The Mary Sue Interview: Pro-Kiteboarder-Turned-Actress Maika Monroe Is Hitting It Big In Horror
The new "it" girl of It Follows and The Guest!
At just 21, Maika Monroe seems to be hitting the big time with two consecutive hit film in the cult horror circuit. After taking on Dan Stevens’ psycho-killer in the sci-fi slasher film The Guest, Monroe is once again being pursued in It Follows.
In theaters now, It Follows finds Monroe as the latest target of a mysterious entity that can take on the image of anyone, including those she knows. After its festival premiere at Cannes and the Toronto International Film Festival, It Follows became one of the most buzzed about horror films of 2014. Although it debuted in limited release over a month ago, it continues to be released in more and more, and playing to sold-out crowds – and with the film’s success, Monroe is finding more and more opportunities in Hollywood, including the upcoming sci-fi action film The Fifth Wave (alongside Chloe Grace Moretz), and the coming-of age-drama The Tribes of Palos Verdes, about a surfer…the perfect fit for the former athlete.
Lesley Coffin (TMS): It Follows is being compared to, and references, a lot of classic horror films from the ’80s. Do you have favorites that you drew from for the role?
Maika Monroe: I grew up watching horror movies like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Shining. Those were the movies I loved as a kid. So when I spoke on the phone with [writer/director] David [Robert Mitchell] about his inspirations for the movies, I was excited, because those were a lot of the movies he mentioned being inspired by himself.
TMS: The movie I thought of first, especially because of the point-of-view shots, was Halloween, which had that real-world fear of stalking.
Monroe: Oh yeah. I think that was definitely part of the terror for my character.
TMS: How did you and David approach the character’s sexuality, and the reason that this curse is passed on sexually?
Monroe: Well, I think David wanted to have it as the entry into the movie, but also approach it almost in reverse to how most horror movies approach sex. In most horror movies, sex is the character’s downfall, and ultimately leads to their death. But in this movie, yes, sex is the cause, but she has to pass it on in order to survive. He wanted to play around with those conventions. And as an actress, with sex playing such an important role, you have to have complete trust in the director that he will do it right. And I had that trust in David. But we had the conversations beforehand, talking about what the importance and meaning of sex was.
TMS: The movie wasn’t originally going to go to wide release, but it’s been so successful they just keep adding theaters. Was that sudden change, realizing you have this unexpected hit, intimidating at all?
Monroe: It’s just been crazy. I would have never thought something like this would happen with this kind of movie. The first festival we went to was Cannes, and that was interesting, because the movie isn’t your typical horror movie. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like something which would be commercial[ly successful]. But then we started getting the first reviews out of Cannes, which were all good, and that was just surreal. And getting to go from festival to festival, and hearing from people who just loved the movie, has been amazing. So, when we found out the movie broke theatrical records, and was going to go into 1200 theaters and then 1600 theaters, that’s something we never would have thought could happen either, but it’s all just been exciting.
TMS: The movie also got great word-of-mouth, and is one of the few films where people are going back to see it with their friends. What is it about the film that makes it stand out from the other horror movies in theaters that don’t have this kind of lifespan?
Monroe: I don’t know. It has a bit of a coming-of-age storyline mixed in with the horror, and the kids in it are relatable. And there just seems to be an elegance to this film you don’t get in most horror films; the soundtrack, the wardrobe, the use of technology. Everything put together, and people seem to think they haven’t seen a horror movie like this before and want to see it in the theater when they have the opportunity.
TMS: When you’re filming, you don’t have the benefit of hearing the soundtrack or seeing the lighting the way the audience will experience it. Was it a challenge to know the tone David was going for while filming?
Monroe: Yeah it was. I had no idea what the soundtrack would be, and only got an idea about the style and tone from the wardrobe and set designs, so you just have to let the character inform your performance. But I had no idea what the movie would look like when it was finally done. When I finally saw the movie in its entirety, I was just like ,“Oh my gosh!” But it was the same with The Guest, you watch and just think, “You just took it to a whole other level.” The soundtrack alone makes a huge difference.
TMS: With both It Follows and The Guest, even though they are both horror films and I know people have used the term “scream queen” to refer to your roles, the two characters really couldn’t be more different. Was that important for you when you were deciding to go right from The Guest into It Follows?
Monroe: At the end of the day, I could definitely see myself doing more horror movies, so long as they are solid scripts and challenging roles. I never want to say never or tell someone, “Oh, I just did that.” It’s all about the script, character, and who is telling the story. But I couldn’t even compare the two characters because they are so different and were such different experiences for me as an actress. I wasn’t even thinking, “Oh, I’m doing two horror movies back-to-back.” I was just excited to be working, and getting to work with such great people.
TMS: What initially draws you to a project or makes you pick one film over another?
Monroe: For me, the first thing I look at is the character. Do I want to play this role? Will this role challenge me? Is it interesting? And then I look at the director and his previous work, to decide it they are someone I want to work with. That’s my process at this point in my career.
TMS: I know you’re just 21 and have only been working in movies for about 4 years, but did you, or have you since, gotten advice about how to navigate your career or deal with the business of Hollywood?
Monroe: It’s so hard, because you really can’t plan anything. You can’t say, “You have to get this kind of movie and it will catapult you into this level.” The industry is so unpredictable and having a successful film is like winning the lottery, because it is so rare. Even if people offer you advice, at the end of the day it’s really just luck and fate, along with talent of course. But you can’t really plan. My mom is a sign language interpreter and my dad works in construction, so they really don’t have any idea about the industry. The only people who could really help or guide me were my agents and managers, but I really can’t think of any advice I’ve been given about my career.
TMS: How did you make that transition from sports to acting?
Monroe: It just kind of fell into my lap. I started doing small auditions when I was about 13 or 14 and got an agent. I had no interested in acting as a kid, but then it just kind of happened, and around 14 I really started wanting it. But it wasn’t working out and when things don’t work out, you have to pay attention and think, if this isn’t working out, maybe I have to re-think my choices. So at 17, I decided to take a break from acting and moved to the Dominican Republic to train in kiteboarding. My mom came with me and we lived there for about 7 months. I was planning on being there for about a year so I could joining the competition circuit with the pros. But my agent at the time asked me to make a few more audition tapes. I was just about to turn 18 and my mom filmed my audition tape for this movie called At Any Price with Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron. And for whatever reason, I ended up booking it, and that completely changed the course of my life. Since doing that film at 18, my life has completely changed, and I’m lucky to have been able to work and work with really cool people.
TMS: Since you were a professional kiteboarder before getting into acting, how has that part of your life helped you as an actress on screen?
Monroe: It’s helped me across the board. I have the strength to perform some of the more physical scenes in these movies. But, the mental part has also been a big help because it helped me to develop a work ethic.
TMS: Watching The Guest last year, I remember thinking how great it was to see a girl like you tough and clever enough to take on a bulked up, murderous Dan Stevens. Is getting to play tough characters like that a thrill for you?
Monroe: Oh yeah, I absolutely love it. I look at the movies I’ve done so far in my career and the movies I’m doing now and have coming up, and there is a common theme with these characters. They are very strong women and I am drawn to those types of roles. And I like to see those types of characters on screen myself and I’m glad that in the movies I have coming up, I get to play cool, tough women. It’s an exciting time right now.
Lesley Coffin is a New York transplant from the midwest. She is the New York-based writer/podcast editor for Filmoria and film contributor at The Interrobang. When not doing that, she’s writing books on classic Hollywood, including Lew Ayres: Hollywood’s Conscientious Objector and her new book Hitchcock’s Stars: Alfred Hitchcock and the Hollywood Studio System.
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