HMZFilm interviews rising star of You’re Next: Nicholas Tucci

You’re Next is a top 10 UK Box Office hit and is undoubtedly one of the stand-out horror films of the year. My review has been endorsed by You’re Next writer Simon Barrett on Twitter and I secured an exclusive interview with star performer Nicholas Tucci.

Tucci’s performance as Felix is a real breakthrough moment in a career which promises great things. We discussed his love for horror, the driving force behind his involvement in You’re Next and his ambitions for the future.

HMZFilm: From an actor’s perspective, what fascinates you most about the horror genre?

Nicholas:  I’ve always been a horror fan, ever since I was a kid.  The old Universal horror movies like The Wolfman were early favorites of mine, as was Jaws, which I used to watch over and over again. And my dad had a large Stephen King collection that I got into very early on.  I think the chance to be a part of that on some level is what attracts me to the genre as an actor—the chance to participate in something that has always been so fascinating to me.

HMZFilm: What was it about You’re Next that attracted you to play the role of Felix? What aspect of the story do you think audiences will find most terrifying?          

Nicholas: I liked that the story was first and foremost about a family, and that I was given the opportunity to play the youngest son, who is sort of the black sheep in some ways.  It was interesting to try and bring those elements of the character to the table, both literally and figuratively, without a lot of dialogue or exposition.  And I think the fact that the violence is so sudden and brutal in that dinner table scene is one of the scariest parts of the movie.  And then it only gets worse from there.

HMZFilm: Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett have formed quite a partnership over the years, what were they like to collaborate with?

Nicholas: I felt really lucky to have a chance to work with both of them.  We’re all pretty close in age and I was just in awe of how good they were and how confident they were in their work.  They really work well together and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

HMZFilm: What stands out as the most memorable experience of being involved in You’re Next?

Nicholas : I guess the part of it that stands out the most was that the movie was shot almost entirely at night, which made for a very unusual and intense working experience.  It really made it easy to stay in the mindset of the character throughout the shoot, and I think everyone involved really felt that they had been through something when it was all over.

HMZFilm: You’re performance was one of the real stand-outs of the film, where can we expect to see you next? Are you working on anything currently?

Nicholas: I recently finished a romantic comedy called The Worst Year of My Life, which is something of a departure for me, at least genre-wise.  I’ve also been working on getting a script I wrote out there called Lake Demon, which is a Loch Ness-type creature feature.  I’d love to get back in the horror mix soon in some fashion or other, so I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for the next opportunity.

HMZFilm would like to thank Nicholas for taking time out of his busy schedule and wish him well for the future. One thing is for sure, he will always have a friend and supporter here.

 You can follow the talented actor’s progress on his official Twitter account : @istaytuccidown and IMDB