In actress johnny Sequoiathe new horror movie from primatethe rising star reveals that it wasn’t hard to pretend to be terrified.
“When it comes to scary things, it’s not hard to fake it because it’s scary,” says Sequoyah. Us Weekly in an exclusive interview.
“When you’re filming, it actually feels like you have a chimpanzee,” he revealed. “The body doesn’t know (if) it’s real or not. So I would come out of a lot of scenes completely shaking, like I was fighting for my life.”
In primatedirected by Johannes Roberts and in theaters Friday, Jan. 9, Sequoyah stars as Lucy, who visits her childhood home with friends when her family’s beloved chimpanzee, Ben, turns from a friendly ape to a murderous ape.
Halloween may be in the rearview mirror, but horror fans are still feasting on the first few weeks of November. Netflix snagged its new big-budget remake of Frankenstein for a streaming debut in early November, and it’s a horror fan’s dream. Thank you! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe (…)
Sequoyah, which has appeared in Dexter: New Blood, to believei american housewifehe said we than reading the script — and act alongside an ape (played by an actor in costume) — it was just as scary.
“The chimpanzee has practical effects. There were about 50 people who made the chimp costume, so there’s a whole crew on set that’s just salivating at the mouth,” Sequoyah said.
“When I was reading the script, I was literally like, ‘I’ve never read anything like this in my life,'” he added. “I’ve been acting for a long time, and I really don’t think I’ve ever had the experience of being in suspense while reading a script. I was almost afraid to turn the page, but I couldn’t help it! It was a roller coaster reading it, and it’s honestly a roller coaster watching it, too.”
Although the thriller is set in Hawaii, it was actually shot on a London sound stage. And like true movie magic, although Sequoyah confesses that he initially had a hard time “imagining” what the landscape would look like, that all changed and came to life on the first day of shooting.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how crazy it is to go up on a set where they’ve painted 1,000-foot murals of jungle and brought in thousands of palm trees. The level of attention that went into every detail of the movie from every department was really amazing,” Sequoyah said of the effects, which “felt like old-school cinema.” “Seeing the hands-on world they built made it easier for me. I could touch my house. I could touch the chimpanzee. Everything was visceral.”
The cast also includes jessica Alexander, Victory Frowning, family hunter, Charlie Mann, Kae Alexander, yours simon i Troy Kotsur.
Kotsur, 57, made history in 2022 as the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar for his role in the film. CODE. Since then, he has also starred in the Netflix limited series 2025 black rabbit.
“I really love Troy. I was really excited, but also nervous to work with him, because I was already a fan of his,” Sequoyah said. “He’s the kindest, most considerate and supportive person. He’s become a mentor to me. He gives me incredible advice and it’s been a real honor to work with him.”
In primateSequoyah uses ASL to communicate with her father (played by Kotsur) and her chimpanzee, Ben.
“I learned so much about deaf culture from him. He’s such an amazing co-star, and I was lucky enough to be able to learn a new language to play his daughter,” Sequoyah said of Kotsur.
And while fans will see real fear in her eyes on camera, Sequoyah was able to get the monkey off her back (literally) when she left the set.
“I’m so thankful that this wasn’t a ghost movie, because I think if I went home, I’d be like, ‘Where’s the ghost!?'” Sequoyah joked. “Luckily, I wasn’t afraid of a chimpanzee in my flat in London.”