Exclusive: Naomi Scott on horror movie gore and Smile 3

Hollywood has a new scream queen. Please welcome British actress Naomi Scott as our new horror icon. But, perhaps, don’t smile while you do it.

The perfect scary cinema trip this Halloween, Smile 2 has rave reviews from film fans and critics alike. Star Naomi Scott carries the movie in the lead role as pop star Skye Riley.

Skye is about to embark on a huge stadium arena tour. But not before being haunted by the bone-chilling Smile entity horror fans will recognise from the first Smile movie. Smile 2 brings increasingly nightmarish disturbances with it, pushing Skye - and audiences - to the edge.

You’ll recognise Naomi Scott from starring roles in major blockbusters such as 2019’s Charlie’s Angels and live action Aladdin, opposite Will Smith. But her star horror turn as Skye Riley in Smile 2 is her best yet - raw and powerful, cementing her as a true horror talent.

ShortList sat down with Naomi as she shared the personal experiences she brought to the role, her unusual reaction to Smile’s skin-crawling scenes (quite literally), and what’s next for her in Smile 3...

What made you really want to be part of the movie, was there a particular theme or a scene that made you know you had to star in it?

Naomi Scott: I was actually a fan of the director, Parker Finn, because I had seen his short film in 2020, Laura Hasn't Slept. I saw the feature made from that short film, and I loved it. I really feel like his movies hinge on the character. It's a drama, but with horror elements laid over the top. We met, and I hadn't even read a script - so it was really just about that connection. Then when I heard about Skye, the character, and who she was, it felt even more like it was meant to be.

I loved Skye as a character. Could you tell us about some of the pop stars you were inspired by when you were bringing her to life?

NS: The honest truth is, no, I didn't, and there wasn't a particular person. I wanted it to be new, and those influences were already baked into the costume, or the songs that were already written, and Parker's vision, so I didn't need to bring another specific person to the process. I allowed myself to step into those shoes and bring myself to it. Also, I'm surrounded by that, and I love great performers, so it's all in there, subconsciously. Plus, I myself as a musician understand performance, and that's something that I love.

With that in mind, were there any experiences from your own life that you brought to this role?

NS: It’s the idea of being perceived but not known. I think everyone understands feeling misunderstood - but without people really knowing who you are. With Skye, that's just it, but ramped up to 100.

She is being watched so intensely, and doesn't feel like she has the space to step away and go into obscurity and make herself vulnerable. Because everything's riding on this tour, and there are a lot of people and money involved, and she doesn't feel like she has the ability in that moment to quote, unquote, blow it all up, which is what she's fearful of.

The movie is entirely your performance. And not only that, but the cinematography involves a lot of close ups of your face, showing Skye’s reactions to that horror. What was that like to film?

NS: It’s so funny, because some people ask me, how did you sleep, did you have nightmares? And there was one moment I remember - I woke up one day and I just didn't want to move because I thought a camera was right here in my face, so close to me. It was because, for weeks, I'd just got used to the camera being right there in my face.

That’s what's so great about movie-making, it's a medium that's not just about your choice of performance - there's specificity to each shot, and there are technical things which make it. That’s the art of filmmaking, and that's the craft of being a film or TV actor. I love that, because that's part of the challenge, and that's part of the collaboration.

There are some pretty gory moments in the film, what were those like to film, and do you have a favourite?

NS: There was a moment where Lukas Gage was filming, and they had created a prosthetic on his face so that his skin would fall off at the perfect time. Jeremy, who was our Head of Effects Makeup, had done such an incredible job with the blood coming through - I remember watching it behind the monitor, and I looked at Jeremy and said, ‘It’s so beautiful!’ I don’t know if that says something weird about me, but I admire the craft.

There are a lot of intense scenes in the movie… but did you have any blooper moments where you couldn’t help but laugh?

NS: There was a part where I'm playing Evil Sky - which is what we call her - and on one of the close ups where I'm smiling and I'm saying my lines, I had one more to improv. I was singing, and everyone just started wetting themselves laughing, which was nice, because it was a moment in one of the hardest four days of the shoot. The freezer stuff was the hardest to shoot, as I was flicking between the two, and it was very intense - but at least there was that moment of humour!

The shocking ending makes it look like a third movie is very possible. Would you be up for appearing in it?

NS: I mean, for sure! I have no idea what the plans are. I'm just in it. That's all. That's definitely above my pay grade, But yeah, it certainly does set up something potentially very, very fun and interesting…