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Spooky season is here, and so is theLongaissance.
I like to be scared, Long says.
(Warning: seriousBarbarianspoilers below.)
Are you on Airbnb?
Do you use it?I do.
In fact, I know those guys who started it (not to brag).
I love the company.
Can you talk about the scene in which youre being breastfed in the dungeon by the Mother?
[Laughs] Did you ever think youd say that sentence, Wolfgang?
But a grown man?
This is a first for me anyway.
They played everything so naturally.
I knew that that was the tone of the movie.
So you have to commit to something like that.
For me, it meant having to stay in a state of heightened agitation between shots.
I dont have that skill.
I cant do that.
The actor playing Mother was so good: Matthew Patrick Davis.
Hes in the full costume the latex, the pieces and he looks gruesome, right?
Im trying to stay in this headspace, and hes the sweetest person.
So he was checking in on me between takes, because he saw that I was agitated.
From behind this grotesque face, he would say, Are you okay?
Like, really gently.
You okay, dude?
Do you need anything?
It was odd, so I couldnt help but laugh.
It all becomes immediately hilarious.
Its such a fine line.
It was a lot.
I remember at the end of that day being very exhausted.
Its exhausting doing that stuff.
Which was in the script, and I knew it was gonna happen.
And we shot it right after we shot the breastfeeding scene.
Zach cut that out.
He felt like it was a bridge too far gross-wise.
You said you had to be in a heightened state.
How did you get to that point?I guess a lot of it is physical.
I mean, because so much of fear is physical.
We were shooting in obviously a very dark location.
So I would take a stab at get my mind to a dark place.
Theres nothing in the well to draw from.
That was something I had to imagine what that kind of shame must do to somebody.
But usually theres stuff around.
I was meant to be agitated.
I got along with him really well.
[Laughs] And fortunately, the PA didnt tell me this until after we wrapped.
I mean, he said it as a joke; he was messing around.
But I think some actors dont need that kind of stuff.
You do whatever connects you to the scene the truth of the scene.
Were you scared filmingBarbarian?No.
The crew was lovely a wonderful crew in Bulgaria.
It was actually a lot of fun.
What I mean by finding the fear in the space is that you have to look for it.
You have to go in a corner or I have to.
I think the challenge for me is blocking everything out.
Once I get my body into it, I can kind of trick myself.
But no, with the actual shooting, Ive never been afraid.
I was in the passenger seat, and Gina Philips (who played my sister) was not there.
Her stunt double was driving.
She was a really capable stunt double; she had all these great credits.
And right before we were supposed to drive, she said, Oh shit.
And I said, What?
She said, The speedometer is busted.
I said, Well, why is that a problem?
She said, Well, because we have to be going exactly 12 miles per hour for this.
It was an old car I forget what, maybe a Buick.
We drove, and I could tell we were going faster than that.
So moments like that.
I was a young actor.
At the time, you dont wanna ruffle any feathers; its a big movie.
Your character, AJ, is this unaware asshole.
There were so many things Zach did with the script that I did not see coming.
I had expectations that were constantly being subverted.
That was one of them.
Zach didnt let him off the hook.
There are two characters left, and one of them continues to be despicable.
I think it does make it a lot easier for the audience to want him to die.
It reminded me of, like,King Kong,Frankenstein, or one of those classic monster stories.
Everyone broke into applause.
Which is an interesting thing in what it says about human nature.
So who is the actual monster inBarbarian?I think its men.
Its whoever is the invader, right?
Whoever the barbarian is is the one who invaded somebodys safe space.
And, in Mothers case, it was obviously her father.
It was abusive that he kept having sex with her.
It was that character.
Then AJ did a barbaric thing by being invasive without her consent.
The real barbarian was probably my character and Richard Brakes Frank character.
Someone tweeted that your horror-film characters always have the worst luck.
[Laughs] Yeah, I guess they do.
it wasJeepers Creepers,Tusk.
Or itll be ironic that it wont be.
I hope its nice and quiet.
I go in my sleep surrounded by loved ones listening to the Beatles or something.
But yeah, I guess my characters have had bad luck, which is fun for me.
Im a horror fan.
It meant that they were invested and I did my job.
That his character was truly deplorable and deserving of a pretty rough ending.
Is there a horror film you wish youd starred in?Oh, thats a good question.
God, Ive never had that thought.
Usually, when I like a movie, I think its perfect because of what it already is.
My involvement in it wouldve made it something different.
I like being scared.
So obviously when youre in something, its not quite as exciting, because you know whats coming.
I love Ari Aster.
I would love to be in one of his movies but not the ones he has already made.
Because, like I said, I love them the way they are.
It would be a thrill to get a selfie with Freddy.
Just go all-out monster.
People on Twitter have turned the line you deliver while picking up the phone, Whats up, faggot?
Was it in the original script?Oh, really?
I mean, again, hes such a despicable character.
Thats obviously a despicable word to use so blatantly in that context.
I thought it highlighted what bang out of person he was.
It was in the original script.
It was uncomfortable on set, because its a word that makes people uncomfortable.
I think its important to put that out there, to attach that word to somebody that loathsome.
He does rape somebody, he throws someone off of a building.
Its all in that awful potpourri of terribleness.
I want to give a shot to chew on that for a second.
Again, you have to commit to it.
You cant be afraid of looking silly.
I love Veronica Cartwright.
She was in one of my favorite horror movies,Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
She was such a good screamer and she was in the originalAlien.
Shes the one who has that great reaction where she goes, Ohhh, Godddd.
She was always so committed in conveying that she was disgusted and horrified by these things.
You have to swing for the fences with whatever comes out of your mouth when youre afraid.
I like pulling pranks.
That doesnt sound very loving, but I love pulling pranks on loved ones.
Whenever Id scare my brother, for example, he would get operatic with his fear.
Hell be like, [ghost voice] Ohhhhhh!
He had this musicality to it.
And Ive noticed that when youre afraid, it doesnt always manifest in a sound.
You often dont have the energy for that.
Most of your energy is going to seizing up and being alert.
There are YouTube clips of people being scared or people surprising somebody, and its rarely like, Ahhhhhhh!
But then again, its a movie, so youd have to convey that fear somehow.
So I dont know.
I know this is a long-winded answer.
Im sorry, Wolfgang.
Im so into it.The scream depends on the moment.
It depends on what is making you potentially scream.
But I think screaming some of the legends do it so well, like Janet Leigh its about committing.
I saw on Instagram that you had a mustache.
Whats your definitive take?Well, mine is off.
Oh.I think it depends on the face.
I dont think I have a mustache face.
But I grew one for when I was playing a cop in another horror movie.
I felt a little out of place, so I tried to fill out my uniform a little bit.
I tried to work on my body, got the mustache.
I gained like two pounds, by the way.
But the mustache it felt like a cop mustache.
It got in the way, and I love kissing my girlfriend.
I bought an electric razor so I could do it as soon as it was done.
And, you know, people looked at me a little funny.
Some people have great mustache faces.
I saw this guy … Chris Evans?
I mean, he has a great face in general.
But I think mustaches can look really cool.
Mustaches look great on hunks.
For some reason, it doesnt grow right down the middle of my septum.
I feel like it doesnt have to grow all the way.Hmm, no, I guess not.
I remember I was onConanonce, and Bob Costas was the other guest.
I used to be self-conscious about not being able to grow a mustache.
I have strong follicles, but theyre sparse.
So I found myself on a talk show on national TV talking about my, um, mustache.
And after that, I was never all that self-conscious again.
I still would rather not have it for the kissing element.
Wolfgang, can I ask you: What do people usually call you?
Do they call you Wolfie?
My boyfriend calls me Wolfie.
Friends call me Wolfie.
So its usually Wolfie.
Unless were not close.
Then its Wolfgang.Yeah, I always think ofAmadeus; his wife called him Wolfie.
[High-pitched voice] Wolfie!
]Were your parents German?
My grandpa was German, yes.Oh, okay, so its a family name?
Not really, no.
People ask me, and theres no crazy story.
My dad just wanted to call me Wolfgang.Thats cool.
Its a cool name.
It said the justin longaissance or something.
I actually run our Twitter, so that was me!Oh!
Thanks, Wolfie, if you dont mind me calling you Wolfie.
I dont mind.Thats very sweet.
And, this is always very flattering, they go, Uh, so what do you do now?
This helps make up for those moments.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
