies, and more.
Dread Central: What was your initial reaction when you were handed the script for Cocaine Bear?
Keri Russell: Probably like your reaction when you heard about it. <laugh> But, honestly, the world was broken when I read Cocaine Bear, like it was the height of Covid. Everything was so fucked up in the world. [Director Elizabeth Banks] and I had actually been on the phone talking about a completely different project. Then I think it was the next day she called and said, ‘Do you wanna read this crazy thing that I’m gonna direct?’ And I was like, ‘Uh-huh’ <laugh>. It was just wacky enough in the midst of everything the world was experiencing.
Actually, I have these two mom girlfriends of mine that my kids call Mom’s Gone Wild. When I told them the plot, they said, ‘If you don’t do that movie, we’re breaking up with you. Like, you need to do that movie so we can go watch that.’ In fact, we’re bringing all of our teenagers who are all turning 16 this year to go see it when it comes out.
DC: Wait. That’s amazing.
KR: Hilarious, right? The world was so hard at that point and it just seemed ridiculous enough to do. And Liz pitched me this idea and she had a real take on it, like a real tonal take. Then Margo [Martindale] texted me, ‘Are you doing this movie?’ And I said, ‘Are you doing this movie?’ And then I thought, well now I’ve gotta do this movie.
DC: What was it like working with Margo Martindale on this movie? Like the cast, the whole cast is absolutely incredible. But like Margo Martindale is a queen in my eyes.
KR: She’s a queen in everyone’s eyes, whoever is around her. So we shot in this beautiful seaside town outside of Dublin and Margo would be at the pub. Everyone wants to talk to Margot, everyone is in love with her. So, it’s just us drinking our faces off all over the world. That’s Margo’s and my relationship.
DC: Well, was this movie as fun to film as it is to watch? <laugh>
KR: I had never met Jesse Tyler Ferguson who is just gold. And so it was Jesse and Margo and I laughing our asses off in this forest doing the stupidest things with everyone going, ‘Come on guys. Focus, focus, we’re rolling.’ And in that stupid outfit.
DC: It’s an iconic outfit. It’s so, I love
KR: Hilarious little bag bangs and a high-top Reebok. Mm-hmm.
DC: Do you have that? Did you take that or did you leave it behind as soon as you’d never had to wear it?
KR: <laugh> I probably wanted it burned by the end of the shot because peeing in that was a big bummer. You have to take everything off. You’d have to unsnap the belt, you’d have to hike all the way outta the woods.
But it was good. The costume designer was amazing and it was just so fun. And you know, Jesse and Margot improv’d a lot.
DC: Oh really?
KR: It was so funny what they were doing as I was trying to be a serious mom, looking for a kid. They were doing such good funny stuff. And Liz, you know, she’s such a capable, fun director. She’s unflappable. Like it would start pouring rain and she’d just say, ‘Okay, well this is what we’re doing now.’ She’s not yelling at anybody, she was just in it. And I hope it does really well for her.
DC: So how did you act around the “bear”?
KR: It was the Weta guys, the New Zealand guys who did Lord of the Rings. So we did have this handsome New Zealand guy doing the bear action, and that was really cool. But personally, I really enjoyed Banks on our closeups, yelling into a microphone, ‘Okay, now the guy’s legs are being chopped off, blood is squirting everywhere. He’s screaming for his life. He’s falling outta the tree. Only half his torso is falling outta the tree.’ That was actually much more enjoyable I found.
DC: That’s amazing. So I know Cocaine Bear is horror adjacent, but I’m curious, you’ve been in quite a horror and horror adjacent projects. What is your personal relationship with horror movies? Are you a fan at all?
KR: So my mom loves movies. I remember being in grade school, like elementary school and my mom would take us out early because they were doing a limited screening of Sleeping Beauty, the original cartoon. She loved movies and she loved scary movies. Oh, I get really scared with scary movies actually, but my mom, she loves all that stuff. So I think she would let me see really fucking scary movies when I was a little kid <laugh> because she thought they were so cool. So I still get kind of scared with scary movies I have to admit, which is kind of good if you’re [acting] in them because you actually legit get scared. But I don’t love them that much because I remember them forever.
But this kind of scary movie was good. They did a screening for Jesse, Margo, and I, and we were just howling, laughing, slapping each other, and screaming with the crazy parts. And this kind of scary is good. You wanna go with a bunch of friends, have a few beers or whatever, and laugh your head off.
DC: Of Yeah, for sure. What was one of the movies that terrified you the most as a kid that your mom brought you to go see?
KR: Well I just remember Poltergeist. I think I probably saw all those movies, but that one I really remember because it was such a family drama. It seems so real.
DC: That was also one that ruined my life as a kid. I saw it way too young and I was like, I, I still am like wary of my closet, like side by my closet to
KR: To this day sometimes, if I’m in a weird hotel room or something, like on location, I think a hand’s gonna grab me when I put my feet down. I sprint to the bathroom.
Categorized: Interviews News
